On February 18, 1951, a new Baptist chapel was established to serve the Hillandale Adelphi, Oak View and Burnt Mills neighborhoods. The chapel’s temporary location was at the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Riggs Road and it was sponsored by the Brookland Baptist Church of Northwest Washington. On January 24, 1952, the chapel purchased a five- acre tract of land on Riggs and Powder Mill road. In June a proposal was made to consider a new name for the chapel and on September 4, the name Hillandale Baptist Church was formally accepted. The chapel was constituted a church and affiliated with the DC Baptist Convention on November 9, 1952. The following year, on June 7, 1953, Hillandale Baptist Church held its ground breaking ceremony and the dedication service of the church was held on May 2, 1954. The building was officially turned over to the church on April 15, 1956.
In July 1956, the church acquired the adjacent property which included the “Mother Jones Rest Home” (a farmhouse which is now the parking lot.) The farmhouse was named after Mary Harris Jones (Mother Jones). This vigorous advocate of labor was known as the Grand Old Champion of Labor. On November 24, 1960, which happened to be Thanksgiving Day, the church dedicated the Recreation (now the Putman Fellowship Hall) to be used for Sunday school, recreation and general purposes. The children’s Sunday school activities were held at the Adventist Church and later at the Naval Reserve Training Center located opposite the church on Powder Mill Road. In June 1965, a proposal was made for the church to build an Educational Building, adjoining the church. The project began in April 1967 and was dedicated on April 28, 1968.
On May 8, 1979, the church published the first issue of its newsletter, the Greeter. On December 11, 1988, the church celebrated the “burning of the mortgage” for the property.
Hillandale Baptist Church, Circa 1956
Hillandale Baptist Church, Circa 1956
Ministers/Pastors
In 1951, Rev. Walter Butts was the first interim minister at the new Baptist Chapel and served until his resignation on February 18, 1952. Following his resignation, various ministers preached at the chapel until May 1952.
In June 1952, Rev, James O. Duncan became the first official Pastor of Hillandale Baptist Church and served until his resignation in 1959. However, he continued to serve as the interim pastor until 1960.
From 1960 to 2017, Hillandale Baptist Church was led by the following pastors who were very instrumental to the growth and development of the church: Rev. Wilfred Cholerton (1960 — 1968); Rev. Stuart Kersey (1968 — 1974); interim pastor Rev. James Duncan (1974); Rev. Dr. Allen Oliver (1974 — 1978); interim pastor Rev. Don Cowherd followed by interim pastor Howard Rees (1978 — 1979); Rev. Dr. James Moore (1979 — 1984); interim pastor Rev. Dr. Roy Godwin (1984 — 1985); Rev. William A. Moyer III (1985 — 2006); interim pastor (2007 — 2009); Rev. Israel “Benny” Singleton, associate pastor Walter Jarvis (2007 — 2009); Rev Wyndell Banks (2009 — 2010); associate pastor Walter Jarvis (2010 — 2013); Rev Jedidiah Blake (2013 — 2015); and interim pastor Louis Jenkins (2015 — 2016).
In June 2016, Deacon Javon Voglezon Sr. was ordained as minister by Hillandale Baptist Church. He was the third member to be ordained as a minister by the church; the others were Bruce Romoser (December 16, 1962) and Robert Cohen (February 20, 1983). In 2018, Minister Javon Voglezon became the current pastor at Hillandale Baptist Church. It is important to note that Pastor Voglezon is a “Home Grown Product” of the church. He grew up in the church, attended children’s Sunday school and was later involved in various ministries; including the Youth Ministry, Deacon Ministry and eventually becoming the Pastor. He is a welcomed source of dignity, as he shepherds those he served at Hillandale Baptist Church.
Demographics
Over the years, the change in the community demographics has considerably impacted Hillandale Baptist Church ethnically and culturally. The transition of the church to a multicultural, multiracial congregation was triggered on April 4th, 1976, when the first African American members, the Dobbins family, transferred to the church and were voted into membership on April 15 of that same year; Jean Dobbins and her daughter Kim Holland are still active members of the church. Then, during the 1990s, as several older members moved away, people of various ethnicities moved into the area. In addition to African Americans, many of the new members came from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Gradually the neighborhood became multicultural and because of the influx of Hispanics in the area, the church has established and continues to work with the Hispanic Ministry in the church.
Hillandale Baptist Church continues to welcome everyone who seeks to worship the Lord and join in the fellowship as we continue leading others to Christ. As our slogan states, “We never see strangers, just friends we’ve never met.”
