Look and Listen

Biography

BISHOP DONALD HILLIARD, JR. Bishop Donald Hilliard, Jr. serves as the senior pastor of Cathedral International—The Historic Second Baptist Church in Perth Amboy, NJ. Dr. Hilliard’s willingness to “Say Yes!” to the Lord has fostered his ability to provide leadership in the growth of the church from 125 members in 1983 to 6,000 members today. Now, “One Church in Three Locations,” the Cathedral International has expanded its ministry to serve the specific needs of three different locations in New Jersey: Cathedral International in Perth Amboy, Cathedral International in Asbury Park, and Cathedral International in Plainfield. Cited by the American Baptist Churches (USA) as a model for church growth, Cathedral International is a multifaceted, relevant church with many of its members traveling from throughout the tri-state region of New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. Cathedral International reaches the lives of many people with over sixty ministries operating on its three campuses. Through the facilitation of the gospel via Streamingfaith.com and the Word Network, Cathedral International now reaches millions of homes across the globe. Cathedral International will soon break ground on 100 acres in Cranbury, NJ to erect a new edifice that will seat 4,500. Dr. Hilliard’s transformational mindset is reflected in the numerous community development initiatives established under his leadership. He is the Founder and CEO of the Cathedral Community Development Corporation (CCDC), an umbrella organization providing a variety of outreach services to the local community. “Joy in the City” is a child-care center. The “Cathedral Community Counseling Center” provides mental support for both the church and the community. The “Cathedral Bible Institute” in partnership with Oral Roberts University provides insightful biblical education that deepens the student’s level of commitment and service to the Kingdom of God. The “Cathedral Family Life Center” houses a banquet center, a creative dance center and space for various youth and young adult activities. In total, the Cathedral and the CCDC own 9 properties, several of which offer economic empowerment opportunities for entrepreneurs. The CCDC recently ventured into affordable housing construction, selling homes to a diverse of persons from the local community. The church has been cited by the city and state as a major catalyst for the renewal and development of downtown Perth Amboy. Dr. Hilliard is the author of seven books on a variety of relevant topics: “Stop the Funeral,” “Somebody Say Yes!,” “A Safe Harbor Begins @ Home,” “Faith in the Face of Fear,” “In the Grip of His Mercy,” “Church Growth from an African American Perspective,” and his latest release, “After the Fall: Resurrecting your life from Shame, Disgrace and Guilt.” Bishop Hilliard is currently working on two new books tentatively entitled “The Way Back from Shame” and “Fries With That?” A 2002 Hampton Ministers Conference speaker, Bishop Hilliard has ministered at various churches, conferences, and conventions across the United States and internationally. Vision Casting, birthed out of Bishop Hilliard’s call to serve corporate America as a Christian motivational speaker, is a motivational-action company formed by Bishop Hilliard to encourage Executive leadership to pursue life with a higher level of intensity, and a disciplined mindset for success. Bishop Hilliard’s latest big launch Be Healed: The CD is a professional live recording of worship at the Cathedral International. Be Healed seeks to liberate the broken hearted through the reading of Scriptures, prayer, and worship. Joy3 Music, Bishop Hilliard’s own gospel professional recording company, was birthed in 2004. It is Bishop Hilliard’s vision and ambition for Joy3 Music to introduce fresh and anointed talent to the gospel industry, with the purpose of spreading the message of the gospel through song, the spoken word and dramatic arts. Again, the glimmer transforming into a burst of opportunity, Bishop Hilliard’s ability to see promise in small things began at age 12. In those early years he started a series of beginning enterprises: shining shoes, cleaning toilets, selling greeting cards and candy, cutting lawns after school, and organizing a neighborhood carnival whose proceeds benefited research on muscular dystrophy. As the son of Alease Hilliard-Chapman and the late Donald Hilliard, Sr., Hilliard credits his parents for providing a stable and loving home where education and hard work were emphasized. Ordained into the Gospel ministry by the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc. in 1978 and consecrated a bishop under the hand of Bishop John R. Bryant in 1995, Bishop Donald Hilliard, Jr. is the Presiding Bishop and founder of the Covenant Ecumenical Fellowship and Cathedral Assemblies. In this role, Bishop Hilliard serves as the spiritual advisor and mentor to several pastors and churches across the United States. A true bridge builder, Bishop Donald Hilliard, Jr. served as the Group Convener and Mentor of the Donald Hilliard Fellows Doctor of Ministry Program, and visiting professor of Church Renewal at Drew University School of Theology, Madison, NJ; visiting chapel preacher and lecturer at Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL; a former member of the Yale University Center for Faith and Culture National Working Group; and a member of the Oxford Round Table, Harris Manchester College, Oxford, England. Bishop Hilliard currently serves The African American Pulpit, the leading academic periodical on black preaching, as an executive advisory board member; and is a current board member of Gospel Today. Dr. Hilliard earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eastern College (now Eastern University), St. David’s, Pennsylvania, The Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ, and an earned Doctor of Ministry degree from the United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio, as a Dr. Samuel D. Proctor Fellow. He is also the recipient of various honorary doctoral degrees. Over the past five years, he has authored seven books on a variety of relevant topics: Stop the Funeral, Somebody Say Yes!, A Safe Harbor Begins @ Home, Faith in the Face of Fear, In the Grip of His Mercy, Church Growth from an African American Perspective and his latest release, After the Fall. From an array of community groups, non-profit agencies and governmental associations, Hilliard has received numerous awards and citations for his efforts inside the church and beyond, including his role in the ongoing renewal of downtown Perth Amboy. He is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year Award from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ (1995) and Eastern College, St. David's, PA (1997), The American Baptist Church, USA Evangelism Award (1996). He was inducted into the Martin Luther King, Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA. (1995). He also received the Perth Amboy Chamber of Commerce Executive of the Year Award (1994) and the Drew University Martin Luther King, Jr. Humanitarian Award (1994). Dr. Hilliard received the prestigious New Jersey Child Assault Prevention (CAP) Award (1999) and the Roberto Clemente Special Recognition Award (2001) from the Puerto Rican Association for Human Development, Perth Amboy, NJ. He is a member of The Joint College of African-American Pentecostal Bishops, and is a lifetime member of the NAACP. Most recently he received the “Humanitarian Award” from the National Conference for Community and Justice; and has also served as a commissioner for the Perth Amboy Redevelopment Authority “What you see over the last 20 years has been a divine leap of faith,” said Hilliard, who partners in ministry with his wife, the Reverend Phyllis Thompson-Hilliard. They are the proud parents of three wonderful daughters. Bishop Hilliard is a servant of God who continues to say “Yes” to the Lord’s call on his life, and by doing so has positively affected the lives of thousands with his gift to turn a glimmer of hope into opportunity.

Inspiration

Relative to the book, After the Fall... No matter what your social sphere, whether it is cultural, familial, political or economical, everyone has experienced personal shame in one shape, form or fashion. It is true. Both in public vocations and private relationships, we have experienced disrepute, despair, depression, disease or dysfunction. Quite frankly, most folks hide their shame. We hide our personal failures that afflict our conscience. However, while these life experiences often blindside us they should not determine our lot in life. After the Fall promises to offer the rejected individual, whether sacred or secular explicit examples of how God restores a person to complete wholeness and recovery from shame. Dr. Hilliard talks about learning to live in the grace of God after receiving it. Learning to walk in it daily as the Bible talks about. Hilliard says, “we fear our sins or shortcomings have seemingly forfeited the position that God had for us.”