Biography
A shepherd's life, wholly surrendered
Visionary. Inspirational. Resilient. A dedicated leader. For more than four decades, Bishop Donald Hilliard, Jr., D.Min., has poured his life into the church, the academy, the page, and the canvas.
The Call
Ordained to serve, consecrated to lead
Donald Hilliard, Jr. was ordained to the Gospel ministry in 1978 by the Progressive National Baptist Convention, Inc., and consecrated a bishop in 1995 under Bishop John R. Bryant. Since then he has served as senior pastor of Cathedral International — The Historic Second Baptist Church in Perth Amboy, New Jersey — for 41 years.
It has been his willingness to say “Yes!” to the Lord that has defined his life's work: under his leadership, Cathedral International experienced exponential growth and was recognized by the American Baptist Churches, USA as a model for church expansion.
The Scholar
Formed by the academy, faithful to the church
Bishop Hilliard earned his Bachelor of Arts from Eastern College (now Eastern University) in St. David's, Pennsylvania; his Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary; and his Doctor of Ministry from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, where he studied as a Dr. Samuel D. Proctor Fellow. He has also received multiple honorary doctoral degrees.
- Faculty mentor of the “Building a Bridging” Doctor of Ministry program, and former group convener and mentor of the Donald Hilliard Fellows Doctor of Ministry program, United Theological Seminary
- Visiting professor of Church Renewal, and Affiliate Associate Professor and creator of the Hilliard/Sweet Concentration (2012), Drew University Theological School
- Member of the Board of Trustees, Eastern University; former Pastor-Scholar in Residence, Palmer Theological Seminary
- Distinguished Practitioner in Residence, New Brunswick Theological Seminary; taught at Boston University School of Theology (1984); former board member, Somerset Christian College
The Builder
Institutions that outlast a single lifetime
Bishop Hilliard is the founder and former CEO of the Cathedral Community Development Corporation, which provides outreach services to the local community. He is the founder and Presiding Prelate Emeritus of the Covenant Ecumenical Fellowship and Cathedral Assemblies — now the Covenant Fellowship Alliance.
He founded and hosts the annual national Safe Harbor Clergy and Mental Health Retreat, hosts the Longevity Church Leadership Gathering, and in February 2014 launched the Donald and Alease Hilliard Chapman Foundation.
Recognized by the American Baptist Churches, USA as a model for church expansion — a congregation grown into four locations, reaching thousands of homes across the globe.Cathedral International
The Author & The Voice
Fourteen books, and a word for the nation's pulpits
The author of fourteen books — among them Stop the Funeral, Somebody Say Yes!, Faith in the Face of Fear, and Midlife, Manhood, & Ministry — Bishop Hilliard has also served as a contributing writer for the African American Pulpit and contributed to the books and publications of noted authors. He has preached the historic Hampton Ministers Conference in consecutive years, and his messages continue to reach audiences around the world.
The Family
First a husband, father, and grandfather
Bishop Hilliard is married to the Reverend Phyllis Thompson-Hilliard, BA, MA. Together they share three daughters, a son-in-law, two grandsons — Joseph Donald and Harlen — and a granddaughter, Khori. He is the son of the late Alease Elizabeth Crawford Hilliard-Chapman and the late Donald Hilliard, Sr., whose legacies live on in the foundation that bears the family's name.