Our History
Hillcrest Bible Baptist Church, founded June 12, 1961, has stood strong and unwavering over the years.
The charter member laid the foundation of Bible Baptist Church with their desire to live and serve Christ. Five of which were lifelong members and enjoyed the rewards of their faith and labor for Christ by seeing the many lives this church has touched.
The church began meeting at the Hogan on Poplar Ave. with the name of Bible Baptist Church. By October of 1961, the church had secured a storefront on 5th Ave. and began preparations for their own church building. The church purchased land on the hill at the corner of Edgemont and Greenway. It was then that the "Hillcrest" was added to the name, and construction began in September 1963. As the church grew, the need for expansion pushed the young church to add on. The church added a second auditorium to the original facility, and later, the third auditorium and a gymnasium were added.
In the fall of 1980, the church opened Hillcrest Bible Baptist Academy under the leadership of Pastor Mike Haley. After many years of reaching the youth of Ark City with a christian based school, the Academy closed in the early 2000s.
