DONALD HILLIARD, JR.
Bishop Donald Hilliard, Jr. D.Min., 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.
“Say Yes!” is a trademark of Bishop Hilliard, a visionary leader who at the age of 26 became the Senior Pastor of the Historic Second-Baptist Church in Perth Amboy, NJ. Under Dr. Hilliard's leadership, Second Baptist grew from 125 members in 1983 to 6,000 members today. Now, “One Church in Three Locations,” the Cathedral International has expanded its ministry to three communities in New Jersey: Perth Amboy, Asbury Park and Plainfield.
Consecrated as Bishop in 1995, Dr. Hilliard is the Presiding Bishop and Founder of the Covenant Ecumenical Fellowship and Cathedral Assemblies, Inc. In this role, Bishop Hilliard serves as the spiritual advisor and mentor for several pastors and churches across the United States and West Africa.
Never one to remain stagnant, Bishop Hilliard resurrected a gift that had been dormant for decades when he started painting in 2006 after a life-threatening illness. Bishop Hilliard's abstract expressionist style explores the world of deep emotional and spiritual connections that has guided his ministry to touch and transform lives around the world.
Dr. Hilliard earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Eastern College (now Eastern University), St. Davids, Pennsylvania, The Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ, and 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 and numerous awards for his community service around the world.