A survey conducted on Tallahassee's east side in the early 1940's identified over 1000 families not actively involved in a local church. Families interested in establishing a new east side Baptist congregation began meeting in homes in 1948. The first Sunday School meeting of the body of believers that would become East Hill Baptist Church was April 4, 1948 in the home of Mr. and Mrs. H.D. Jones on Miccosukee Road. The next month, regular worship services were added, with the first Vacation Bible School held in June. In July, Rev. Nat H. Brittain was called as the first pastor and East Hill Baptist Church was formally organized Sunday, November 14, 1948.
In February 1949, East Hill began meeting at 912 Miccosukee Road in a colonial home donated to the church by Judge W.H. Ellis that had been dismantled and rebuilt on the church property. This first building became what is now the Avant Chapel. Under the leadership of Rev. Ray Tindall, a new Sanctuary building and additional educational space were dedicated on April 28, 1963. The program that developed into the church's Weekday Preschool was also established in the early 1960's.
Property east of the East Hill's Chapel was purchased in 1969 and the house that stood on the property was used as a youth center. That same year, East Hill established a mission congregation in Mabry Manor, near Sabal Palm Elementary School. East Hill built a new Christian Activities Center in 1973 on the site of the old youth center. In 1996 it was named the Tindall Christian Activities Center (TCAC) in honor of Rev. Ray and Mary Lou Tindall. The Tindall Christian Activities Center offers a variety of programs for members of East Hill and the community. In recent years, TCAC programs have emphasized ministry to children with hundreds participating in the After School and Summer Day Camp Programs.
For more than fifty years, East Hill has shared the Good News of Jesus Christ in the Tallahassee community and around the world. Many people have been blessed and lives have been changed through the ministries of our congregation and as we have partnered with ministries and organizations like the Florida Baptist Association, the Florida Baptist Convention, the International Mission Board and North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Most High Ministries, Florida Baptist Children's Homes, Elder Care Services, SHARE, Heifer International, Habitat for Humanity, Lighthouse Children's Home, Project Annie, Big Bend Cares, Children's Home Society and World Changers. We look forward with hope that we will continue to minister to those around us and that our community, state, nation and world will be blessed because we cared and went forth in Jesus' name.
Senior Ministers of East Hill Baptist Church
