Bill Hayes is our Senior Pastor here at Hillview. He is involved in the Free Will Baptist denomination locally and nationally. He is on the Board of Directors for the Ohio State Association of Free Will Baptists serving as chairman. He is the moderator of the Franklin Conference of Free Will Baptists and chairman of the Ordaining Council. He is also the President/CEO of "Impulse International Mission Trips".
He and his family came to Hillview on January 3, 1993. At the time, he had worked for CBC Companies in Columbus, Ohio. Bill has a vision for the church to be the greatest church in the world - a place where Jesus Christ attends every Sunday. Bill lives in Galena, Ohio with his wife Cheri. He has two daughters Malari (husband Zac) Helman & Caitlin and is the grandfather of Levi.
Kyle Topy is our Youth Pastor. He and his family came to Hillview in 2005. Kyle and his wife Jessica were married in 2002 and they now have five children: Chayse, Landon, Abram, Jonas and Carley. Kyle and Jessica have served in the children's ministry since the beginning of 2006. Kyle has felt the call to further his education in the area of youth ministry and accepted the Youth Pastor position in September 2008. He and his family currently reside in Pataskala.
Jim Baker is a deacon and was and is a farm boy. He was raised on a grain
farm outside Canal Winchester, Ohio. Jim has a Bachelors degree in accounting and was
drafted while in college. After college he entered the United States Air Force
during the Vietnam era and met his wife Geri at his room-mates wedding in 1972.
Because of Geri and her Free Will Baptist background, Jim started going to her church on weekends and Jim became a Christian on October 19th 1972. Geri and Jim were married in the same church on September the 8th 1973. They held a Bible study in their home while in the Air Force and after the Air Force moved back to Canal Winchester so that Jim could take care of his Grandmother and Mother. Jim and Geri went to Heritage Temple Free Will Baptist where Paul Thompson was Pastor. After about 10 years they went to help a Free Will Baptist mission church outside Lancaster Ohio now called Open Door Free Will Baptist. They both taught Sunday School and Jim co-led the services. He also directed the choir and sang specials along with singing in a group. Jim also formed a men’s breakfast and Bible study one Saturday per month.In 2000 they began attending Hillview and have never been happier serving the Lord. Geri is a leader in the Women Of Wonder ladies group as welll as being involved in the district and state. Her heart has always been with missions. Geri and Jim have taught the missions class for VBS and filled in as an adult Sunday School teachers.
Where there is food there is Jim. Jim believes in the four ‘F’s’; “Fun, Food, Fellowship and Free Will Baptists”. He is currently leading the Greeting ministry at Hillview and is usually found at the front doors greeting. He was ordained a Deacon on December 11, 2005. That was and is his greatest accomplishment, being found faithful and a servant. Jim is a co-leader of his care group and of the Master’s Men group.
Jack Gessells was born at Childrens Hospital in Columbus, Ohio but lived most of his school years in Chillicothe. He graduated from Chillicothe High School and attended Columbus Business University earning a degree in Junior Accounting. He has lived the last 32 years in Gahanna after a year in Phoenix, Arizona.
While living in Chillicothe, he and his wife Martha conducted a bible club at Southeastern High School in Richmond Dale. They also played and sang at revivals and song fests around Ross and Pike counties and on a local radio station.
He was married to Martha (a great Christian wife and Mother) for 49 years. Martha had cancer and, after 3 ½ years of treatments, passed away on December 24, 2003. They have 3 children: Rick, Jeff and Krista. There are 9 grand children and 2 Great-grand children as well.
Jack has attended Hillview for a little over 10 years. He has taught Sunday School and been a Small Group leader. He was the first elder at Hillview. Jack says, "I consider it a great honor, after severing several years as Deacon, to be an elder and working with the pastors and deacons. I think that Hillview has the greatest pastor and the greatest members in the whole world." Jack also serves as church treasurer.
Don Young was born in Columbus, OH but was raised in Logan,
OH. He was saved at the age of 15 and attended the First Baptist Church of Logan through high school. He graduated from Logan High School in 1979 before starting Otterbein College. At Otterbein he met his wife Holly and they have been married for almost 32 years. Don & Holly have 3 children: Jessica, Teresa and DJ plus 5 grandchildren and counting.
After getting married, Don & Holly moved back to Logan and Don started school at Hocking Technical College where he graduated from in 1982 with an Associate’s Degree in Computer Science. Don later received a Bachelors Degree in Business from the Ohio Dominican College in Columbus. Don & Holly moved to Pataskala from Logan in 1990.
Don started attending Hillview in March of 2004. His first ministry was the leader of the Levite team. Since that time he has been involved in the Men’s, Sports, Small Group and Sunday School ministries. Don & Holly was a host home to a care group starting in 2005 before changing to Care Group leader in May of 2006. Don’s group now meets on Friday evenings in Reynoldsburg. In the fall of 2007, Don was charged to be a Deacon. In 2010, Don became third Elder of Hillview.
Hillview is a very special place to Don. “We had been looking for a church home since we left Logan and we never seemed to find the place where the Lord wanted us to be. On our second visit to Hillview we knew this place was "Far From Ordinary" and this is where we were to serve the Lord and grow as Christians. Hillview is such a great church, filled with exceptional people and lead by an extraordinary God loving pastor and an awesome & loving God and Savior. We are honored and blessed to be part of the Hillview family.”