Celebrating EV Hill
E. V. Hill’s story didn’t begin with influence or invitations to national stages. It began in
poverty, in a small log cabin in Texas, where he was born in the early 1930s.
Raised by a single mother who believed deeply in education and faith, Edward Victor Hill grew
up with very little,, but he carried a conviction that God had placed something more in front of
him. With his mother’s encouragement, he pursued higher education, eventually entering
university on scholarship. At just twenty-one years old, Hill stepped into ministry, pastoring in
Houston during a time when the Civil Rights Movement was reshaping the nation.
Hill believed the Gospel wasn’t only something to be preached, it was something to be lived.
Through his church, he helped launch initiatives to feed the hungry, build homes for the elderly,
provide clothing for families in need, and invest in the stability of his community. His faith
showed up not only in sermons, but in service.
Over time, Hill became a trusted voice far beyond his local church. He spoke at the national
gatherings, taught at institutions like Moody Bible Institute, and was known for a message that
centered on the sufficiency of Christ, most famously in a sermon called “What You Have When
You Have Jesus.” In 1973, he was invited to give the inaugural prayer for President Richard Nixon, a moment that placed a pastor shaped by poverty and perseverance onto a national stage
stage.
After the 1992 Los Angeles riots, President George H. W. Bush visited Los Angeles and spent
time at Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church, where E. V. Hill pastored for more than four
decades. In a city marked by grief and division, Hill’s church became a place of prayer,
presence, and hope.
E. V. Hill died in 2003, but his voice continues to be heard. His sermons still air on Christian
radio, and his story lives on in the lives shaped by his faithfulness.
His legacy reminds us that God often raises voices from unlikely places not for the sake of
prominence, but for the sake of pointing people back to Jesus. And that faith lived out over a
lifetime can leave echoes long after a person is gone
Join us this month, on-air and online, during Black History Month on BRIGHT-FM as we journey through history.
