A friendly, welcoming congregation offering an uplifting multi-denominational service with traditional music and inspirational, educational scripture-based sermons. An Enduring Fellowship: A brief history of the Hilltop Fellowship
Hilltop Fellowship is a friendly, welcoming congregation offering an uplifting multi-denominational service with traditional music and inspirational, educational
scripture-based sermons. Our history starts in March of 1966 with First Presbyterian Church in Hopkinsville. A small number of Trigg County residents who were Presbyterians attended that church. As their number grew, they suggested that a church could be established in Cadiz. First Presbyterian Church determined that its associate minister could conduct early services in Cadiz for the Trigg County Presbyterians. The Presbytery of Western Kentucky agreed to fund a minister for the lake area with responsibilities that included serving as pastor to the new “Presbyterian Chapel.”
The Presbyterian Chapel first met in members’ homes. It became evident that would not work so they rented a building to hold their worship services. In 1975, the Presbytery discontinued funding the lake minister, and the First Presbyterian Church was no longer willing to send someone to conduct the lake services. The Chapel could no longer pay rent on a building and started looking elsewhere. The Cadiz Christian Church allowed the Chapel to use its sanctuary for a nominal fee. Meanwhile, the Christian Church was in the process of calling a minister. A 25-year-old minister from Brownsville, Tennessee, who finished a Master of Divinity in 1974 and a Doctor of Ministry in 1975 at Vanderbilt University was called. Dr. Tom Martin and his wife, Carol, moved to Cadiz in 1975 to begin the ministry. The Christian Church offered to share Dr. Martin’s services. The Presbytery of Western Kentucky interviewed and approved him with the title “Stated Supply Minister.” For the 42 years Dr. Martin ministered to both congregations, they collaborated on such things as Sunday School, youth groups and church social gatherings. Over the years, Dr. Martin also served as president of Trigg County Ministerial Association, the Trigg County Elementary P.T.A., the West Area of the Christian Church in Kentucky, the Cadiz Rotary, and Friends of John L. He was second vice moderator for the Christian Church in Kentucky and a board member to the Trigg County Council on Aging and to Sanctuary House. He was also elected Rotarian of the Year. The Presbyterian Chapel congregation was small enough that when decisions needed to be made, they were made by the entire congregation during fellowship time. For many years, a family was designated each Sunday as the “host family.” They were responsible for passing out the bulletins, collecting the offering and hosting a fellowship time in the basement of the church. Fellowship time consisted of friendly talk over coffee, juice and a pastry or cake. Interestingly, during this fellowship time, men would sit on one side of the basement and women on the other side. One couple who joined the congregation noticed the segregation and asked, “Is it required for the men to sit on one side and the women on the other?” One member replied, “Not required but expected.”
One of the unique ministries of the Presbyterian Chapel was a Barkley Lodge service. The Lodge service arose from Dr. Martin’s participation in the Trigg County Ministerial Association. The Association conducted early morning services at Barkley Lodge during the summer. On Dr. Martin’s Sundays, the Presbyterian Chapel held its services there. Another unique ministry was a boat service. The idea grew out of a Sunday School discussion. On the first Sundays in August, the Presbyterian Chapel held morning boat services on the lake instead of in the sanctuary. Some of the lake services were held at the docks of Presbyterian members, and those attending the services were encouraged to come by boat. Dr. Martin retired December 31, 2017. He says “Over the years there were many good times. When I was coming out of seminary and beginning my ministry in Cadiz, I was not sure how this was going to work. But due to my educational training and the grace of God, it worked beautifully.”
After Dr. Martin retired, for an interim period the Presbyterian Chapel was served by the interim minister of the Christian Church and by Chaplain (Major) Ret. Edward A. Jackson, a recently retired and highly decorated chaplain from Fort Campbell. In 2019 the Presbyterian Chapel went through some major transitions. (1) Recognizing the makeup of the congregation had changed over the years and members came from many denominations, the name was changed to the Hilltop Fellowship, a multi-denominational congregation. (2) The Hilltop Fellowship was blessed when the Cadiz United Methodist Church allowed its Assistant Pastor, Rev. Jamus Redd, to lead the Fellowship services and congregation. Rev. Redd also serves as Circuit Court Judge in the 56th Judicial Circuit. (3) Rev. Charles Williams, minister of the Dyers United Methodist Church, invited the Hilltop Fellowship congregation to use the historic Dyers Chapel for its services Sunday mornings before the Dyers UMC congregation met. The Dyers congregation welcomed the Hilltop Fellowship congregation and the arrangement proved beneficial to both. Williams retired in June of 2021, and the Dyers UMC congregation elected to meet together with the Hilltop Fellowship congregation at 8:00 Sunday mornings with Rev. Jamus Redd serving both congregations. The first joint service was June 27, 2021. Over the years, the congregation has been blessed with good pianists, some with extraordinary talent. The Hilltop Fellowship continues to be blessed, first with Sheila Cothran and currently with Clarissa King, wife of Mayor Todd King. When the two congregations started meeting together, we were doubly blessed with Dyers' Pam Witty sharing piano responsibilities with Clarissa King. A keyboard was purchased so both pianists could play together and, when the weather was good, we could easily move the keyboard to the Dyers Chapel Pavilion to enjoy outdoor services. On November 1, 2024, Hilltop Fellowship left the Sunday worship at Dyers Chapel and is searching for a place to meet. During that period of time, services will be held at Genesis Express with Rev. Jamus Redd. We are prayerful the Lord has a place in store for His flock. Hilltop Fellowship continues to welcome all who wish to enjoy its history of warm Christian friendship.
