On the Hill in Conyers
Heritage Hills Baptist Church sits along Highway 212 SW in Conyers, Georgia, in the heart of Rockdale County. Members and neighbors often refer to the church simply as "the Hill," and the pastoral team talks about "making the Jesus who is famous on our hill famous in our city and in our world." From that campus, the congregation runs a blended Sunday morning worship service, a deep bench of midweek discipleship for every age, a long-running community clothing outreach, and a Christian preschool and academy that shares the same property.
Today the church is home to more than a thousand members. It belongs to the Southern Baptist Convention, holds to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, and gathers around a vision summed up in two lines: To Know Jesus and Make Him Known, and to make the Jesus who is famous on our hill famous in our city, and in our world.
From South DeKalb to Rockdale County: The Heritage Story
Heritage Hills grew out of a partnership between two older Atlanta-area congregations. In 1967, Avondale First Baptist Church and Glenwood Hills Baptist Church joined forces to plant a new Southern Baptist work in a fast-growing stretch of south DeKalb County. The two churches pooled their support with a $19,000 bequest left to the Atlanta Association for the purpose of starting a new church, and a Joint Mission Committee purchased nineteen acres on Flat Shoals Road. Joe M. Hughes was called as the first pastor.
The mission held its very first gathering on July 2, 1967. Less than six months later, on January 7, 1968, the group was constituted as Heritage Hills Baptist Church with eighty-five charter members. A little over a year after that, the congregation walked into its first worship service in a permanent sanctuary.
In 1986, after ten months of prayer and study, the church relocated to Rockdale County, putting down roots on the Highway 212 campus it still occupies. A new sanctuary and Family Life Center were dedicated in 1995, and a state-of-the-art preschool and children's building followed in 2001. Pastor Joe retired in 2003 after thirty-six years of ministry, leaving behind a congregation that has continued to grow and to reach into its surrounding community.
Sunday Rhythm: Life Groups, Worship, and a Warm Welcome
Sunday is built around a simple rhythm. Life Groups meet at 9:45 a.m. for every age from infants through senior adults, and the whole church gathers for worship at 11:00 a.m. Visitors are encouraged to arrive about ten minutes early. "Visitor Parking" signs line the curb near the worship center, greeters are posted to give directions and help with seating, security personnel are on campus, and first-time guests are met with a free gift from the pastors.
The dress code is whatever a guest is comfortable in. "While some people dress up on Sundays, many wear casual clothes; Wednesday nights are always casual," the church explains. "We have people who wear suits and dresses, and we also have people who wear t-shirts and jeans." Bibles are available in the pew rack for anyone who does not bring one, and the pastor distributes an outline with the key verses each week.
Music is described as "a mix of contemporary and traditional worship songs that primarily focuses not on entertainment but on the worship of our great God." The service is also livestreamed on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person, with replays available after the service ends.
Wednesday Nights: Three Floors of Discipleship
Heritage Hills invests heavily in Wednesday evenings. Adults meet at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall for a Bible study and prayer service, which is also broadcast on Facebook Live for those joining from home. At the same hour, Kingdom Kids gathers kindergartners through fifth graders in Room P211 on the second floor of the Kids Wing, with nursery care available for the youngest children on request. On the other side of the building, sixth through twelfth graders come together for Midweek Student Ministry in Room 206 of the Family Life Center. College and career young adults, ages eighteen to twenty-five, meet on the second Wednesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. in the Banquet Room on the first floor of the Family Life Center.
Two other Wednesday rhythms use the same building. On the second Wednesday of each month, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and again from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., the church opens Our Father's Closet, a free clothing outreach serving Rockdale, Newton, Henry, and DeKalb Counties. The clothes closet is a long-standing part of the church's ministry to its neighbors and runs year-round.
Our Father's Closet: Clothing the Community
Our Father's Closet is one of the church's most recognizable outreaches. Twice on the second Wednesday of each month, once in the morning and once in the evening, volunteers distribute clothing to anyone in the surrounding counties who needs it. The ministry describes its purpose simply: "We are here to help." It is staffed by church members, supported by donations, and intentionally set on a day when the building is already busy with discipleship, so neighbors arriving for clothes can be greeted by the same greeters who welcome Sunday visitors.
Salt and Light: A Women's Ministry for Every Age
On the third Thursday of each month, women ages eleven and up gather for Salt and Light, the church's women's ministry. Meetings run from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. and carry a different theme each month, with a focus on leadership, spiritual life, prayer, and sharing the gospel. The ministry is led by Women's Ministry Directors Michelle Christie and Serena Freemyer. According to the church, "Being a part of this ministry helps to build strong relationships through serving, fellowship, and sharing together as a family."
Heritage Hills Kids: Birth Through Fifth Grade
Children are woven into every part of the church's life. Life Groups for preschoolers meet on the first floor of the Kids Wing in Room P104, and kindergarten through fifth grade gather in Room P206 on the second floor. During the 11:00 a.m. worship service, Kids' Worship is offered for the same ages, and on Wednesdays, Kingdom Kids runs from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. for kindergartners through fifth graders, with nursery care available for the youngest children.
Throughout the year, the Kids Ministry adds seasonal events: a Resurrection Party and Easter egg hunt on Palm Sunday, Vacation Bible School in June, Trunk or Treat on October 31, and a Happy Birthday Jesus Party during the Christmas season. Gayle Garrison serves as the Kids Ministry Director.
Heritage Hills Student Ministry: Sixth Through Twelfth Grade
Students in grades six through twelve have their own dedicated track. They meet for Student Life Group on Sunday mornings at 9:45 a.m., join the wider congregation for worship at 11:00 a.m., and return on Wednesday nights at 6:00 p.m. for Midweek Student Ministry in the Family Life Center. The student ministry is led by Pastor of Students Christopher Barnette.
Special events include D-Now Weekend, FUGE Summer Camp, Student Vacation Bible School, and Open Gym days. Student Ministry maintains its own Facebook and Instagram presence under the name Heritage Hills Student Ministry, so families and students can keep up with retreats, camps, and weekly gatherings.
Life Groups for Every Season
Heritage Hills calls its Sunday School program "Life Groups," a name chosen to reflect the church's emphasis on doing life together. Like a tripod, each group balances three commitments: connecting with God through Bible study, connecting with friends through care for one another, and connecting outward to people who are not yet in a group. Classes are available for infants, preschoolers, students, college and career young adults (ages eighteen to twenty-five), young and middle adults (ages twenty-five to fifty), and several co-ed and women's groups for those fifty and older. Locations are spread across the campus, including rooms on the first and second floors of the main building and the Family Life Center.
Men's Ministry and Sleep in Heavenly Peace
The Men's Ministry, led by Men's Ministry Director Jack Hober, gathers men around "fellowship, prayer, and God's word." One of its signature partnerships is with Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a nonprofit that builds beds for children who do not have one. Heritage Hills men work alongside the organization to provide beds for children in Rockdale County and surrounding communities, an outreach that the men's ministry treats as a natural outgrowth of "knowing God and making Him known."
Heritage Hills Early Learning Center & Academy
The same campus houses Heritage Hills Early Learning Center & Academy, a Christian preschool and elementary program that serves infants through second grade. The Early Learning Center operates Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with classes for infants, toddlers, two-year-olds, three-year-olds, and a full-day pre-kindergarten four-year-old class. A before-and-after-school care program is available for school-age siblings, and a summer camp is offered during school break. Weekly chapel, an enclosed playground, a library, a computer lab, and an indoor gym are all part of the daily routine.
Heritage Hills Academy runs Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., serving kindergartners through second graders in a faith-based elementary setting. The program follows Georgia's age and immunization requirements, including form 3231. Lisa Dawkins serves as director of both the Early Learning Center and the Academy, with Cindy Bebout as assistant director. Tuition and registration information is available on the school's page.
Musical Worship: Blended and Congregational
Worship Arts Director Danielle Frost leads the Musical Worship Ministry, which coordinates the blend of contemporary and traditional music that defines the church's Sunday gatherings. The team incorporates the worship choir, instrumentalists, and audio-visual support, with special presentations woven into the church calendar, including an annual Christmas special. Visitors can hear past services on the church's YouTube channel, and those interested in joining the music team are encouraged to speak with Danielle directly.
What Heritage Hills Believes
Heritage Hills holds to the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, the confessional statement of the Southern Baptist Convention, and welcomes members who come by baptism, by letter from another Baptist church, or by statement of faith after believer's baptism by immersion. The church's own day-to-day values are organized around five commitments:
- The Bible: God's truth over "my opinion."
- People: All people over "my people."
- Spiritual Growth: Life transformation over more information.
- Evangelism: God's mission over "my comfort."
- Worship: A lifestyle of worship over Sunday experiences.
The church describes its aim as being a "missional movement of Christ" that positively connects with and impacts Rockdale, Newton, Henry, and DeKalb Counties and beyond, holding firmly to these values of Bible, people, growth, service, and excellence.
The Team on the Hill
The ministerial staff is led by Senior Pastor Dr. Tim Barnette, who joined Heritage Hills in April 2022. A graduate of West Virginia State University, Luther Rice Seminary, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, and Covington Theological Seminary, Pastor Tim has been in ministry since 1994 and previously served as associate pastor in West Virginia and senior pastor of four other churches in Ohio, North Carolina, and South Carolina. He and his wife Kara have three children, including Christopher Barnette, who serves as Pastor of Students.
Dr. Leyland Collier serves as Pastoral Assistant, Danielle Frost directs Worship Arts, and Christopher Barnette leads the Student Ministry. Gayle Garrison directs the Kids Ministry, Jack Hober directs the Men's Ministry, and Michelle Christie and Serena Freemyer co-direct the Women's Ministry. Lisa Dawkins leads the Early Learning Center & Academy as its director. Office hours run Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and the church phone, (770) 922-2027, is answered during that window.
Joining the Family on the Hill
Anyone interested in making Heritage Hills their church home is invited to sit down with Pastor Tim for his "MyNext Class," a short conversation about faith and church life. Membership is open to those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and been baptized by immersion, to those transferring their letter from another Baptist church, or to those making a statement of faith after a prior believer's baptism. From the first parking spot to the choir loft, from the Infant 1 room to the Adult Bible Study, Heritage Hills Baptist Church continues to build its life around the same conviction that shaped its first gathering in 1967: to know Jesus and make Him known.