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A Brief
History
EXCEPT THE LORD BUILDS THE
HOUSE,
THOSE WHO BUILD IT LABOR IN VAIN. PSALM 127:1
In 1942, Hillcrest School was founded
to provide a Christian education for missionary children
by the Church of the Brethren Mission. Anticipation
was keen. Clarence and Lucile Heckman had been remodeling
and getting ready the storeroom and house on the CBM
compound for this hoped for day of July 22, 1942. The
teacher, Mary Dadison, welcomed 12 pupils to begin Hillcrest
School, a new venture of the Church of the Brethren
Mission. The school room, which also served as a house,
had few pupils, with only two who where missionary children
of CBN. Miss Dadison, both a nurse and teacher had left
the Garkida hospital to be the first teacher of the
school.
A bed, food, foster parents, pupils,
school room, teacher, but no text books. The order had
been placed early, but the books were lost at sea because
of the war. A second order was placed. When it didn't
arrive, a tracer brought a report: ship sunk. Then in
May, 1943 80 different packages arrived. School was
dismissed and all the children went with the staff to
the post office to bring the first text books to Hillcrest.
Books had never been more welcomed by either pupils
or teachers.
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| In 1946, the
school moved to the current location. In 1952 Hillcrest
had been in operation for 10 years. The enrollment was
above 70. A special recognition service was held at St.
Piran's church and 8th grade certificates were presented
there to the 6 graduates
From the beginning, Hillcrest accepted
pupils without regard to race or color. On March 29,
1947, "The Nigerian Daily Times", Lagos, carried
an article "No color Bar in Brethren Mission School."
Other missions quickly developed an interest in Hillcrest.
So, in 1955 the Sudan United Mission, Assemblies of
God Mission and the United Missionary Society joined
CBM's efforts. These original four grew to include the
Missouri Synod Lutheran Mission (1963), the American
Lutheran Mission (1964), the Nigerian Baptist Mission
(1967), Mambilla Baptist Mission (1967), Sudan Interior
Mission (1968), the Great Commission Movement (1982),
United Methodist and the Wycliffe Bible Translators.
By November 1955 all arrangements for
capital contributions and organization had been worked
out and the first meeting of the Board of Governors
of Hillcrest School met. A constitution had been written,
home boards had been contracted over and over and when
the Board met for the first meeting there were present
people from the 4 cooperating branches of S.U.M., Assemblies
of God, U.M.S. and C.B.M. Cooperating missions share
in capital investments and furnish staff members.
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| In 1972, Hillcrest
became a day school and many of the cooperating bodies
opened their own hostels. Currently, there are five approved
hostels: Pineview (DL), Niger Creek (SIM), Crescent Hill
(NBM), Mountain View (CRC) and DivineView (non-mission).
Hillcrest began as an elementary school,
and high school classes were taken by correspondence
until 1964. 1965 saw the first graduating class made
up of eight students.
Hillcrest has continued to expand by
adding classes, varsity sports and a variety of extracurricular
activities. Student body populations have included students
from many corners of the world, sometimes with as many
as 34 different nations being represented on the campus
at one time.
Hillcrest School will seek to be an
instrument where students will be: equipped to acquire
and nurture knowledge; encouraged to have a Biblical
perspective on the world and their stewardship role
in it; encouraged to practice discipleship and service;
encouraged to have a personal relationship with the
Lord Jesus Christ.
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