A Light on the Hill

In A Light on the Hill, Caleb Morell chronicles the surprising story of how a local church in the nation’s capital influenced evangelicalism. It tells the story of how Capitol Hill Baptist Church followed its calling to work, pray, sow, and stay.

Founded in 1878, the church had humble beginnings—starting with a prayer meeting led by Celestia Ferris and a focus on Sunday School. From the outset, under founding pastor Joseph W. Parker, it was emphasized that the ministry would not be sustained by the reputation of its pastor but by the prayers of its people.

Baptist

As a Baptist, I found this book painfully relatable. I say “painfully” because Morell allows readers to experience church conflict, the drama of members’ meetings, and the ongoing struggle of building funds. Almost tragically comic is the persistent trend of meager pastoral salaries throughout the church’s history.

I was especially interested in what was described as numerical growth without lasting fruit during the years 1884–1889. Morell writes about Pastor William H. Young and his impatience in evangelism. It would be wise for us to keep history in mind as churches today seek revival without depth. Shockingly, Young would later be murdered in a senseless crime. Presidential candidate General Green Clay Smith was called as the next pastor. His pastorate was marked by a focus on youth, social reform, and women’s ministry, which left the church in a strong position.

This book boldly presents both history and the lessons we should take from it. We see that a faithful and seasoned pastor can provide stability. We also see that governing documents and church polity have a lasting impact.

History

What I enjoyed most was seeing the church’s history set against the backdrop of U.S. history—the Civil War, the sinking of the Titanic, World War I, the Spanish Flu, and World War II. Segregation and racism were present in the church, just as they were in the broader nation. My church has been around for 40 years. Capitol Hill has been around for 150.

On the theological side, Morell discusses the roles of egalitarians and complementarians. Agnes Shankle demonstrated how both men and women—brothers and sisters—are equally charged with stewarding the keys of the kingdom and protecting the church’s life and doctrine through their congregational vote.

In the evangelical world, the church’s hospitality and strategizing during the Billy Graham Crusade left a significant impact on Washington, D.C. and the nation. The church also played a part in the founding of Christianity Today.

Faithful

The book details how Capitol Hill Baptist Church navigated pastoral succession, cleaned up its membership rolls, and approached the baptism of children (typically during adolescence). Most interesting, however, was how the church dealt with sexual immorality and pastoral abuse. In an ironic twist, the offender—Harry Kilbride—had authored a booklet titled When a Christian Leader Falls before coming to Capitol Hill. While he was an incredibly gifted preacher, the church learned a hard but crucial lesson: integrity matters more than charisma.

The book concludes with a look at Pastor Mark Dever’s current tenure and offers insight into the more widely known ministries of 9Marks and Together for the Gospel.

This book was a surprisingly riveting read for me—I don’t usually read biographies, let alone church biographies. Encouraging and inspiring, it shows how God has been faithful to a church that resolved to “do nothing” and let the Word do the work.

I received a media copy of A Light on the Hill (Amazon, Crossway, WTS 5% off with code DIVEINDIGDEEP) and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.