Reverend
Aaron L. Parker, Ph.D.
1994 - Present

On March 6, 1994, Zion Hill was blessed with its tenth and current pastor, Reverend Doctor Aaron Larry Parker, along with his wife, First Lady Shelia Smith Parker and their children, Aaron Larry, Jr., and Asha Liana. 

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Having formerly served as Zion Hill’s Youth Minister, he returned with a wealth of experience, energy, and a divine calling to serve God and God’s people in a particular pastoral manner. His first action was to present and coin the church’s new declarative creed, “Living to Love and Loving to Serve.”  His next action was to replace fundraising with tithing, according to canonical scripture.  These changes, among others, with the hardy cooperation of the members, enabled the church to totally renovate the 815 Lynhurst location at cost of more than $1.2 million without acquiring a loan. 

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Pastor Parker’s preaching and loving pastoral manner have brought new members and new energy to Zion Hill. During his 30 years of leadership, membership has grown to nearly 4800, with 522 joining in one year (2011).   Programs have been established to enrich our worship and church life. These programs include a vibrant Youth and Children Ministry and Chapel, a model and dynamic Rites of Passage Program, innovative Christian Education and enrichments programs, a Global Praise Service, increased scholarships and educational support to students, Couples Ministry, Singles Ministry, The Mighty Men of Zion, the Sisters in Sync (SIS) Women’s Ministry, The Zion Hill Instrumentalists, Male Chorus, Women’s Chorus (the merger of the Men and Women’s Choruses to create The Zion Hill Chorale), Community Action/Business Ministry, Friend to Friend Prison Ministry, Oni for Young Adults, The Hagar Ministry for Single Mothers, Stewardship Emphasis Day, Entrepreneurship Ministry, the Culinary Ministry, Bereavement Ministry, Deacon Emeritus Program, The Prayer Ministry, the Temple Caretakers (to care for the facility), and the Planet Preservers (for education on environmental issues). Pastor Parker initially replaced Sunday School with Saturday Church School. The program has since evolved to a monthly schedule, called the School of Love, Learning and Service and “SOLLAS BLAST SATURDAY.” These sessions are held on Saturday before the third Sunday with certified teachers.

 

Pastor Parker has inspired and led the Zion Hill congregation to fulfill its precept of “living to love and loving to serve” through the implementation of innovative spiritual and educational programs that engage and impact both its members and other participants throughout the community. These programs consist of more than 50 community outreach ministries, which are supported by tithes and offerings and an Outreach Endowment Fund, which began with pre-existing funds in the amount of over $300,000 and now stands at approximately $2.5 million. Between 1994 and June 2022, through Dr. Parker’s leadership, Zion Hill has contributed almost $4.5 million for outreach and disaster relief and over $1.5 million in scholarships to students and the Atlanta University Center. The outreach programs, sponsored by each ministry, include annual donations to all the Atlanta University Center Schools; African Initiative Ministry Program, called the Mission of Hope Meal Program, now in its fifth year of operation, provides two meals a day, five days a week to students, teachers, residents, and farm workers in Folah Bong County, Liberia, West Africa; provision of relief support to communities where there are major disasters, including storm relief for areas such as the Gulf Coast, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Haiti, The Bahamas and Louisiana.  Outreach programs have partnered with local community service organizations and have provided services to persons, who are homeless, who are abused, who have physical and mental disabilities and persons who need spiritual guidance, hope, food, shelter and clothing.   Outreach is provided through a home retention program to aid persons who had trouble with housing, which was started during the housing crisis of 2007-2009. The Zion Hill Community Development Corporation (ZHCDC), a faith-based non-profit organization, also provides outreach services. The church purchased, renovated and opened a two-story facility in East Point, Georgia, where the ZHCDC serves the needs of many individuals and families. 

 

In keeping with Pastor Parker’s recognition of the contributions and significance of women in the ministry and operations of the church, he named and ordained the first three female deacons, now totaling thirteen, to the ZHBC Deacons Ministry. Additionally, he has ordained and/or licensed at least 35 women to actively serve as ministers of The Gospel.

 

Being mission driven and strategically focused, Pastor Parker had a vision of Zion Hill beyond church services and Christian education.  He envisioned the church providing fitness and wellness programs, media to support the church ministry, an afterschool program, summer enrichment and multi-generational housing.

 

To realize his vision, Pastor Parker led the congregation in moving from the 815 Lynhurst Drive location to a more accommodatingly suitable site. The plan to move started in 2005.  Deacon Walter Sullivan was designated as the project leader. The property (43.5 acres) was purchased cash from Wings of Faith Church for $1.5 million dollars. However, soon after this purchase, the church at least partially put its building plans on hold in order to provide hands-on relief for the Hurricane Katrina victims of the Gulf Coast. The church devised a program for housing about 65 families for approximately 3 months at a cost of almost $100,000.

 

Following this relief effort, in 2006, under Pastor Parker’s leadership, Zion Hill implemented the “Rock Project,” a three-phase building program to accommodate the Church’s growing membership and expansion of ministries to continue changing lives and serving with love. The church embarked upon a $31 million building program for two of the three phases of the new church campus. Over $22 million of the $31 million has been paid off.

 

Phase I was completed and Zion Hill moved into its new church home at 6175 Campbellton Road, SW, Atlanta (now The City of South Fulton), on December 5, 2010. In 2014, the former church location, 815 Lynhurst Drive, was sold. In 2015, Phase II planning began for the construction of the ZHBC “Love Center” (a multipurpose facility). On February 25, 2017, the Church family moved into the Love Center Phase II. The Love Center houses Christian Education, educational, recreational, youth and senior activities, as well as administrative offices, fellowship and meeting areas. Phase III is planned to include intergenerational housing.

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In 2020, Zion Hill, as did the rest of the world, faced a major challenge with the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Pastor Parker created a COVID-19 Task Force to design how the church would operate. The last in-person service was March 8, 2020. Since the beginning of an initial infestation of the virus in 2020, Pastor Parker has led the church’s response to the virus through virtual services and Bible study, inspirational messages, encouraging words, COVID education with weekly updates, COVID testing, and COVID vaccinations for members and community. He has also maintained church programs and outreach services while continuing to minister to families directly impacted by the virus with debilitating health issues and bereavement with the loss of family and friends. In April 2022, we resumed in-person church services, and continue to also provide virtual services.

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Each year, Pastor Parker establishes a theme for congregational focus and programs to implement that theme.