Reverend
Levi M. Terrill, D.D.
1943 - 1971

The deacon board of Zion Hill, with the cooperation of the loyal membership, carried on the work and programs of the church during the illness and death of Dr. Johnson until the coming of the eighth pastor, Reverend L. M. Terrill.

 

Assuming the popular title “The Musical Church with the Musical Pastor,” Zion Hill got busy, and under the dynamic leadership of Dr. Terrill, the $22,000 debt was wiped out in 12 months. As a part of this effort, Dr. Terrill gave a Tenor Recital which netted the church $1,000, which he donated to pay on the debt. He organized the 100 Voice Chorus and presented them in a concert that raised $1,500, which was also applied to the debt. The church was remodeled; an organ, new pews, and ceiling fans were installed, and a gas furnace replaced the coal furnace. Undertaker Hanley painted the Church free of charge in 1943.

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Terrill expanded the ministry focus with the delivery of a weekly radio broadcast. Until that point, news of the church and its ministry had been transmitted through the voices of members extending the invitation for others to visit.  Radio as a means of spreading the Gospel message provided a new approach to evangelism. He started many social and spiritual programs designed for the good of the people and to the glory of God.  He started the first nursery school, birthday month clubs (February, March, April, June, and September), the Courtesy Guild to welcome visitors, the Brotherhood and Sisterhood, Junior Deacons, the first Deaconesses, All Purpose Club, Matrons, Rain or Shine Club, Wings of the Morning, and the Youth Fellowship.  Zion Hill also had its first Boy Scout troop.

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On April 2, 1945, Reverend Terrill convened a church meeting to present a proposed resolution, authorizing the officers of the Board of Trustees to apply for the revival and renewal of the church charter.  He had discovered that the original charter of December 5, 1919, had expired on December 5, 1939. The resolution was adopted, signed, and presented to the Court. Then, on April 18, 1945, the Superior Court ordered the following: “Charter is revived and renewed for a period of thirty-five years from the date of its expiration, twit:  December 5, 1939...”

 

In September 1946, Deacon George Shepard Stewart, Executive Head of the Progressive Insurance Agency installed a neon sign across the choir stand, citing the “Musical Church with the Musical Pastor.” The church edifice was, then, paid out of debt the second time. During Terrill’s pastorate, there were many world and domestic changes. Hitler was defeated in Europe, the Korean War started and ended, and once more there was peace in the world. On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court of the United States, by unanimous vote, declared that segregation has no place in our national life. The United States Congress passed the Civil Rights Law of 1964 and the following year they passed the pivotal Voting Rights Act and peace was in the world once more.

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Terrill devoted his time to regrouping the forces at Zion Hill for a forward march into the future. With this in mind, Dr. Terrill selected a committee of deacons to study our situation and bring back a structure and organization. This was done and the church had time to think of its future expansion. During this same time Pastor Terrill was elected president of the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia at Bainbridge, Georgia in 1959. Thus, two crucial matters confronted him: the future of Zion Hill Baptist Church and the future of the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia.

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With much thought and prayer, the Study Committee brought back the idea of organizing a ward structure, with members being assigned to deacons. This structure allowed the deacons to divide up the membership and help the pastor address their needs. Zion Hill was in good hands with the ward structure. The General Missionary Baptist Convention was in good hands with the most able Reverend Terrill and his spouse, Sister Jewell Terrill, at his side. He served both organizations until his death in 1971.

 

The Atlanta University’s Robert W. Woodruff Library has established the Levi and Jewel Terrill Collection. This collection contains the papers and collects materials of the Reverend Levi Maurese Terrill and his wife Jewell (Middlebrooks) Terrill, leaders in the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia (GMBCGA) and later in the National Baptist Convention, U.S.A. (NBCUSA). The majority of the collection consists of items related to the organizations with which Terrill was associated, documenting the various programs and associations of the GMBCGA. Terrill’s personal materials contain general correspondence, class coursework from when he was a student, curriculum and teaching materials from his tenure as a professor at the Interdenominational Theological Center, and memorabilia from his travel and participation in various conferences around the world. Of note in these materials are newspaper clippings documenting his work and advocacy for the Baptist Church, along with handwritten sermons.