Our Legacy
It began with a vision, a rainbow extending across Bethel Church Road and ending at Hillcrest School, a building recently abandoned by Bethel Park School District in favor of the newer, the brighter, and the bolder.
But God had a plan for the building, a plan to extract new wine from old wineskins. So in the summer of 1981, as Pastor Robert Owen of South Hills Assembly of God stood outside after a brief summer shower and marveled at the rainbow stretching across the sky, God revealed the plan to him. A Christian school. In the building thought unworthy by others; in the building where the rainbow seemed to end. It was a new direction, and as God pressed upon Pastor Owen the significance of this sign, the Welsh man listened, understood, and began to lay the groundwork for what would become Hillcrest Christian School, and later Hillcrest Christian Academy.
Today, more than 40 years later, that initial vision is still at work, as Hillcrest teaches the minds of children through academic excellence and trains their hearts to love and fear the Lord. Since its inception, the school has made a number of physical, academic, and athletic improvements. New windows, new middle school classrooms in 1994, a high-school sized gymnasium in 2007, and a complete reworking of the building in 2016 when a new upper school wing was completed. This new addition included seven new classrooms and a fully equipped science lab, and allowed HCA the space to expand the computer lab, the fine arts rooms, and the library! Hillcrest also added track and field to its already expansive group of athletic offerings, and plans to put together its first-ever marching band this year!
Most recently, Hillcrest began offering college level courses in partnership with Geneva College and Carlow University. All of this and more make the Hillcrest experience one in which students excel and will remember for a lifetime.
“Remember the days of old; consider the generations long past. Ask your father and he will tell you, your elders, and they will explain to you.”
Deuteronomy 32:7
Alumni Reflection
As a student at HCA I was challenged and encouraged to hide the Word of God deep in my heart. These years were vital in building a solid faith foundation that I would build on for the rest of my life. The teachers and coaches at HCA empowered me to love, lead, and serve like Christ. I am grateful to have been part of this community, and find joy knowing that HCA’s legacy continues.
-Nakia Levi
My time at Hillcrest is marked by reminders of truth. I am so grateful that what I was learning at home was reinforced at school, and vice versa. I was surrounded by truth, and it shaped the way I thought, acted, and treated people. I wish every child could experience the schooling that I did.