History of Victory Baptist Church

After moving to northeastern Ohio in 1990, the Lord began to burden Pastor Hilditch’s heart about the city of Mentor. After much prayer and some counsel he decided to start Victory Baptist Church on September 15, 1991. The first services were held in Mr. and Mrs. Harold Ledford’s home in the Mentor Headlands. For two weeks following, Victory Baptist Church met at the Makee Insurance Building in Painesville Township. Then the Lord provided a church building at 8911 Lake Shore Boulevard in Mentor.

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On October 20, 1991, Victory Baptist Church was officially organized by the signing of a chartering statement by those who wished to become members of the church. The Pastor was officially accepted by the congregation, and the Constitution and By-Laws were accepted for the order of Church administration. Arnett and Doris Titus were the first new converts to be baptized on Chartering Sunday. That evening the Church also partook of the Lord’s Supper for the first time.
At the end of March, 1992, a six-month lease of the church building was over. Victory Baptist Church then began renting the historic “Old Counsel Hall” from the city of Mentor, where we met for about three years. In February of 1995, we moved back into the Lake Shore church building. After a few months we purchased the building which is situated on 2 1/3 acres of land. Many have trusted Christ as their personal Savior and many have been baptized and joined the church membership over the past years. To God be the glory!

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We, as a church, want to be known as “The Church with a Heart, Sharing the Love of Calvary.” Our goal is to minister to all classes and types of people. The ministry of our church has reached into nursing homes, jails, hospitals, and many homes. We have reached out to the children, youth, adult singles, young couples, middle-aged couples, senior citizens, as well as widows and widowers. We are a church trying to meet the needs of others as God enables us.
Since its founding in 1991, Victory Baptist Church has unashamedly been a fundamental, independent, soul winning Baptist church. What was once a handful of people is now a growing ministry with a global impact. Only heaven knows the impact our church will have on the world during the years to come.

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Getting to Know the Pastor

Philip J. Hilditch, a native of Toledo, Ohio, trusted Christ as his personal Savior on October 30, 1972, while in the Marine Corps. He felt called into the ministry in March of 1973. Pastor Hilditch then began Bible College in the fall of 1973 and graduated from Hyles-Anderson College, Crown Point, Indiana, in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pastoral Theology. He was ordained into the Gospel ministry on July 23, 1978.

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The Lord called Pastor Hilditch to Turlock, California, as an assistant pastor and Christian School Administrator in 1978. He resigned this position in 1981 and moved back East and took another position as assistant pastor in Adrian, Michigan for 5 1/2 years.

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Pastor Hilditch was then called as senior pastor to one church in Michigan and later to another in Ohio before starting Victory Baptist Church on September 15, 1991. Therefore, the Pastor has over 46 years of pastoral experience.
The Pastor and his wife, Lil, have four children: Jonathan, Rachel, Micah, and Daniel. They also have fourteen grandchildren. Pastor and Mrs. Hilditch’s son-in-law, Stephen Warren, is the Associate Pastor of the church, and their daughter, Rachel Warren, is the church music coordinator, Sunday School teacher, and church pianist.

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Getting to Know the Associate Pastor

Stephen D. Warren, a native of Mount Olive, North Carolina, trusted Christ as his personal Savior in January of 1993. Brother Warren graduated from Berean Baptist College, Orange Park, Florida, in 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree. He was licensed into the Gospel ministry on September 12, 2004, and ordained in 2005.

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The Lord called Brother Warren to Mentor, Ohio as our Associate Pastor in July 2004. He directs the teen ministry, the Children’s Church on Sunday morning, and he preaches once a month in our Nursing Home Ministry.
Brother Warren and his wife, Rachel, have four children, Esther, Jessica, Joshua, and Heather.