Bishop Donald and Pastor Phyllis Hilliard of Cathedral International Honored w/Living Legacies Award

PERTH AMBOY, N.J. - Feb. 22, 2014 - PRLog -- Bishop Donald and Pastor Phyllis Hilliard of Cathedral International in Perth Amboy, NJ received the Living Legacies: Couples of Excellence Award during the Fatherhood and Families Conference. The event was held February 11-14, 2014 at the Westin Lake hotel in Henderson, Nevada. The Hilliards who have been married for 32 years was chosen as one of nine couples from across the country to receive the award. The celebration honored couples who have shown great dedication, honor, and love throughout their years of matrimony. The award was provided on February 13, 2014 at 6:00 p.m. as a part of the Dr. Ramon & Yolanda Nieves Gala.

After courting for over two years and a nine-month engagement, Donald and Phyllis were married on September 12, 1981 at their church in Scotch Plains, NJ. Not long after, in October 1983, Donald was called to pastor the Second Baptist Church (now Cathedral International) in Perth Amboy, NJ. In addition to the award, the Hilliards participated in a Renewal of Vows Ceremony for all of the couples honored. This special service was conducted on Valentines Day, February 14, 2014 at 11:45 a.m. States the Hilliards, “To those who would dare be honest, the blending of marriage and ministry can be a complicated quest. We have endeavored to strike and keep a balance. We can attest to the faithfulness of God throughout 30 years of pastoral ministry and 32 years of married life.”

Bishop Hilliard also participated in the conference as a facilitator where he provided a workshop entitled “Safe Harbor at Home: How Fathers Can Develop Effective Parenting Skills that Build a Safe and Secure Family.” Based upon his popular book of the same name, the workshop is a faith-based call to parental responsibility in the family and the community.

The National Fatherhood and Families Conference, now in its fifteen year, offers a breadth of resources that make a difference in the life of a child, mother, father, and family! The conference engages everyone from practitioners to parents, and provides workshops, education credits, and plenary sessions that inspire all those working to help strengthen families and positively impact child-well-being. For more information on the conference, go to www.fathersandfamiliescoalition.org.

Donald Hilliard Jr. is celebrating thirty years as Senior Pastor of Cathedral International, one church in three locations in Perth Amboy, Plainfield, and Asbury Park, New Jersey. The Root Magazine recently named him as one of the country’s top 20 black preachers. Pastor Phyllis Hilliard is involved in numerous ministries at Cathedral International. They have three daughters, Leah Joy Alease Hilliard, Charisma Joy Denise Hilliard, and Destiny Joy Hilliard-Thomas; and a son-in-law Joseph Thomas. Bishop Hilliard’s thirteenth book, 55 and Counting released in December 2013. www.donaldhilliardjr.org.