CITY OF STAMFORD CITIZEN OF THE YEAR

The Reverend Winton M. Hill III was born December 29, 1947, in Creswell, NC. Raised in Newark, New Jersey he joined his family church (Israel Memorial) at the age of six under the pastoral ministry of the Reverend John W. P. Collier Jr. He was called to preach at the age of 17 and licensed by Presiding Elder D. M. Owens, under the pastoral ministry of Reverend

B. Coolidge Burton. He is a graduate of Wilberforce University with a B.A. in Philosophy & Religion and Payne Theological Seminary with a M.Div. in Clinical Pastoral Care.

Reverend Hill has a richly diverse ministry, in addition to pastoring AME churches; he has been a University Pastor, VA Hospital Chaplain and a Chaplain in the U S Army, having earned the Army Achievement medal & the Bronze Star medal. During his pastoral ministry he has led congregations to build or purchase almost $2M of real property. Reverend Hill was an active member of the community; his church collaborated with Person to Person of Darien to provide summer enrichment programs for at risk children. He served on the board of CTE (Stamford’s Anti-poverty Agency) as chairman of the nominating committee and volunteer coordinator of Faith Based Initiatives. He served in many volunteer capacities, both in capital drive and allocations with the United Way and as a past board president. He was appointed co-chairperson of the Mayor’s Multi-Cultural Council for the City of Stamford Connecticut (1992-1996) and was also appointed to the city’s Police Commission, serving from 1996 to 2004. In 2001, while pastoring in Stamford, Connecticut, he was selected “Volunteer of the Year” by the Stamford Advocate and in 2002 was elected “Citizen of the Year” by the Jewish War Veterans (Stamford’s highest public recognition).

Reverend Hill has served as Presiding Elder of the New Brunswick, Philadelphia, and Dover Districts; he has recently retired as Presiding Elder of the Newark District. He has formerly served on the board of directors for Self Help Inc., First Episcopal District Philadelphia Pennsylvania, and Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio. In addition, he is an active member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. Reverend Hill is married to Janis B. Hill, they have five children and eight grandchildren.