Written in Gratitude for the Life and Ministry of the The Reverend Dr. Hill Carter Riddle
1936 - 2018
We are grateful to the many people who shared tender thoughts and memories of our ministry with Hill Riddle. A few of your responses are printed below and all of them may be accessed on our website https://www.trinitynola.com/hillriddle First and foremost, Hill Riddle was a good friend to Trinity and to me. Hill understood the human condition. He forthrightly acknowledged the daily struggles of life. This allowed him to connect with us so efficiently and effectively, through his sermons and his ministry. His daily Meditations and his Tidings reflect the common sense that he incorporated into his Gospel-rooted messages. So many of Hill’s sermons reflected his understanding of the challenges of being a Christian. His sermons stretched us to be better, without saying that he was better. In fact, so much of his humor from the pulpit stemmed from admitting how he could be better. Hill lived the values inherent in the mission statement of Trinity Church. He put action to his words of the ultimate characteristics of which we are called as Christians- - love and forgiveness. One of his memorable sermons involved defining true Christian forgiveness as “forgive AND forget.” On the topic of love, one of his sermons
addressed the power of the “warm and fuzzies” that each of us have in our metaphorical pocket, just waiting to freely give to others. Each of these sermons encouraged the Trinity community to put action to the words of the Gospel. Hill stretched our minds and souls to look beyond the walls of Trinity Church and into the community. He led us in our efforts to broaden ministries into the community, resulting in deepening the spiritual lives of all involved. He welcomed African American ministers to the pulpit of Trinity Church, again putting action to his words. He showed courage in leading us into transformative actions in community ministries, which led to transformation within our hearts and souls. Hill also made us realize how important Trinity was to our core values that guide our lives. This realization encouraged us to be generous, cheerful givers. He enriched each of our lives through his enthusiasm and friendship. - G. Bruce Parkerson,
