Hillcrest was declared a separate parish from St Agnes, Kloof in 1977. Its roots go back to the early 1900’s when Mr. William Gillitt donated part of his vast farm to the church, and the first wood and iron church building was erected. This original area was then wanted by the Town Board of “Hil Crest in 1926,” which led Mr. Cliff Gillitt to ensure that an alternative site was found for the church, the site on which the Holy Trinity complex now stands

After Highbury School’s Chapel was built in 1940, our English-speaking parishioners worshipped there. The Anglicans would alternate with the Methodists on Sundays. This congregation in Hillcrest fell under the pastoral charge of St Agnes in Kloof, and the services were conducted by various priests belonging to St Agnes.

At that time the local Zulu-speaking Anglicans worshipped at St Phillip’s Mission Church, which originally stood beside the grounds of present day Highbury School. St Phillip’s Mission was also a part of St Agnes, and the Rector arranged for services to be conducted by the Zulu-speaking priests of St Andrew’s Pinetown. On that site stood a catechist’s house and a wood and iron church that was the original St Agnes’ Church.

In the 1950’s Mr. Gillitt sold the property on which St Phillip’s Mission stood, and the church was eventually rebuilt on a piece of land in Qadi (Botha’s Hill) donated by Dr. H. Stott, and was dedicated as the Church of the Holy Spirit. With the help of a regular parishioner at Holy Spirit, Dr Alan Paton, the present Church and hall were built.

However in the 1960’s, because of travelling inconvenience and growing numbers, it seemed desirable to build a Church in Hillcrest. This was made possible through the hard work of the then Rector of St Agnes Kloof, the Revd. Tom Harris, his churchwarden, Mr. Tom Halstead (the husband of Sheila neé Gillitt), and the retired Archbishop of Salisbury, the Rt. Revd. Edward Paget (who was then worshipping in Kloof.) Slowly enthusiasm and funds grew, and by May 1971, the Bishop of Natal, the Rt. Revd. Vernon Inman, opened the first building, the original parts of the present day hall. The memorial plaque can be seen from the Rectory driveway. The new building was used as an office, a space for mid-week worship and as a Sunday School. Revd. Hugh Atherstone was appointed as priest-in-charge under the care of St Agnes Kloof until 1977, when Hillcrest was declared to be an independent Parish.

In the 1970’s and 1980’s some Anglicans still worshipped at Highbury Chapel, where Anglicans and Methodists held consecutive Sunday services, but both groups felt the need for a more permanent home. After many meetings, and much ecumenical goodwill, the Anglican Methodist Trust was established in 1980, and 5 262 square metres of land were donated to the Trust by the Anglican Church. Mr. John Dickson was appointed as head of a fundraising committee, and a campaign to build the Anglican Methodist Church Centre was launched in 1983. By September of the following year, phase one of the architect-designed complex was completed. The new Church hall and ancillary buildings were opened and dedicated by the Bishop of Natal, the Rt. Revd. Michael Nuttall, and the Chairman of the Natal Coastal District of the Methodist Church, the Revd. John Borman.

By the end of 1999 it became clear to the members of the Anglican Methodist Trust that the time had come for the two churches to separate in order to continue to grow. Thanks to two miraculously timed and generous bequests, we were able to “buy out” the Methodists and purchase the buildings of the Anglican Methodist Church Centre that have been subsequently adapted and enhanced in order to form our present day Holy Trinity Church and ancillary buildings. The Methodist Church purchased land across the road from us in Nqutu Road, and have built their own church complex into which they moved in July 2002. We continue to have strong ties with them and enjoy the fruit of this long-standing ecumenical relationship. 

Our Zulu-speaking parishioners worshipped at St Phillip’s Mission Church, which originally stood beside the grounds of present day Highbury School. St Phillip’s Mission was also a part of St Agnes, and the Rector arranged for services to be conducted by the Zulu-speaking priests of St Andrew’s Pinetown.