Ortonville- After nearly a year without a pastor, Hillside Bible Church has found a new leader and Cliff Powell has found renewal in his calling.

Powell took the helm at the church this fall.

‘I felt it was time to get back to leading a church,? he said. ‘It was this church, because that is where God led me and they were looking.?

Powell, 61, has a lengthy resume in the ministry. The southeast Michigan native attended Briercrest Bible College and Seminary in Saskatchewan, Can. From 1972-76, where he met his wife, JoAnn, a Christian education major. After he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in religious education, the couple married and began ministering to youth, from 1976-78 at First Baptist Church of Lake Orion and then from ’78-’80 at Union Lake Baptist Church.

Powell then served 10 years as lead pastor at Rothbury Community Church, north of Muskegon on the west side of the state. He was then lead pastor at Bloomfield Hills Baptist Church for 15 years before leaving in 2006 to start The River Church in Holly with Pastor Jim Combs. For the past nine years, he enjoyed serving as campus pastor there, but is happy to be the lead pastor again.

Hillside, located at 173 N. Church St. in the village, is the former Ortonville Baptist Church, but is not affiliated with a denomination.

‘It’s safe to say Hillside is baptistic in doctrinal tradition, but we have no desire to be labeled as hyper-fundamentals,? said Powell. ‘We’d rather be real people reaching real people.?

Those real people, he said, include ones struggling with addictions of all kinds, those struggling in their relationships, and those struggling in raising their families. Powell is working on ways to meet the needs of their congregation and be a relevant church. The first step, he added, is ‘showing God’s truth and love.?

‘The church is here for everybody,? Powell said. ‘Those who don’t think they need help in the spiritual sense but who are struggling financially, relationally, emotionally. We want to do everything we can to reach out to them regardless of how well off they are, too. There is a fundamental need to have a relationship with God… We believe everyone has a right to a personal knowledge and relationship with God.?

Powell has been married to JoAnn for 39 years. They have three children, Chad, Justin (Cathy), and Tiffany (Andrew) and two grandchildren, Halle and Talon.

Hillside Bible Church has a Sunday worship service at 10:15 a.m., with Bible groups meeting at 9 a.m. Various other Bible study groups meet during the week. For more information, call 248-627-2513 or visit www.hillsidebible.org