Rev. Dave Pollard of Fifth Avenue Memorial United Church. A memorial service will be held Wednesday for former Rev. Jim Hillson, who passed away following a car accident on Aug. 29. (Photo Courtesy of Ross Lavigne)

By Chris Brown

Died following car accident last month

Memorial on Wednesday for Rev. Jim Hillson of Fifth Avenue Memorial United Church

Sep 8, 2020 | 3:13 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Fifth Avenue Memorial United Church will celebrate the life of its Minister Emeritus the Reverend Jim Hillson on Wednesday.

Hillson died on Aug. 29 following a car accident in Saskatchewan while on his way to visit family in Regina.

Current lead minister Rev. Dave Pollard says Hillson was non-judgmental, cheerful, willing to listen and very active, serving with the Medicine Hat and Area Refugee Team that sponsored a Syrian family to come to Medicine Hat in 2016 and with the ecumenical campus ministry at Medicine Hat College.

“I think people will remember Jim fondly and they will have a lot of happy warm memories of his service in the church and they will certainly miss him. But in general, he’ll be seen as a leader and someone who is almost gone before his time,” Pollard said.

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Hillson served at Fifth Avenue Memorial United Church twice – first in the early 2000s and then again as part of a three-person group that led the church just before Pollard arrived in 2016.

Pollard says Hillson’s death is a big loss for Fifth Avenue Memorial but also for the wider United Church. Hillson held various leadership positions in Western Canada and served the church from Vancouver to Trail to Calgary and to Medicine Hat, Pollard says.

Pollard says Hillson was constantly after him to come to Medicine Hat to minister at Fifth Avenue Memorial. Pollard would often tell Hillson it’s not him that needs to be convinced, but his wife Tara.

“To be honest when Jim starting emailing and calling Tara she didn’t stand a chance because Jim was charming and he was a persuasive person,” Pollard says. “So for my family, it’s a huge loss because Jim was also a mentor to me in my ministry. He was a great person to call and chat with about things that are happening in the church and as for advice or just some reflection on things I’m facing in my ministry. And a lot of colleagues have said they’re going to miss the ability to call Jim and either rant or get some cheerful wise, advice from him.”

Pollard also expressed condolences to Hillson’s family, who he said will miss him the most.

Registration is still open to attend the memorial in person, and the service will be shown online. Contact Fifth Avenue Memorial for more information.