Ira V. Hilliard, a native Houstonian, was called at the age of nine to preach God's Word. Having waited one year so that his Pastor would know he heard from God, Ira Hilliard preached his first sermon on a Mother's Day night at the age of ten. He married the beautiful Bridget E. Harrison on October 4, 1975, who has co-labored with him in building a dynamic ministry that is recognized around the world.

This dynamic couple co-founded the outstanding New Light Christian Center Church ("One Church, Multiple locations") in North, South and East Houston; Beaumont and Austin, Texas. Their passion to take God's Word to a hurting and lost generation has resulted in a current church membership of over 28,000 and counting. New Light Christian Center Church is not only recognized around the country as a Mega-Church, but in September 2007 it was honored as one of the Top 50 Most Influential Churches in America.

Included in this sphere of influence as a Mega-Church is a nationwide television ministry, drug rehabilitation centers for men and women (Life Change Institute), the ministry's own satellite network, an Aviation Division, Light Commerce Credit Union, and early childhood development centers for the north and south locations (Light Christian Academy).

In 1995, after a mandate from God many years prior, Bishop Hilliard started Church Development Strategies Conference. Thousands of Pastors and leaders come to Houston annually to sit at his feet to learn church growth and development principles. The conference is recognized as one of the best conferences of its kind in the country.

After a strong witness from God, Bishop Hilliard developed an organization of Pastors who either see him as a spiritual father or mentor. This organization is called the Association of Independent Ministries (AIM). AIM currently has 916 Pastors and is growing daily. A Pastor to Pastors and a man after God's heart, Bishop Hilliard was confirmed as a Bishop in the Lord's Church in February 2007.

Bishop Hilliard has been recognized for various scholarly honors and has written several life changing books. His latest book, Men at Work, just released from Harrison House Publishers in July 2008, is sure to be a best seller as it is already being sought after around the country. Prior to penning his recent book, he accepted an opportunity to write for Nelson Publishers after being approached by them, resulting in the release of Living the Maximized Life. Other significant and noteworthy books include but are not limited to Mental Toughness for Success; Secrets for a Better Life; and Victory Over Stress - 10 Mistakes Most Failures Make and How to Avoid Them.

With a staff of 260 people to assist him, he is committed to creating and cultivating an authentic church experience that glorifies God and exceeds all expectations. His unwavering compassion for people along with his faithfulness to build into God's people, PURPOSE, POWER, and PRAISE will continue yielding great results in the kingdom of God.

The Hilliard's have committed to the parental oversight of three lovely daughters: Tina Hilliard-Egans, husband - Terry Egans; Irishea Hilliard-Lewis, husband - Jeffery Lewis, and Preashea Hilliard. The Hilliard's are also very proud to have four grandchildren: Ira Emanuel, Briona Janae, Ivan Harrison, and Jonathan Sean-Michael. All the children and grandchildren have been marked for ministry with all the adult children currently working in full time ministry with their parents.