Mt. Zion Pastor Is Hospitalized

The Rev. E.V. Hill, longtime pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles, has been hospitalized and is in critical condition, suffering from pneumonia and other undisclosed medical problems, a church official said Friday.

Hill, 69, was hospitalized about a week and a half ago, said Letha Logan, his administrative assistant. “He’s very critical, and in intensive care,” she said.

A force in the National Baptist Convention and a speaker at rallies around the country sponsored by Promise Keepers, an evangelical men’s ministry, Hill has stood out among African American pastors in championing conservative political causes. He has been an advisor to several prominent Republicans.

In 1999, Hill was an unsuccessful candidate for the presidency of the National Baptist Convention, one of the nation’s largest African American Christian denominations.

Logan declined to identify the hospital where Hill is receiving care, saying that he needs rest. “There can be no calls or flowers or visits,” she said. “We are asking everyone to please pray as the doctors seek to determine the best treatment for him.”