St. Philip's Episcopal Church - Indy

St. Philip's Episcopal Church - Indy Deep roots in the Indiana Avenue neighborhood. Deep love for our neighbors today. If it’s not about love, it’s not about God. Sunday worship at 10:15am.

We believe that God created each of us - in our rich diversity - in God’s image.

05/31/2026

Join St. Philip's Episcopal Church today online for worship!

This Sunday, we learned more about each other as we continued our book study on Rev. Jennifer Bailey’s “To My Beloveds”.
05/18/2026

This Sunday, we learned more about each other as we continued our book study on Rev. Jennifer Bailey’s “To My Beloveds”.

At the time of St. Philip's founding, Julius Cox was active in the Baptist church. A graduate of Fisk University and a ...
05/14/2026

At the time of St. Philip's founding, Julius Cox was active in the Baptist church. A graduate of Fisk University and a postal clerk, Cox and his family joined St. Philip's early on, and in 1904, he became the first African-American ordained as an Episcopal deacon in the state of Indiana. Rather than remaining in Indianapolis and serving at St. Philip’s, Cox immediately moved to Tuskegee, Alabama where he took on a national role as traveling secretary to Booker T. Washington.

Though traveling the country, Cox remained connected to St. Philip's. When the first building was dedicated, he donated the wooden lectern used for the reading of scripture. That lectern remains in use today as the stand for the newcomer and visitor register. That same year, he died suddenly of appendicitis. A carved chair was given in his memory after his death and remains in use as the seat for the presider during Sunday worship.

Charles and Fannie Lanier, though not listed on the earliest founding document of St. Philip's, were important early eld...
05/13/2026

Charles and Fannie Lanier, though not listed on the earliest founding document of St. Philip's, were important early elders in the parish.

Fannie was a property investor who, according to a 1902 Recorder article, was one of the wealthiest African-American's in the city. The Grand Matron of women's groups of the Order of the Eastern Star, she traveled the state to open new chapters. A vocalist, she had been performing in the city as early as 1880, including duets with Frank Fowler Brown two years prior to the founding of St. Philip's. An early leader of the women's guild of the parish, Fannie gave the altar candlesticks still in use today.

In the 1880s Charles Lanier had been the personal barber to Benjamin Harrison, and after Harrison’s election as President in 1888, moved to Washington to serve as valet, barber, and personal messenger. Like his wife, he was active in African-American masonic circles, holding statewide office as Grand Treasurer for many years. He remained active in city politics for decades and would serve on the first independent vestry of St. Philip's. In 1910, the two were living at 722 N. West Street, on the site of the current church building.

What do you think? How does St. Philip's continue to build on the legacy of Charles and Fannie Lanier?

At the time of St. Philip's founding, Lucretia Knox and Frank Fowler Brown were 23 and 21 years old. The tenor and sopra...
05/12/2026

At the time of St. Philip's founding, Lucretia Knox and Frank Fowler Brown were 23 and 21 years old. The tenor and soprano were some of the most sought after African-American vocalists in the city. Together, they formed "The Beethoven Quartet," a group that performed in churches, performance halls and at charitable fundraisers for the Flanner Guild, the colored YMCA, the Alpha Home, and more.

In advance of St. Philip's first service, the church proudly publicized that the singing would be under Frank's direction. He would go on to a career in Vaudeville. A graduate of Fisk, Lucretia would one day perform in Switzerland, Russia, and in front of King George V of England before returning to the city and founding the Indianapolis Negro Music Promotors Association.

Lucretia's husband, Elwood, managed The Freeman, a Black newspaper with national readership and owned by his father, George. Though not listed on the original charter, Elwood was active in the church from the beginning. At the dedication of the first building, he gave the bishop's chair still in use today. A sportswriter and former baseball player, Elwood helped write the constitution for the Negro National League at its founding in Kansas City in 1920.

What do you think? How does St. Philip's continue to build on the legacy of these founders in the Historic Indiana Avenue neighborhood.

This Sunday was filled with love, joy, laughter and hope as we celebrated our 125th anniversary, said farewell to our in...
05/10/2026

This Sunday was filled with love, joy, laughter and hope as we celebrated our 125th anniversary, said farewell to our interim Fr. Peter Gray and honored Mother’s Day…ANNNNNND a group of Saints who can only be found at St.Philips made their debut. God is Good!

Address

720 Drive Martin Luther King Jr. Street
Indianapolis, IN
46202

Telephone

+13176361133

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