Welcome!

St. Philip's Episcopal Church is a diverse Christian community that is spiritual, friendly and welcoming of all.

Approximately 230 members make up the overall ministry of St. Philip's Episcopal Church. We honor a baptismal covenant that calls us to respect the dignity of every person.

In a world of sharp differences, we come to church to be reconciled by God to one another and to make that witness known to the world.

Our History

St. Philip's has been a part of the growing city of Annapolis since the 19th century. In 1870, St. Philip's Colored Mission was founded by women of St. Anne's Episcopal Church as a Sunday School for African American children.  By 1874, services were held and a congregation forming.  In 1887, two buildings were purchased for worship and fellowship on Northwest Street in Annapolis.  The parish enjoyed being on the edge of the Clay Street community, then a vibrant neighborhood of black owned homes and businesses.  In 1969, Anne Arundel County purchased the buildings and the parish moved to its present site on Bestgate Road. In 1977, the Church became an independent parish (no longer receiving ministry funds from the Diocese of Maryland) under the leadership of the Rev. Robert M. Powell who served from 1971 - 1997.  In 1997, the congregation, along with the Rev. Sam Edelman, interim priest, decided to move forward with a building campaign to expand the current edifice.

In September of 1999, the Rev. Angela F. Shepherd was called to serve as the parish's first female pastor.  In October of that year, ground breaking occurred for St. Philip's Family Life Center.  The new facility was dedicated in March 2001.  St. Philip's Family Life Center, Inc. is a separate entity whose ministry is to generate and support programs and activities for the community.

The parish began an environmental ministry in 2005 that includes paper, ink jet and cell phone recycling and a rain garden. In 2006, the Rev. John Nagele, III, a retired priest from the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania, joined the ministry team. In September 2007, the Rev. Pat Arey, a vocational deacon, and practicing attorney, was assigned by Bishop Rabb to serve the congregation for three years.

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