Historical African American Parishes

The demographics and range of African American parishes in the Episcopal Church have shifted as America’s black population has experienced new waves of immigration resulting from the West Indian and African diaspora. Several African American congregations stand out as cardinal parishes, which have been self-sufficient communities known primarily for raising up their own lay leadership and for the formation of an ordained ministry. Beginning in 1794 with the founding of the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas in Philadelphia, Americans of African descent established themselves in separate worship communities – often carrying on services for years without any sponsorship, recognition, or oversight by an episcopal jurisdiction. The Church endorsed a separate cultivation of black religious life throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth century with the result that newer black parishes rooted themselves in a legacy of Afro-Anglican liturgical and social traditions.

The following list of historically black parishes are still in existence today. Many of these congregations have become multi-cultural communities in recent years as the Church has become more conscious of its mission to end racism. This list is not definitive and does not include the many historical churches that have been forced to close as a result of a radical transformation of America’s cities since the Second World War. Readers are welcome to comment on missing parishes (still active) and dates of establishment. Copies of parish histories are particularly welcome.

Historically Black Parishes In Continuing Worship

Directory of Historically Black Parishes
In Continuing Worship

 

Alabama
Church of the Good Shepherd, Mobile 1854 Diocese of the Central Gulf Coast
Church of the Good Shepherd, Montgomery 1900 Diocese of Alabama
St. Mark's Church, Birmingham 1891 Diocese of Alabama
St. Andrew's, Tuskegee 1950 Diocese of Alabama
 
Arkansas
Christ Church, Forrest City 1921 Diocese of Arkansas
 
California
St. Augustine's Church, Oakland 1911 Diocese of California
St. Philip’s, Los Angeles 1945 Diocese of Los Angeles
 
Colorado
Church of the Holy Redeemer, Denver 1894 Diocese of Colorado
 
Connecticut
St. Luke's Church, New Haven 1844 Diocese of Connecticut
St. Monica's Church, Hartford * Diocese of Connecticut
 
Delaware
Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew, Wilmington 1829/1846 Diocese of Delaware
 
Florida
St. Agnes' Church, Miami 1896 Diocese of Southeast Florida
St. Christopher's Church, Ft. Lauderdale * Diocese of Southeast Florida
St. Cyprian’s Church, Pensacola 1887 Diocese of Central Gulf Coast
St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Orlando 1896 Diocese of Central Florida
St. Michael and All Angels Church, Tallahassee 1882 Diocese of Florida
St. Peter's Church, Key West 1866 Diocese of Southeast Florida
St. Philip's Church, Jacksonville 1872 Diocese of Florida
 
Georgia
St. Athanasius' Church, Brunswick * Diocese of Georgia
St. Matthew's Church, Savannah * Diocese of Georgia
St. Paul's Church, Atlanta 1911 Diocese of Atlanta
 
Illinois
St. Andrew’s Church, Evanston * Diocese of Chicago
St. Edmund's Church, Chicago 1905 Diocese of Chicago
St. Thomas Church, Chicago 1878 Diocese of Chicago
 
Indiana
St. Augustine’s Church, Gary 1927 Diocese of Northern Indiana
St. Philip's Church, Indianapolis 1913 Diocese of Indianapolis
 
Kentucky
Church of Our Merciful Savior, Louisville 1891 Diocese of Kentucky
 
Louisiana
St. Luke's Church, New Orleans 1873 Diocese of Louisiana
St. Michael's and All Angel's Church, Baton Rouge 1942 Diocese of Louisiana
 
Maryland
St. James' Church, Baltimore 1824 Diocese of Maryland
Church of St. Katherine of Alexandria, Baltimore 1891 Diocese of Maryland
St. Luke's Church, Baltimore 1879 Diocese of Maryland
Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Baltimore 1867 Diocese of Maryland
St. Phillip’s Church, Annapolis 1871 Diocese of Maryland
 
Massachusetts
Church of St. Augustine and St. Martin, Boston 1885 Diocese of Massachussetts
St. Bartholomew's Church, Cambridge 1908 Diocese of Massachussetts
St. Cyprian's Church, Roxbury 1910 Diocese of Massachussetts
St. John and St. James' Church, Roxbury 1871 Diocese of Massachussetts
 
Michigan
Church of the Messiah, Detroit 1874 Diocese of Michigan
St. Clement’s Church, Inkster 1936 Diocese of Michigan
St. Cyprian's Church, Detroit 1919 Diocese of Michigan
St. Matthew's and St. Joseph’s Church, Detroit 1845 Diocese of Michigan
St. Philip's Church, Grand Rapids * Diocese of Western Michigan
 
Minnesota
Holy Trinity Church, St. Paul 1 1894/1903 Diocese of Minnesota
 
Mississippi
St. Mark’s, Jackson [1883] Diocese of Mississippi
St. Bernard’s, Okolona * Diocese of Mississippi
 
Missouri
All Saints Church, St. Louis 1874 Diocese of Missouri
St. Augustine's Church, Kansas City 1911 Diocese of West Missouri
 
Nebraska
Church of the Resurrection, Omaha2 1882 Diocese of Nebraska
 
New Jersey
Church of the Epiphany, Orange 1905 Diocese of Newark
Church of the Incarnation, Jersey City 1910 Diocese of Newark
St. Augustine's Church, Atlantic City * Diocese of New Jersey
St. Augustine's Church, Camden 1886 Diocese of New Jersey
Trinity Church, Montclair 1918 Diocese of Newark
   
New York
All Souls' Church, Harlem * Diocese of New York
Church of the Crucifixion, New York 1918 Diocese of New York
St. Ambrose's Church, Harlem 1928 Diocese of New York  
St. Augustine's Church, Brooklyn 1875 Diocese of Long Island
St. Barnabas' Church, Brooklyn 1852 Diocese of Long Island
St. David's Church, Bronx 1895 Diocese of New York
St. Luke's Church, Bronx 1921 Diocese of New York
Church of St. Mark, Brooklyn * Diocese of Long Island
St. Philip's Church, Brooklyn 1899 Diocese of Long Island
St. Philip's Church, Harlem 1809 Diocese of New York
St. Stephen’s Church, Jamaica 1903 Diocese of Long Island
St. Philip's Church, Buffalo 1861 Diocese of Western New York
 
North Carolina
St. Ambrose Church, Raleigh 1868 Diocese of North Carolina
St. Cyprian's Church, New Bern * Diocese of East Carolina
St. Cyprian’s Church, Oxford 1906 Diocese of North Carolina
St. Luke's Church, Tarboro 1872 Diocese of North Carolina
St. Mark's Church, Wilmington 1875 Diocese of East Carolina
St. Matthias' Church, Asheville 1896 Diocese of Western North Carolina
St. Matthias’ Church, Louisburg 1895 Diocese of North Carolina
St. Michael and All Angels Church, Charlotte 1882 Diocese of North Carolina
St. Titus’s Church, Durham 1887 Diocese of North Carolina
 
Ohio
St. Andrew's Church, Cleveland * Diocese of Ohio
St. Augustine's Church, Youngstown * Diocese of Ohio
St. Andrew's Church, Cincinnati 1895 Diocese of Southern Ohio
St. Philip’s Church, Columbus 1891 Diocese of Southern Ohio
 
Oklahoma
Church of the Redeemer, Oklahoma City * Diocese of Oklahoma
 
Oregon
St. Philip the Deacon Church, Portland 1979, Inc. Diocese of Oregon
 
Pennsylvania
African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, Philadelphia 1794 Diocese of Pennsylvania
Church of the Crucifixion, Philadelphia 1847 Diocese of Pennsylvania
Holy Cross Episcopal Church, Pittsburgh 1917 Diocese of Pittsburgh
St. Augustine's Church of the Covenant, Philadelphia 1902 Diocese of Pennsylvania
Church of St. George St. Barnabas', Philadelphia * Diocese of Pennsylvania
St. Mary's Church, Philadelphia 1888 Diocese of Pennsylvania
Church of St. Simon the Cyrenian 1894 Diocese of Pennsylvania
 
South Carolina
Calvary Church, Charleston 1847 Diocese of South Carolina
Church of the Epiphany, Spartanburg * Diocese of Upper South Carolina
Church of the Redeemer, Pineville * Diocese of South Carolina
St. Luke’s Church, Columbia 1874 Diocese of Upper South Carolina
St. Philip’s Church, Greenville 1914 Diocese of Upper South Carolina
St. Mark's Church, Charleston 1865 Diocese of South Carolina
 
Tennessee
Emmanuel Church, Memphis 1883 Diocese of West Tennessee
Holy Trinity Church, Nashville 1852 Diocese of Tennessee
St. Luke’s Church, Knoxville 1937 Diocese of Tennessee
 
Texas
St. Augustine's of Hippo Church, Galveston 1884 Diocese of Texas
St. Philip’s Church, San Antonio 1895 Diocese of West Texas
St. James' Church, Austin 1941 Diocese of Texas
Church of St. Luke the Evangelist, Houston 1920 Diocese of Texas
 
Virginia
Grace Church, Norfolk 1883 Diocese of Southern Virginia
Meade Memorial Church, Alexandria 1869 Diocese of Virginia
St. Peter's Church, Richmond * Diocese of Virginia
St. Philip's Church, Richmond 1861 Diocese of Virginia
St. Stephen's Church, Petersburg 1867 Diocese of Southern Virginia
Trinity Church, Arlington 1870 Diocese of Virginia
 
Washington, D.C.
Calvary Church, Washington, D.C. 1902 Diocese of Washington
Church of the Atonement, Washington, D.C. 1914 Diocese of Washington
St. Luke's, Washington, D.C. 1873 Diocese of Washington
St. Mary's, Washington, D.C. 1865 Diocese of Washington
St. Monica's, Washington, D.C. 1899 Diocese of Washington
Church of St. Philip the Evangelist, Washington, D.C. 1887 Diocese of Washington
 
Date of establishment or incorporation not verified.

1 Holy Trinity was formed from the merger of St. Philip’s Church (1894) in St. Paul and St. Thomas’ Church (1903) in Minneapolis in 2008.
2 Church of the Resurrection was formed in 1986 from two parishes, one of which, St. Philip the Deacon (1882), was historically African-American.