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.

Directory of Historically Black Parishes
In Continuing Worship

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.