The History of Phillips Metropolitan C.M.E. Church

Phillips Metropolitan C.M.E. Church was named for Bishop Charles Henry Phillips, the 8th bishop of the C.M.E. Church.  Our congregation began with a group of six devoted C.M.E.s who migrated to Hartford from the South.  They were led by God to band together and form a congregation in the tradition of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, which they had come to know and love.  This band of believers met in March 1932, in a multi-family home located at 205 Bellevue Street.  It was in this humble fashion that their God inspired vision was realized in the founding of the Phillips Temple Colored Methodist Episcopal Church.  The founding members were Mrs. Marie Godfrey, Mrs. Annie B. Hart, Mrs. Mayola Napper, Rev. Burton Owens, Mrs. Richard Porter, and Rev. James Purke, who subsequently became the first pastor of our congregation.

 

From 1932 to 1938, Phillips Temple worshiped in five different locations, 205 Bellevue Street, Avon Street, Russell Street, a Primitive Baptist Church (location unknown) and finally 315-317 Bellevue Street on the first floor of a three family house.

 

In February 1941, the name of the congregation was changed to the Phillips Metropolitan Colored Methodist Episcopal Church, and in 1954 the name was changed again to Phillips Metropolitan Christian Methodist Church.

 

There have been many pastors who served the Phillips family during the early years; among them was Rev. James Purke, whose leadership began in 1932.  Following Rev. Purke were Rev. E.R. Coleman, Rev. J.A. Fuller, Rev. McBeth, Rev. Douglass and Rev. Harris through 1952.  Rev Harris was followed by:

 

Rev. John Wesley Nance 1952-1970

Rev. John Wesley Parker 1970-1977

Rev. Dean Jones 1977-1978

Rev. John L. Ghee 1978-1979

Rev. John Adams 1979-1980

Rev. Don C. Morgan 1980-1981

Rev. L.K. Bennett 1981-1982

Rev. John Hadley 1982-1982

Rev. Austin Harold 1982-1983

Rev. James B. Walker 1983-2010

Rev. Arthur S. Green  2010-2014

Rev. Juliano Andujo  2014-2015

Rev. Paul D. Everett 2015-present

 

In 1958 Phillips moved from the three family house located on 315-317 Bellevue Street to its first formal edifice at 127 Mather Street.

 

In 1978 the congregation purchased 700 Blue Hills Avenue and in 1990 the congregation expanded the facility and added a new façade to enhance the function and appeal of the edifice.

 

In November 1998, the Phillips Family held a Jubilee Celebration and Dedication Service for our new church home and office facility at 2500 Main Street in Hartford.

 

This facility contained our new church as well as 15,000 square feet of office space, owned and managed by the congregation.  Two years later, the congregation partnered with the Hartford Public School System to meet the systems desire for an Adult Education Facility in the North End of Hartford and the congregation’s vision to build a new edifice for the glory of the Kingdom.  It was a giant leap of faith, but one that ultimately found God to be faithful in every possible way.