St. Philip’s Evangelical Lutheran Church

Did you ever imagine a church built on faith, fueled by taxi rides? Right here at St. Philip’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, that’s precisely how this beacon of hope began. St. Philip’s story started humbly in the early 1930s. A small group of devoted Lutheran families, some originally from Alabama, began holding services in their homes in Detroit’s Black Bottom neighborhood. This small group, including individuals like Mr. William Weekes and the McBryde family, planted the seeds of what would become Michigan’s first Black Lutheran Church in 1934. They contacted Reverend H.J. Storm from Windsor, Ontario. Reverend Storm played a crucial role in founding St. Philip’s. He would commute every Sunday, preaching to the small congregation at 10 a.m. before returning to his own church in Windsor for an 11 a.m. service. Imagine his dedication, traveling through the then-new Windsor Tunnel every week. In 1936, St. Philip’s welcomed its first resident pastor, Reverend Raymond R. Pollatz. He and the congregation’s first president, Mr. Robert Ingram, devised a unique solution to their limited resources. They used their own cars as “taxi services” to bring people to the growing Sunday school and church services. St. Philip’s even had its own taxi service. Can you picture those early members being picked up for church? From Black Bottom, the congregation moved to a rented apartment, then to Sherrard Junior High School in the North End as they grew. Later, according to church historian William Broyles Jr., St. Philip’s moved into a vacant Jewish Synagogue on King Street. An article about their tenth anniversary in the Michigan Chronicle highlighted the church’s happy problem: They’d outgrown their space. This growth led to the establishment of other congregations like Berea Lutheran and St. Titus, strengthening the Lutheran presence in Detroit. St. Philip’s also ventured into education. In 1944, they opened St. Philip’s Day School in their church basement with just 12 students and one teacher. This marked the beginning of Michigan’s first Lutheran school for Black students. The school eventually blossomed to nearly 400 students, shaping future leaders and professionals. Some students even came from prominent Detroit families like the Gordys of Motown fame. Although the school closed in 1996, its legacy lives on. St. Philip’s continued to thrive, moving to its current location on East Grand Boulevard in the 1950s. St. Philip’s Evangelical Lutheran Church continues to serve as a cornerstone of the North End community. They are committed to their mission of outreach and love, remaining a beacon of faith for almost a century.