St. Philip Presbyterian Church is a city-wide fellowship with a diversity of views and commitments united by our belief in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We seek to minister with acceptance and love to each other and to the community around us. We worship God, learn and teach the Christian faith, and provide opportunities for nurture, fellowship, prayer, and service. We are an inclusive church, welcoming all people to worship, fellowship and service. Below you will find some of our past, but we invite you to visit the rest of our website to see the many exciting things happening in our present and our future.

Our History

In 1950 increasing residential development west of River Oaks and along Memorial Drive gave new urgency to the goal of church expansion in the mind of Dr. Charles King, minister of First Presbyterian Church. With inspirational preaching, he and Dr. James Bullock of the Second Presbyterian Church appealed to members of their congregations to build a new church.

Families who wished to consider joining the new church met on May 7, 1950. Dr. Malcolm Purcell was the Presbytery coordinator. He agreed to preach every other Sunday and help the congregation until they chose a pastor.

The River Oaks Elementary School was chosen as a temporary place of worship. After a few months, the group accepted the offer of Thomas C. Evans, president of the Coca Cola Bottling Company, to worship in the air-conditioned auditorium of that company. There the new church was officially organized on September 10, 1950 with 101 charter members. The name selected was Memorial Oaks Presbyterian Church. It was later changed to St. Philip to avoid confusion with a cemetery and similar names of other churches.

During the first year The First Presbyterian Church contributed $60,000 toward the purchase of a manse and church site. Another benefactor was R.E. (Bob) Smith, who was a Methodist. He agreed to sell to our church six acres fronting on San Felipe near Post Oak Road for $5,000 an acre, just what he paid for it. Today, surrounded by skyscrapers, it seems impossible that the land purchased by the church at that time was in the midst of large tracts of farmland, with only a few houses in sight. Later when San Felipe was relocated, taking some of the church property, the church bought another acre adjoining the site on the south.

The first official minister was Dr. Hubert Hopper, who came in March, 1951. Under his leadership the congregation grew steadily. The first unit of the new church, completed in 1953, was the Fellowship Hall, kitchen and an educational wing. The Fellowship Hall doubled as a temporary sanctuary and the kitchen as an adult classroom. The Rev. J. Walter Dickson was the second pastor, accepting the call of 378 members in 1954. An east wing was added to the church in 1957, and in 1959 the permanent new sanctuary was completed, with added office, nursery and library space.

The Rev. Sam Lanham became the pastor in 1971. He was succeeded by Dr. William Forbes in 1982, and Dr. Paul Feiler in 1990. Dr. Bill Poe is currently serving as senior pastor. He was called to St. Philip in the spring of 1999. In 2007 a brand new education building was built and our sanctuary was remodeled to make it brighter, better, and more inviting for the worship of God.