Standing on a strong foundation of faith and commitment to the community, Phillips Memorial Baptist Church is celebrating its 125^th anniversary by continuing to grow as a welcoming place of worship for people from all walks of life.

Located on Pontiac Avenue at the corner of Colonial Avenue in the Eden Park neighborhood, the stately church it takes up an entire city block and is quintessentially New England in its architecture. The towering brick building is trimmed with white wooden details including columns, arched windows and a tall steeple.

Inside, it is austere in the simplistic beauty of whitewashed pews and minimal adornments. It is filled with natural light from tall, small-paned windows, and the rear of the church is dominated by a towering pipe organ that rises to the ceiling from the choir balcony.

The stately of appearance of the church belies the vibrant and diverse congregants who call it home and celebrate their faith with a variety of activities devoted to welcoming and helping others.

The church has numerous activities and groups, all of which work to serve their faith through good works and acts of kindness. The activities include a variety of missionary endeavors, both domestic and international. A knitting group meets weekly to create handmade dolls and blankets that are donated where needed. Other church members volunteer their time to visit the elderly. And the congregation regularly contributes to organizations that serve people in need – through monetary contributions, food drives, or by making simple sandwich lunches that can be easily handed out.

Music is also an important part of the church’s ministry. Hymns swell from the pipe organ every Sunday, and music minister Martha Sobaje oversees a number of activities including choir groups for adults and children, and also the church’s “Sanctuary Ringers” who perform with hand-held bells.

Perhaps one of the things that Phillips wants to be most known for is that it is an all-inclusive Christian community, said the Rev. Amy Chilton, pastor.

“We specifically welcome all those in the LGBTQ community,” she said, noting that the church is a member of the Association Welcoming and Affirming Baptists. The group is a national organization that supports the full inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals within Baptist Churches and the welcoming of all congregants regardless of sexual orientation or gender.

For the past couple of years, Phillips Memorial has had a booth at the annual RI Pride celebration, and Chilton said that kindness and inclusion will be a key part of the church’s next 125 years.

“We love Jesus, and we love everyone around us just as Jesus does,” she said.

One of the larger Baptist Church’s in the region, Phillips is also a member of the American Baptist Churches of Rhode Island. Its congregation consists of about 120 families and is growing.

As a Baptist Church, Phillips is an autonomous Christian Church, which emphasizes each congregant’s personal relationship with God and the importance of the teachings of the Bible. “We are a dynamic congregation who are looking forward to be moving forward into our next decades of spiritual life,” said Chilton, who is known as “Pastor Amy.”

A native of Portland, Oregon, Chilton became pastor in 2022. She has a doctorate degree in systematic theology from Fuller Theological Seminary as well as a master’s degree divinity from Fuller. She was chosen to take the pulpit at Phillips after a search that lasted almost two years.

“We welcome anyone who is looking for a spiritual home,” Chilton said.

Earlier this month, Chilton presided over a special anniversary service where church members and guests gathered to celebrate their shared history and faith.

“Today is our birthday,” said Chilton, who took time during the service to sit down with the children who were present and light the candles that decorated a small homemade cake. (A much larger repast awaited the congregation after the service.)

Chilton’s sermon included a summary of the church’s history as well as a look toward its future. “We are learning,” she said, “to walk with one another with kindness, grace and forgiveness.”