St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Lexington, Kentucky, was founded as a mission in 1880 by Christ Church, Lexington, in a church building at 110 West Fourth Street. At that time, it was a part of the Diocese of Kentucky, under the leadership of the Rt. Rev. Thomas Underwood Dudley. 

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The building purchased for St. Andrew’s mission, which had been previously used by the historically black congregation of the Disciples of Christ Church since 1857, was purchased by Christ Church. St. Andrew’s was the fourth mission established for black Episcopalians in Kentucky. The building was completely renovated and fitted for Episcopal worship. The membership of St. Andrew’s asked for an altar that would be similar to the one at Christ Church Cathedral. The original altar did resemble the one at the cathedral and it was later moved to the new church building in 1963. Amidst mixed feelings, on the one hand feelings of joy and on the other hand uncertainty about their future, the members of that first congregation thrived with great confidence in their own faith. During 1880, The Rev. Thomas Allen Tidball, rector of Christ Church, conducted the services and Mr. Campbell assisted with Sunday school. Bishop Dudley made his first official annual visitation on May 1, 1881. As was the custom at that time, the women sat together on the left-side of the nave and the men on the right-side of the nave facing each other.

For the first two years of its existence, the mission was financed by Christ Church. The Rev. Thomas Allen Tidball, rector of Christ Church conducted services with the assistance of some other clergymen officiating until the fall of 1882. The Rev. Tidball was also assisted in the Sunday school by A.J. Campbell, a layman from Christ Church. The Rev. J. B. McConnell, a West Indian educated in Europe, become the first black deacon to serve St. Andrew’s beginning in 1882.

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Although the Bishop of the Diocese of Kentucky, the Rt. Rev. Thomas Underwood Dudley, gave his blessings for the success of another separate church for African-Americans, he never missed an opportunity to express his belief that the Church of Jesus Christ was not for one nation or race or color, but for all people. Bishop Dudley emphatically expressed a conviction that was far ahead of his time. “I cannot agree, that a separate Church shall be established for this people, that they must be excluded from the fellowship with men of other races, and dwell apart, for that were to contradict the fundamental idea of the Catholic Church of Jesus Christ.” Bishop Dudley never lost his consuming interest in the evangelization of African-Americans and for the rest of his life worked actively for the advancement of African-Americans. For years he served as chairman of the National Church’s committee for evangelistic work among African- Americans and in 1885 he set forth his views in an essay, “How Shall we Help the Negro?” that was published in the Diocese of Kentucky’s June 1885, edition of The Century.

The Diocese of Lexington was created in 1895 and the Rev. Lewis William Burton was elected as its bishop in 1896. The congregation at St. Andrew’s became a part of the diocese as an organized mission in 1896. The Rev. Hannibal S. Henderson from the Diocese of North Carolina succeeded the Rev. McConnell. The Rev. Henderson was the first African-American priest to serve St. Andrew’s; he began his work in July 1884. During this time, the General Missionary Society in New York was the chief supporter of the mission. Christ Church and the Board of Diocesan Missions for Colored People, created in 1883 at the request of Bishop Dudley, supplemented the appropriation. The Rev. Henderson was able to secure an additional $1,000.00 from a fund- raising visit to North Carolina. By 1885, the Rev. Henderson had performed ten baptisms and Bishop Dudley confirmed seven people during his spring visitation. The Sunday school, begun by Mr. Campbell, numbered 101 scholars.

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Through the 136 years of its existence, the congregation of St. Andrew’s experienced numerous changes in its struggles for survival. The once all black congregation is now the most racially and culturally diverse congregation in the Diocese of Lexington. Through the good and challenging times, the congregation has maintained its faith and found ways to support the varying needs of the community and its communicants. During those years it has organized and sponsored public forums and contributed to diocesan program and community organizations in Lexington. Individually, its members have served on a variety of community and diocesan committees, boards and commissions. Many of its members have distinguished themselves in areas of civic leadership, education, social work, health professions, the media, performing arts, as entrepreneurs, and as leaders in both local and state governmental positions. The congregation of St. Andrew’s is persuaded by the conviction of Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “What endows the human person with worth…is the fact that each person is created in the image and likeness of God,” and fortified with the joy of God’s grace. Looking forward to the future, we are determined to keep the “Flame of Hope” burning while continuing the journey of faith begun by those who are absent from us.