INDIANAPOLIS — St. John’s Missionary Baptist Church was founded by an African American congregation in 1916 in the Martindale Brightwood area on the near northeast side of Indianapolis. It is one of several churches in the predominantly and historically Black neighborhood which was historically represented by working class families employed in industries and nearby railroad yards. It was recently added to the National Register of Historic Places and the Indiana State Register of Historic Places.
The raised basement served as the church sanctuary from the time it was built in 1926 until 1949 when the upper, two-story part of the brick building was constructed. In 1980, a three-story addition was completed on the back of the church to continue to serve the needs of the congregation and neighborhood. The symmetrical front façade has a commanding presence on Dr. Andrew J. Brown Avenue. The dominant feature of the façade is a wide, two-story raised portico centered on the façade. It was pastored by Dr. Andrew J. Brown, a crucial figure in Indianapolis’ Civil Rights movement of the 1950s-1970s.
