Founded as a suburban mission in 1959, St. Timothy’s was formed by about 40 members of the former St. George’s and Christ Church Cathedral, Indianapolis. The first service was held in a barn of the Southside YMCA under the leadership of The Reverend Malcolm Boyd. To date St. Timothy’s remains the only Episcopal Church on Indianapolis’s Southside.
In 1960, St. Timothy’s constructed its first unit, a horizontal building to the south of the present sanctuary. It was called the Education Building, designed for the temporary worship space in what is today, Craine Hall on the east side with offices, kitchen and classrooms on the west side. Reverend Rufus Simons led the congregation from 1962-1970, during which time the church grew substantially. With approval and support from Bishop Craine and the Diocese, plans for the highly anticipated worship structure were begun in 1966. By 1968, plans were finalized, in large part due to a generous grant from the Diocese as well as funds provided by St. Timothy’s Next-To-New Shoppe. Ground was broken in May of 1968 for the 300-seat sanctuary which was designed by prominent Modernist architect Evans Woollen III.
The basic idea for the Sanctuary was to create a liturgically intimate, unique and stirring space. The free-standing altar had seating on three sides and the north pews were tiered to provide visibility and good acoustics. The soaring pyramidal ceiling features spruce decking and massive fir beams. A large north-facing skylight window washes natural light onto the rear slope of the roof, back wall and altar. The exterior exaggerated roof line and Chicago Common brick cladding gives St. Timothy’s a monumental, fortress-like appearance. The sanctuary was dedicated on April 13, 1969. Because of St. Timothy’s uniquely Modern design and the prominence of its architect, who also designed Indianapolis’s Clowes Hall, St. Timothy’s gained its place on the National Register of Historic Places Dec. 2, 2020, and on the Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures on Oct. 21, 2020.
St. Timothy’s was granted parish status in 1972. In 1978, the Education Building was remodeled to incorporate improvements. The church purchased the Rogers”Glasglow740″ organ in 1984 and it remains in use today. The mortgage was paid off that same year. The major outreach of the church is the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry which serves all zip codes.
The current Rector, The Reverend Rebecca Nickel, was appointed in 2013.