Inside the Gothic steeple of the Chicago Temple, which boasts the world’s tallest church spire soaring 568 feet above the corner of Washington and Clark, Philip Blackwell lives happily with his wife, Sally. The sky-high parsonage is just one of the perks of being the Loop Methodist congregation’s senior minister.
After 45 years in the ministry (13 of them at the Chicago Temple), Blackwell will retire on June 30. The 70-year-old and his wife are moving to a cabin off of a lake in Wisconsin. The reverend says he’ll miss the view, yes, but also the energy of living in the middle of Chicago. “Up here, I feel called to pay attention to the city,” he says. “I’m not above it.”
