Fred Phelps

Biography

Fred Phelps was a divisive American minister and disbarred attorney who served as pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church, a Topeka, Kansas-based congregation known for its homophobic views and protests at funerals and gay pride events. A civil rights attorney by training, Phelps also ran for statewide election in Kansas. He founded the church in 1955, which was described by the Southern Poverty Law Center as one of the most obnoxious hate groups in America.