Phillips was one of three delegates serving the 41st legislative district, which lies in the central, northwest section of Baltimore City.

He was an ordained clergyman and founding pastor of the Heritage United Church of Christ in Baltimore, Maryland from 1964 to 1993.

He was the President, Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance in Baltimore and a delegate to the First Conference of Christians, Israelis, and Palestinians in 1976.

Phillips is a past president of the NAACP of Rochester, New York and active in the civil rights movement.

As delegation chairman, Phillips was responsible for "pushing" the legislation in Annapolis that Schaefer thought was important for Baltimore.