Welcome

Church of the Redeemer is a growing parish of nearly 3,000 members in the heart of downtown Sarasota. The parish is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida and a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

At the center of this parish church is Jesus Christ – His life, death, and resurrection. You will see this reflected in all we do and our mission statement “to make new Christians and all Christians new.” We are a parish grounded in the Holy Scriptures and firmly anchored in the Anglican tradition of worship, theology, and piety expressed in the Book of Common Prayer. A summary of what we believe can be found in the words of the historic Nicene Creed:

We believe in one God,
     the Father, the Almighty,
     maker of heaven and earth,
     of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
     the only Son of God,
     eternally begotten of the Father,
     God from God, Light from Light,
     true God from true God,
     begotten, not made,
     of one Being with the Father.
     Through him all things were made.
     For us and for our salvation
          he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
     he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
     and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
     he suffered death and was buried.
     On the third day he rose again
          in accordance with the Scriptures;
     he ascended into heaven
          and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
     and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
     who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
     With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
     He has spoken through the Prophets.
     We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
     We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
     We look for the resurrection of the dead,
          and the life of the world to come. Amen.

Redeemer is known throughout the area and beyond for its focus on worship, preaching, music, faith formation, youth and families, and community outreach.

Redeemer’s roots in Sarasota trace back to the late 1880s. During the early years, Episcopalians worshipped in the parlor of John Hamilton Gillespie’s home on Palm Avenue, near where the current church stands. In 1904, Gillespie built Redeemer’s first church building in his back yard. After expanding the structure several times, Redeemer decided to build a new modified-Gothic-style church at 222 South Palm Avenue. It held its first services in the church in 1950 and continues to host about 600 services each year.

One of the symbols of Redeemer is the distinctive wooden cross that hangs above the high altar. The cross, an original design of former Rector Father Paul Reeves, was handmade by Gilman Lansdale and installed in the church in 1964. Made of American cherry wood, the cross is shaped like a broad sword. The cross is represented in Redeemer’s logo. The pelican is also one of the symbols of the parish. In the Redeemer seal, a mother pelican pierces her breast to feed her young, symbolizing Christ the Redeemer.

Redeemer’s campus now occupies an entire city block in downtown Sarasota. Throughout the years, Redeemer has increased the size of its facilities, its ministries (now numbering over 100), and its widespread community outreach efforts.

God’s grace is on full display during Redeemer’s weekend services. On Saturdays, Redeemer offers a contemporary service at 5:30 p.m. On Sundays, the parish has a spoken service at 7:30 a.m., a sung service at 9 a.m. with Children’s Chapel, a sung service at 11 a.m., and a service in Spanish at 1 p.m. For more information about visiting Redeemer, click here.

Redeemer offers many growth and fellowship opportunities for people of all ages, from infants to seniors. For more information about the dozens of ministries at Redeemer, click here.

There’s always something happening on our campus. For more information about upcoming events, click here to view our calendar. If you’re interested in music events, click here.

If you have a question or need assistance in any way, please call the parish office at 941-955-4263 or send an email to COR@RedeemerSarasota.org. The parish office is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can also reach out to Redeemer Welcome Coordinator Anne Ayres.

We encourage you to explore our website to learn more about Redeemer, and we invite you to become part of our parish family!