
On Sunday, June 14, 2009, the Rev. Fredrick A. Robinson, Rector at the Church of the Redeemer in downtown Sarasota, was the recipient of a surprise “Thank You for 15 Years of Service” celebration put on by parishioners in his honor.
Nearly two hundred parishioners crowded the church veranda to wish Father Robinson well, sing, and enjoy a celebratory slice of cake.
Since 1994, Father Robinson has officiated at the marriages, overseen the baptisms, counseled the grief, and celebrated the joys, of nearly every family and individual at Redeemer. And while the responsibilities of a Rector are endless, Father Robinson says the rewards are pretty endless as well.
Among the highlights of those rewards, Father Robinson says, is watching the young people of Redeemer grow from childhood to adulthood. He cites Redeemer’s ministry to children and young people as “one of our parish’s greatest strengths,” and bringing on a full-time Youth Minister as one of his best decisions. “Doing so,” Father Robinson says, “was a symbol to the congregation that we were willing to make an investment in our youth, which made our Children’s and Youth ministries even stronger.”
Another milestone occurred as Father Robinson became aware that many Hispanics in Sarasota were not being served by any church in the community. A Hispanic Mission was formed to serve the needs of this growing segment of Sarasota’s population, and a permanent Spanish Mass was added to Redeemer’s worship schedule in 2002.
The Church of the Redeemer founded Resurrection House prior to his arrival in Sarasota, but for 13 of his 15 years at Redeemer, Father Robinson has been President of the Board of Directors of Resurrection House. During that time, Father Robinson has been integrally involved in helping to guide and grow this venerable and critical support system for Sarasota’s homeless.
Serving the community beyond the immediate community is equally important to Father Robinson. For the past eight years, Redeemer has annually sent a team of about 20 parishioners, including Father Robinson and his wife, Linda, to perform mission work in the Dominican Republic. In the process, Redeemer has funded seven church projects, including four new church buildings and one new school.
The past 15 years have seen many improvements to Redeemer’s parish life and offerings to the Sarasota community — including the addition of a Saturday night Contemporary Service, and the installation of the much-admired and much-enjoyed Nichols and Simpson pipe organ.
As with all things, there’s always more than can be done – as Father Robinson points out: “I do feel Redeemer has the foundation in place to achieve unlimited possibilities, but there is much work to be done still in fine-tuning the numerous ministries that are going on and finding ways to involve more and more people in those ministries.”
Going forward, Father Robinson envisions a parish that is empowered, sustained, and nurtured by and through the infrastructure that has been put in place over the last 15 years. “I think all the pieces are in place for future growth,” Father Robinson says. “We have a multiplicity of parish organizations for all sorts of ministries – both within the parish and outside the parish in the broader community and the world.”
Father Robinson came to Redeemer with a S.T.M. (Magistri in Sancta Theologia) from Nashotah House in 1982; cum laude; as well as a M. Th. (Master of Theology) from the Perkins School of Theology; also cum laude. His undergraduate degree is from Ohio State University.
He currently is the Chairman of the Southwest Florida Diocesan Commission on Liturgy and Music and serves nationally as a Board Member of the American Anglican Council. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees for Nashotah House where he serves as Chairman of the External Affairs Committee.