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. 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 build 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.

Last year, Redeemer welcomed over 170 new members, which represented record new membership for the third straight year. The parish donated $500,000 to nonprofits in Sarasota and around the world. And Redeemer is on track to do the same in 2024.

The parish stands poised for even greater growth in the coming years, with ambitious plans to strengthen the faith of current parishioners as well as increase the number of people who call Redeemer home. These goals are reflected in the parish’s motto: “Making new Christians and making all Christians new.”

At the center of it all is Redeemer’s simple yet profound proclamation of the gospel message that Jesus is Lord. Everything at Redeemer is intentionally done to help parishioners and friends rely more and more on the miraculous power of God’s redeeming grace. Redeemer’s clergy believe lives are completely transformed by the grace of God. This parish church is God’s living lab where this takes place every day.

This redeeming 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!