Who We Are

Church of the Redeemer is a growing parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida and is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
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About Us

Church of the Redeemer is a growing parish in downtown Sarasota. Redeemer is part of the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida and a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Redeemer is a parish of more than 2,900 people, and we invite you to take your place in this Christian community as we seek to serve God by preaching the Gospel, teaching the faith, administering the sacraments, and making disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our Mission

To build up the Body of Christ by Word and Sacrament, equipping the people of God for the work of ministry, that Jesus Christ may be known, loved, worshiped, and obeyed in our homes and parish, community and diocese, and throughout the world.

Making new Christians and making all Christians new

Fr. Charleston Wilson

The Rev. Charleston David Wilson

Rector

The Rev. Charleston Wilson is the 11th Rector of Church of the Redeemer. In 2013 he was ordained at Redeemer and began serving as Parish Curate, then Priest Associate, Senior Priest Associate, and Priest-in-Charge, before eventually being elected Rector.

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Before seminary and priesthood, Fr. Charleston was a creative entrepreneur in the restaurant, timber, and wine industries, working in a variety of capacities, including co-owning a fine-dining concept, managing the strategic human resources for a now-national restaurant chain, developing a large, rural tree farm, and consulting both nationally and internationally in the wine industry. He is a certified sommelier, and he enjoys all things gustatory (perhaps too much).

Fr. Charleston’s educational background includes a degree in religion from Samford University as well as a Master in Divinity (M.Div.) from Nashotah House Theological Seminary (cum laude).

Fr. Charleston serves as President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Anglican Digest, the leading quarterly publication serving 67 countries of the Anglican Communion. Locally, Fr. Charleston serves as a President of the Board of Directors of Resurrection House, a resource center for the homeless, as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the Sarasota Medical Pregnancy Center. He serves his seminary alma mater, Nashotah House, as a member of the Board of Visitors.

Married to Malacy (neé Touchstone) since 2006, they have two children, Robert Augustus “Gus” and Mary Camille. Fr. Charleston and his family like to travel.

Father Michael Hurst

The Rev. Michael W. Hurst

Senior Assistant Rector

The Rev. Michael W. Hurst began his ministry as Senior Assistant Rector at Church of the Redeemer in August 2022.

Fr. Michael, a Nashville native, previously served as the 7th rector of St. James Episcopal Church and School in Dallas, Texas. He has held several leadership roles both in the Diocese of Dallas and nationally. Fr. Michael served on the Diocese Executive Council for 9 years and served as the diocesan convocation chair.

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In 2009, Fr. Michael graduated from The University of the South, School of Theology in Sewanee, Tennessee, with his Master of Divinity. He received his bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, with a focus on business law and English.

Fr. Michael has over three decades of experience ministering with the youth of the church. He has served as a member of the national Happening executive committee and on the Diocese of Tennessee and Dallas youth commissions. He was instrumental in restarting Happening in both the Diocese of Tennessee and Dallas. He is an avid guitar player and is currently mastering the art of playing the mandolin. Fr. Michael enjoys singing, and occasionally can be found behind the drums.

Michael is married to his bride, Gilda Hurst, and this year, they celebrated their 42nd wedding anniversary. They have three grown boys and five energetic grandchildren. The Rev. Logan Hurst and his wife, Liz, and their son live in Texas. Rob, retired Army, and his wife, Melissa, retired Army, and their two boys live in Texas. Chase, retired Army, and his wife, Elizabeth, and their two children live in Missouri. Fr. Michael and Gilda enjoy live music, traveling, movies, and walking their labradoodle, Beau.

Father David Svihel

The Rev. David Mark Svihel

Priest Associate for Christian Formation & Outreach

The Rev. David Svihel accepted the call to serve at Redeemer in February 2021, being ordained deacon on February 8 and ordained priest August 12, 2021. Father David is married to Kalista, and they have three children, Lilly, Elliot, and Evangeline.

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Born in Minnesota, Fr. David has lived all over the United States as well as a short stint in Poland. He is a graduate of Boyce College, Southern Seminary, and Trinity School for Ministry. Before coming to Redeemer, David spent time serving as a missionary in Poland, leading student Bible studies in California, and as a youth minister in Kentucky and Georgia. In his spare time, David enjoys hanging out with family and friends, reading, video games, going to concerts, good coffee, jogging, and being in nature.

The Rev. Mario Castro

Priest Associate for Hispanic Ministry

The Rev. Mario Castro began with the Church of the Redeemer as a part-time priest on Nov. 13, 2011, and is now a full-time priest and the leader of the church’s Hispanic Mission which, as of 2012, has the largest Hispanic congregation in the Diocese of Southwest Florida.

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Fr. Castro was born in La Joya de Guerra, a small town near Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. In 1971, his father, Jose Wessin, died in Santo Domingo, and his mother, Ramona Castro, supported the family by cultivating and selling vegetables with the help of her six sons and two daughters. Four years later, in search of a better life for her family, Castro’s mother moved the family to the outskirts of a populous neighborhood called “Los Mina.”

In 1978, upon finishing his Baccalaureate studies, he began to study sociology at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo. But within a few months, his true vocation was discovered: serving God. For the next ten years at Saint Vincent De Paul Seminary, Father Castro completed a four-year course in philosophy, trained as a novice for two years (specializing in church history), and completed his priestly training by studying theology for 4 years, achieving his degree in Religious Sciences.

From 1987 and 1991, Fr. Castro fulfilled various priestly responsibilities, and in 1991, he married Doña Lilly Zaiter and they settled in Tampa, Fl. 

In 1994, Fr. Castro and his family began attending St. Francis Episcopal Church; they eventually became very involved in parish life and worked with the community evangelizing. Fr. Castro served on the church’s vestry and held the position of senior warden.

Father Castro was received on Feb. 27, 2011. He may be reached at mcastro@redeemersarasota.org.

Father Ralph Strohm

The Rev. Ralph Strohm

Priest Associate for Pastoral Care

The Rev. Ralph W. Strohm began his ministry in January 2020 as a part-time priest associate, assisting the full-time staff clergy during the period of transition to the next rector. A native of Iowa, he served parishes in the dioceses of Rochester (N.Y.), Western New York, and West Virginia before semi-retiring to Florida. He received his Master of Divinity from Bexley Hall Seminary, an M.A. in Teaching from Northern Arizona University, and a Juris Doctor from The University of Iowa Law School.

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Prior to ordination, Fr. Strohm taught at the secondary level in Iowa and in youth advocacy programs in Rochester, New York. He has three children, Rebecca and Christopher, who both live in the Pacific Northwest, and Megan, who lives in Hamburg, New York, with her husband Andrew and their children Kayla (9 yrs.) and Maylee (6 yrs.).

In his spare time he is an avid history buff, a committed jogger, and a huge baseball fan.

Anne Ayres

Anne Ayres

Welcome Coordinator

 Jacki Boedecker

Jacki Boedecker

Director of Children's Christian Formation

Daniel Cartlidge

Daniel Cartlidge

Associate Choirmaster & Contemporary Music Director

Hanane El Qamari

Hanane El Qamari

Facilities Manager

Grier Ferguson

Grier Ferguson

Director of Communications

Diane Knox

Diane Knox

Receptionist Team

Ian McGowan

Ian McGowan

Printing Manager

Sam Nelson

Sam Nelson

Organist/Choirmaster

Jackie Overton

Jackie Overton

Youth Minister

Andres Paz

Andres Paz

Livestream Technician

William Pettey

William Pettey

Sexton

Debbie Pfender

Debbie Pfender

Bookkeeper

Ann Stephenson-Moe

Ann Stephenson-Moe

Organist/Choirmaster Emeritus

Angela Ward

Angela Ward

Registrar and Assistant to the Clergy

Vestry

Stephen Long, Senior Warden
Tim Hensey, Junior Warden
Dale Adcock
Marsha Devitt
Deb Kern
Antonio Leal
Christine Lindsay
Fritz Maxwell
Meredith Piazza
Joe Reuth
Jeff Trefry
Vince Riva
~ ~ ~
Dora Thomas, Treasurer
Kraig Koach, Chancellor
Grier Ferguson, Clerk

Retired Clergy in Residence

The Rev. Dr. Fredrick Robinson, Rector Emeritus
The Rev. Milton Cheney
The Rev. Michael Durning
The Rev. Read Heydt
The Rev. Clay Knapp
The Rev. Richard Lampert
The Rev. Frederick Nestrock
The Rev. Canon Everett Walk

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