SARASOTA – Founded in 1886 by the first Mayor of Sarasota John Hamilton Gillespie the Church of Redeemer an Episcopal Church in Sarasota has been a landmark for those living on the Suncoast.
“It’s not just a building it’s a place for – it’s a prayer school,” said Bishop of Diocese of Southwest Florida Rev. Dabney T. Smith.
Hundreds were in attendance Sunday morning to observe the dedication of the new Christian Formation and Ministry Center that took approximately 17 months to complete. Rev. Fredrick A. Robinson says as time passes the church is need of more space.
“We have been aware of the need for more education space Christian formation and ministry space for decades,” said Rev. Robinson.
Rev. Robinson says thanks to the hard work of volunteers and members of the church Gillespie’s legacy will carry on for generations to come.
“I think he would be very gratified to see this today and that’s of course how the church works,” he said. “We take the long view and so who knows where we’ll be 150 years from now.”
The new ministry center was not the only unveiling Sunday morning. The church now has a landmark Celtic Cross that combines Sarasota’s past to the present. Artist Chandell Sites says she was honored to be chosen to design the cross.
“To merge this into a design that would not only speak to the past but also bring us forward into the future of the church and where we’re going so that – just as symbol of the history all the way up to now,” said Sites
Volunteers and church members were able to raise nearly seven and a half million dollars to bring this project into fruition and leave their own mark here in Sarasota.
