Our History
Church of the Redeemer was organized in 1962 under the ministry of Rev. Vincent Strigas (former pastor of Church of the Savior ABC) and 73 charter members.
One year later, Lloyd Hall was built and served as the first worship center, until the current sanctuary was completed in 1971.
The Redeemer of this time became known for it’s participation in lay-training events, including the now-defunct Center of Biblical Training and Redeemer Theological Seminary.
In 1978, Redeemer established it’s first daughter church, Cornerstone Bible Fellowship, and 1980 organized Redeemer Christian School, a fully accredited school currently serving K-12. Still in operation today, it has adopted the classical christian school model.
1986 was a dramatic year, as Redeemer planted another daughter in Grace Covenant Church, and the founding pastor Vincent Strigas went to be with the Lord.
The next year, Doug VanGaalen was called to be Redeemer’s pastor. What followed was a time of experimentation in worship until Presbyterian minister and author Gary L. W. Johnson was called in 1993.
Under renewed leadership, Redeemer took a more deliberate Calvinist/reformed approach to worship and ministry, fully supporting the work of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. Including hosting the 2003-2005 Philadelphia Conferences on Reformation Theology, with such noted speakers as Michael Horton, David Wells, Sinclair Ferguson, Ligon Duncan, Philip Ryken, Rick Phillips, and Derek Thomas.
Today, the Church of the Redeemer has made a name for itself as a bastion of reformed orthodoxy in the midst of a hostile culture, and too often, a hostile evangelical church.