More than 60 Years of Community Building
On March 13, 1960, The Rev. Joseph Pinder and about 40 persons joined together to celebrate the first service of a new Episcopal church at Southampton Recreation Center in South Richmond. Within six months, this congregation moved into an A-frame structure located at the corner of Chippenham Parkway and Huguenot Road and there, on September 11, they celebrated their first service as the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer.
This “temporary” building expanded twice in the following 27 years, and, under the leadership of The Rev. Pinder, Ramsey Richardson, and John Moulton, Redeemer prospered as a parish. During its first three years, members repaid the initial mortgage of $75,000, thus freeing Redeemer to reach out to the community and to help the needy. Together parishioners shaped traditions of worship, outreach, and fellowship, all of which have helped Redeemer to grow into the present-day parish.
When the Virginia Department of Transportation widened Chippenham Parkway, they acquired Redeemer’s site. Guided by the Diocese of Southern Virginia, a ten-acre site in Northern Chesterfield County was purchased in 1985 for a new building, which was dedicated on June 11, 1988. Located at the corner of Salisbury and Winterfield Roads, this traditional colonial brick structure conveys a sense of permanence, while blending with the surrounding community.
In its new home, Redeemer grew tremendously in the 1990s as membership, ministries, budget, programs, and services expanded. When The Rev. John Moulton left to become the rector of a church in Florida, his assistant, The Rev. Stephen Cowardin, became rector in 1993. He held this position until his retirement in 2015. During this period, a capital campaign financed a building expansion; four assistant rectors served; and five members were called to enter the ordained ministry.
In 1990 REDS (Redeemer Episcopal Day School) was established. REDS soon became an outreach program by providing a strong pre-school experience for children and a new church home for their families. Bettie Wallace served as its first director until 2019 when she was succeeded by Julia Dorsey. REDS’ program expanded in 2020 to include a kindergarten and a first-grade class.
After The Rev. Dr. Cowardin’s retirement, The Rev. Donald Dunn III served as interim rector, with assistance from the Rev. John Newell from 2014 to 2016. In 2017, Redeemer called the Rev. Robert Marshall to be its new rector. Assisted by the Rev. Grace Rigby, he continues to serve the congregation. Grace+ joined the staff as Assistant to the rector in 2020 and was ordained at Redeemer on February 6,2021. Donald Anderson joined us in 1997 as Director of Music. Allison Paee was hired in June 2021 as Director of Children’s & Youth Ministries.
READ THE HISTORY OF THE MUSIC PROGRAM HERE.
LOCATION
The Episcopal Church of the Redeemer is located in the village of Midlothian, in northern Chesterfield County, Virginia. Parishioners come from all over the Richmond (state capital) metropolitan area. With a population of 352,802, the county is bounded by the cities of Richmond, Petersburg, Hopewell, and Colonial Heights. Situated in the mid-Atlantic region of the eastern seaboard, Chesterfield is convenient to the James River, the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Chesapeake Bay, Atlantic beaches, Washington, D.C., and many historical attractions. Air, train, and bus transportation is available in Richmond.
Among the county’s largest employers are Chesterfield County School Board, Amazon, Chesterfield County government, U. S. Department of Defense, HCA Virginia Health System, UPS, and DuPont. The award-winning Chesterfield County Public School system currently educates more than 63,000 students in 64 schools. The area boasts four universities: University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia State University, and Virginia Union University, as well as Union Theological Seminary. Redeemer is indeed blessed to be located in a region of progressive economy, temperate climate, social connection, cultural advantage, and spiritual opportunity.