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Mission Statement

We are called, as a loving community of faith, to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ in word and action, and to welcome all people who seek a deeper knowledge of God.  We will achieve our mission by striving to create a vibrant, focused, and growing Church that embodies Christian values and beliefs; implementing programs that are meaningful in our daily lives (faith in action); building a safe environment that encourages us to reach out to our community, to people of other faiths and beliefs, and to people who differ from us in important ways.

History

The Church of the Redeemer was founded in 1893, when a small group of families from the Glen Echo area began meeting in each other's homes for worship.  In 1903, the congregation built a small chapel with the help of Saint John's, Norwood Parish.  In 1940, a brick chapel was constructed on the present site. Under the leadership of its first vicar, the Reverend Dr. Robert Evans Browning, Redeemer became a parish in 1951.

By 1957, Redeemer had outgrown its building.  The congregation constructed a new church, Saint Dunstan's, two miles away on Massachusetts Avenue.  Upon its completion, four-fifths of the congregation left to join the new parish, and Redeemer reverted to the status of mission.  By 1965, Redeemer had grown significantly and became a parish once again.

The present structure is major renovation and expansion of the 1940 chapel.  Completed in 1999, the building project doubled Redeemer's worship and program space.  Well suited as a venue for the fine arts, the facility is often used for dramatic and musical presentations, and exhibitions.  A celebration of the sacred in artistic expression is a particular hallmark of parish identity.