Redeemer OPC is a church centered on Christ as our only Redeemer and hope of being restored to fellowship with God. We proclaim the saving work of Christ each Sunday and demonstrate His love to those around us as we live each day.
Redeemer is a Bible-believing and practicing church that holds to the confession and catechisms of the historic Reformed faith. We are a Reformed, confessional, Presbyterian church, and we want to make disciples of all nations beginning right here in Winter Garden. We desire to help disciples reach maturity and guide them throughout all of life.
An Established Church
Redeemer is new to the Winter Garden area, but we’re not a new church. Emmanuel (our original name) was established as a church in 1963. In 1969, the church built its first sanctuary on Lake Sherwood, located at 8200 Balboa Drive in Orlando, and the name of the church was changed at that time to Lake Sherwood OPC. We met there consistently until we sold the property in March 2025 to another church. We moved away from Lake Sherwood and began meeting in Winter Garden at SunRidge Middle School, where we changed our name to Redeemer OPC to reflect the focus of the church.
Stable Leadership
There have only been three Senior Pastors in over 60 years of existence. Jonathan Male became our first Pastor in 1963. Larry Mininger was our second Pastor, serving 48 years, from 1971 to his retirement in 2019. Geoff Downey was called to serve alongside Larry in 2013 and continues with us today as our Senior Pastor. In addition, we have had many Associate Pastors and Interns serving with us.
Redeemer has a long and rich history. Our focus is providing solid Biblical teaching to bring people to Christ as their Redeemer, and to provide spiritual nourishment to help disciples grow to maturity. We are actively involved in training men for gospel ministry. In recent years, we have sent out three men who are Pastors in other churches, and two men are currently training with us.
Practical Outworking
We are a warm and welcoming church for visitors. Our congregation is made up of all ages, from young to old, and we have a vibrant group of college students among us. We have multiple opportunities for fellowship from gatherings after worship to fellowship in small groups, for men, for women, and for couples. We have a heart for youth and have hosted a summer camp for almost 20 years.
If you are searching for answers to life’s questions, come join us. If you are a Christian who is looking for a place to grow in grace, come join us. If you are spiritually hurting or wounded, come join us. If you are burnt out, come join us. We would love to share God’s Word with you and how Christ can provide you with a life of peace and joy.