About Us
A congregation in the Presbyterian Church in America meeting in Hudson, Ohio.
Welcome to Redeemer Church
We are a community of Christians from all walks of life that has gathered in and served Northeast Ohio since 1995, calling our current location home since 2009.
What We Believe
At Redeemer Church, we understand ourselves to be first and foremost the recipients of God’s life-changing grace. Because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, sinners who trust in Jesus are saved from sin and death and brought into a family relationship with the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit. We love to revel in these realities that are undeservedly ours in Christ both now and for eternity. God has given his infallible word in the Bible to direct us how we might glorify and enjoy him. Our aim is to ground everything we do at Redeemer Church in Scripture. We stand with the Christian church universal in affirming historic creeds, such as the Apostles’ Creed and the Nicene Creed, that emphasize the basics of what Scripture teaches. The mission of the church of Jesus Christ is to proclaim the gospel that all might hear it, turn to Christ, and grow to maturity in fulfillment of Christ’s Great Commission (Matt. 28:18–20). We are what some call an "ordinary means of grace" church, majoring in the simple tasks given to the church: worship morning and evening on Sundays, praying corporately, and seeking the Lord together in his appointed means of the word and the sacraments.
Presbyterian Church in America
Scripture leads us to Reformed and Presbyterian convictions. If you would like to learn more about these beliefs, all of our officers subscribe to the Westminster Confession of Faith, and it summarizes well our core beliefs. We are a congregation in the Ohio Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Our Constitution consists of the Westminster Standards and our denominational Book of Church Order.
worship
We desire to offer worship to God in the way that he has commanded us to worship him.
Thus, we attempt in every way to conform our worship to God’s word. Here is a sample Order of Worship for one of our morning worship services. A few words and topics might help orient you to our services:
Entering God’s presence to worship a holy God, we recognize his great might, power, sovereignty and purity as the Creator, and our position as his creatures who were created to serve him. Thus, we worship reverently before him.
Yet we do not enter with slavish fear, but as redeemed children. We joyfully participate together in praising our God, being reminded of the truths of God and his gracious salvation in Christ by his Holy Spirit, and encouraging one another through our participation in worship.
Worship is a dialog between God and his people. God speaks to us through his word, and we respond in prayer and praise. Our services are marked by an abundance of Scripture and prayer. Our whole service recounts the great story of God’s redemption of his people.
With simple accompaniment, we love to sing the best of Christian hymnody from the past and present. Visitors often note that our congregation loves to sing! Additionally, we sing a Psalm each service because the Psalms are the inspired songbook that God has given to the church to use for worship. As a nod of recognition to our Reformed and Presbyterian heritage, we usually sing Psalms unaccompanied (at least after the first verse).
The preaching of God’s word is the center of our services. We worship God as we receive his word by faith, and God builds up Christ’s church by his Holy Spirit. See “Teaching and Preaching,” below.
We celebrate the Lord’s Supper weekly in the morning, remembering Christ’s death and enjoying the communion we share with him and his church. Invited to participate in The Lord’s Supper are all those who have faith in Christ and are baptized members in good standing of any church that believes in salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Our elders personally distribute the bread and small cups of grape juice to each communicant as they remain in their seats.
Baptism is a celebration of God’s work of bringing individuals into the covenant community of Christ’s church. As Presbyterians, we practice baptism by sprinkling water in the name of the Holy Trinity. The recipients of Baptism are those who are being brought into the covenant community of the church, either because they are publicly professing faith in Christ and are being received into membership of the church or because they are born to parents who already belong to Redeemer Church.
preaching and teaching
The Apostle Paul wrote, “[I]t pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 1:21).
Similarly, he asked rhetorically, “And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” (Romans 10:14 ESV). Because of passages like these, we have a high view of preaching and believe God uses it in mighty ways by his Holy Spirit to convert unbelievers and to continue to build up Christians.
Our pastors typically preach verse-by-verse, section-by-section through entire portions or books of the Bible. Doing this regularly make sure we emphasize what the Bible emphasizes, not what the preacher simply wants to talk about. One of these central emphases that we come back to over and over is the grace and mercy of God in Christ toward sinners – the good news of salvation!
Our teaching in Sunday School and other venues at Redeemer helps deepen our understanding of Scripture and God’s works of creation and redemption while assisting us grow in our relationship with him. We appreciate deep, thoughtful, and accessible teaching that applies to the normal life of every Christian.
Leadership & Support
Elders
Elders are called to “shepherd the flock of God” (1 Peter 5:2).
They govern the church as a board, called the Session, and are responsible for the spiritual care and growth of all of the members of the church. Our Pastors are Teaching Elders who are called full-time to the ministry of preaching, teaching, and administering the sacraments. Ruling Elders are qualified men who are elected from among the congregation and share fully in the governing of the church.
Rev. Scott Wright, Ph.D.
Teaching Elder, Senior Pastor
Reverend Scott Wright has been the senior pastor of Redeemer Church since 1995. He received his B.A. in Economics from Princeton University (1982), his M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (1991), and his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia) in 1999. Scott became a Christian in his early twenties. He was ordained on 1 October 1995 and preached the first morning and evening services at Redeemer Church the following Sunday. He is a member of the Ohio Presbytery's Candidates & Credentials Committee. Scott and Linda Wright were married in 1990 and have been blessed with six daughters and one son.
scott.wright@redeemerohio.org
Rev. Jason Piland
Teaching Elder, Associate Pastor
Reverend Jason Piland began serving Redeemer Church in June 2019. He received his Bachelor’s (2011) and J.D. degrees (2014) from Belmont University (Nashville), and his M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary (Charlotte) in 2019. Jason was ordained to the gospel ministry in August 2019 as Assistant Pastor at Redeemer, and in June 2020 became Associate Pastor. He currently serves the PCA General Assembly on the Committee on Review of Presbytery Records and the Committee on Constitutional Business. His Ohio Presbytery service includes being the Stated Clerk and the Chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Business and Judicial Matters. Jason and Erika Piland were married in 2012 and have three children.
jason.piland@redeemerohio.org
Rev. Jacob Piland
Teaching Elder, Church Planter
Reverend Jacob Piland has been called by the Session of Redeemer church as an Assistant Pastor to plant Christ Presbyterian Church, a daughter church of Redeemer in the Kent area. He moved to Ohio in 2015 after graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Covenant College (B.A). Jacob was ordained in October 2021. He was appointed by the Ohio Presbytery to serve on the General Assembly Nominating Committee. Previously, Jacob taught Bible at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy. He and his wife, Anginette, are actively involved in the Kent community and have one child.
jacob.piland@redeemerohio.org
Ray Gilliland
Ruling Elder, Clerk of Session
Ray Gilliland has served as an Elder since 1996 and has served as Clerk of Session since 1997. He is the Session liaison for the Redeemer Missions Committee and Decorating Committee, and he also serves on the Candidates & Credentials Committee and Missions Committee of the Ohio Presbytery. Ray and his wife Joyce are founding members of Redeemer. The Gillilands have been married for over 50 years and have 3 children, 15 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.
clerk@redeemerohio.org
Ernie Miller
Ruling Elder
Ernie Miller has served as an Elder since 2017 after 13 years of service as a Deacon. Elder Miller serves as Sunday School Superintendent, Troop Ministry Liaison for American Heritage Girls and Trail Life Troops, and oversees monthly publication of Redeemer News. Ernie and his wife Pam have attended Redeemer since 1997 and have loved the reverent worship and the warm Christian fellowship. He serves on the provisional session of a mission church in the Ohio Presbytery and on the presbytery's RUF Committee. He is also the Vice Moderator of the Ohio Presbytery. The Millers have 4 children and 12 grandchildren. Ernie leads his own small operations improvement consulting firm after a career as a partner at EY Consulting working with large global firms.
Jim Parkin
Ruling Elder
Jim has served as an Elder since 2022. Jim and his wife, Anastasia, joined Redeemer in 2011 after recognizing Redeemer to be a bastion of truth, goodness, and beauty in alignment with the Bible. They have found many of their dearest friends at Redeemer through camaraderie and vulnerability in Jesus Christ. The Parkins have two sons and one daughter. Jim works for McMaster-Carr Supply Company in Aurora and is currently pursuing a Master's of Theological Studies from Reformed Theological Seminary. He previously served for six years as a board member at Heritage Classical Academy.
Mark Van Drunen
Ruling Elder
Mark has served as an Elder since 2011 and oversees the Community Group ministry. Mark and his wife Sarah joined in 2009 because of the sincerity of worship, the warmth of Christian fellowship and hospitality of her members. Mark and Sarah have grown in grace and godliness because of the depth of preaching and the collective desire to grow in grace and godliness. He is the chairman of the Candidates & Credentials Committee of the Ohio Presbytery. The Van Drunens have two daughters and one son. Mark is the Managing Director of a wealth management firm located in Cleveland, Ohio and serves on the boards of Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy and Reformed Forum.
deacons
The Diaconate is an office of sympathy and service.
All of the physical needs of the church are tended to by the deacons. This includes our mercy ministry, finances, and building and grounds maintenance and upkeep. The deacons are exemplary servants of Christ and his church, and they encourage all members to use their gifts and talents for Christ.
Rob Baarson
Deacon
Rob has served as a Deacon since 2022. He and his wife Emily have been members of Redeemer since 2020 and live in Hudson, Ohio, with their two children.
Matt Brown
Deacon
Matt has served as a Deacon since 2022. Matt and his wife, Kelli, have attended Redeemer since August 2019 and have appreciated the rich teaching and community that is present at Redeemer. The Browns have three children. Matt works for a local school district as its Treasurer/CFO.
Chad Darr
Deacon
Chad has served as a Deacon since 2011, often leading our technical and audio/visual efforts. Chad and his wife Sarah have three children. Chad works for BGI Corporate Headquarters in Akron as Director of Cyber Operations.
Brett Flenniken
Deacon
Brett has served as a Deacon since 1997 and is responsible for encouraging generosity, extending compassion to members and visitors, and serving in various general capacities related to the upkeep of the church building. Brett and his wife Debbie are founding members of Redeemer. Brett loves how we in the Redeemer community aspire to live out the gospel in all that we do. The Flennikens have five children and one grandchild. Brett works in sales at Dell Technologies with responsibilities for several enterprise customers in northeast Ohio.
Ron Foster
Deacon
Ron has served Redeemer as a Deacon since 2022 after previously serving as a Deacon at a PCA congregation in Orlando, Florida. Ron and his wife, Terri, lived there for 20 years until 2019 when they retired, moved to Ohio for the weather, and began attending Redeemer. They have two adult children, Grant, who lives in Orlando, and Chelsea, who lives in Phoenix. The Fosters enjoy residing in Cuyahoga Falls.
Seth Grissett
Deacon
Seth has served as Deacon since 2022. He and his wife Saundy live in Hiram, OH, and have been attending Redeemer since 2019. They have 3 children.
Brandon Kenney
Deacon
Brandon has served as Deacon since 2022. Brandon, his wife Amanda, and their 4 daughters joined Redeemer in 2018 because of the church’s warm and winsome Christian fellowship, reliance on the ordinary means of grace, and commitment to the gospel. Both he and Amanda are actively involved in the church’s American Heritage Girls and Trail Life Troops. Brandon is the CEO of an Information Technology company located in Strongsville, OH.
Ray Sierko
Deacon
Ray has served as a Deacon since 2004. Ray oversees the outside maintenance of the Redeemer property and church building security. He coordinates the rotation of greeters and the weekly collection and serves on the Missions Committee. Ray and his wife Sondra have been members since 1999. The Sierkos have four daughters. Ray works at Hillcrest Hospital in the laboratory in the blood bank.
Danny Stephenson
Deacon
Danny has served as a Deacon since 2018 and is responsible for overseeing building maintenance. Danny and his wife Christina have attended Redeemer since 2010 and appreciate the rich fellowship with fellow believers. The Stephensons have five children. Danny works for a local commercial construction company.
Sam Wilsey
Deacon, Chairman
Sam has served as a Deacon since 2010. He and his wife Elizabeth have been members of Redeemer since 2005. The Wilseys have four daughters and one son, and they live in Hudson, Ohio.
deaconchair@redeemerohio.org
administrative & ministry support
The support team is the backbone that ensures the day-to-day operations and ministry of the church are in working order. They work tirelessly in service to Redeemer Church.
Jennifer Cook
Secretary
Jennifer has served as Secretary since March 2015. She received her B.S. in Organizational Communications from Eastern Michigan University in 1995. Jennifer and her husband Deron became members of Redeemer in 2014. The Cooks have two daughters.
jennifer.cook@redeemerohio.org
Joel Gilliland
Treasurer
Joel has served as Treasurer since 2016. He has attended Redeemer since 1995. He and his wife, Abi, have been married since 2013 and have four children, twin boys and two girls.
Christopher Kessick
Intern
"Kess" is the regional director for Young Life in northern Ohio and southeast Michigan (North Coast Region) and has degrees from Purdue University (B.A.), Ball State University (M.B.A.), and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.A./T.S.). He and his wife Aimée have been members at Redeemer Church since 2011. They have two sons and two daughters, and live in Hudson, OH. Kess became an intern in 2020 and assists in the ministry of Redeemer Church in various ways as the Redeemer Session and the Ohio Presbytery help him work toward ordained ministry in the PCA.
Rich Lang
Pianist
Rich serves as the musical accompanist for Redeemer Church. He has served in this role since 2010. Rich has been a member of Redeemer since 2002.
visit us
We’re just West of downtown Hudson at the corner of W. Streetsboro and E. Case Drive.
To all who are spiritually weary and seek rest, who mourn and long for comfort, who struggle and desire hope, who sin and need a Savior, who are lonely and need fellowship, who hunger and thirst for righteousness, this church opens its doors wide and bids welcome in the name of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.
Worship Times
Sunday School at 10:00AMMorning Worship at 11:00AMEvening Worship at 5:00PM
Contact Us
office@redeemerohio.org(330) 656-5787