The small church is prominently located at the intersection of Bloor Street and Avenue Road, near the Royal Ontario Museum.

[3] The church's creation was a result of the division of the old parish of St. Paul's on April 23, 1867, in order to accommodate a growing congregation.

[3][4] Yonge Street was chosen as the dividing line between the old and new parishes,[3] and the name redeemer was based on the metaphor of Christian redemption.

The church ran into severe financial difficulties and, in 1979, the parish voluntarily disestablished itself and was taken over by the Anglican Diocese of Toronto.

In 2000, the church launched a major renovation project as extra meeting space and offices were constructed under the building.