- December 13, 2025
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Rev. Bill Friederich had quite the sendoff on Sunday at Longboat Island Chapel, where members wished him well during a musical celebration with an Oktoberfest twist. He previously served as the church's senior pastor and recently took up a temporary role as care pastor. Now, he is turning his attention to St. Andrew United Church of Christ in Sarasota.
He and his wife, Bah Hero, have been part of the Longboat Key community for many years. They first met in Maine over a shared appreciation for their church and jazz music.
"I actually used to play in her jazz club two or three nights a week," he said.
Friederich said he has loved being part of the chapel community and particularly appreciates how the musical and charitable arms of the church have grown over the years.
"Besides my calling as a minister, my bivocation was as a drummer," he said. "I used to work in a lot of jazz bands and trios, and I taught drumming to students of all ages."
They moved to the area after falling in love with it during a brief trip to Anna Maria Island. Hero sold the restaurants she ran in Maine, and Friederich retired from the United Church of Christ where he ministered.
It wasn't long before they felt called to get further involved in the community, though. That link came through an evening of Christmas caroling at the church.
"We drove by the chapel, and we saw they had a Christmas Eve service, so we decided to go in," he said. "That night, we sat on the back pew. I didn't really introduce myself to anybody as a former pastor. We kind of discovered it on our own, through that Christmas Eve service."
They gradually grew more involved, and when Rev. Vincent Carroll needed to retire early as the church's pastor, Friederich rose to the occasion in 2017. He was officially installed on March 5.
"I wasn't expecting to be in active ministry again," he said. "But in his absence, which came so quickly the chapel didn't have time to plan, they were willing to take me on."
Friederich found his five years leading the north-end church incredibly rewarding, navigating whatever challenges came its way.
What he believes helped the congregation navigate those times was a tight bond based on love for one's neighbor. He noted that in the chapel's early days, as one of the few existing houses of worship, it welcomed people of all faiths.
"It became, truly, an interfaith, ecumenical faith community," he said.
He jumped into the senior pastor role without the gradual transition one might hope to experience. But he appreciated getting to know the individuals in the community and see how they banded together to navigate hurricanes and a global pandemic.
It was amid the peaking pandemic that he gradually handed the reins over to current senior pastor Rev. Brock Patterson. Patterson took over the role in late 2020 after moving from Arkansas.
Friederich said he has been pleased to see Patterson step into the leadership position. Longboat Island Chapel has risen to new heights, earning the Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce "Business Resilience Award" earlier this month.
Meanwhile, Friederich stepped in temporarily as the care pastor, paying visits to church members with limited mobility.
Friederich will maintain a connection to Longboat Island Chapel while promoting cross-church collaborations, especially when it comes to music programs.
"What I've experienced at the chapel, I will take with me to St. Andrew and build on it, and I'll be able to build on what they're already doing there," he said.
