A Non-Denominational
Christian Church Serving
Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch,
Bradenton & Palmetto
The Altar Fellowship began over 18 years ago and has grown under God's mercy and guidance. Today, more than ever before, we are positioned and determined to advance the Kingdom of Heaven in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, and Palmetto, and wherever God sends us.
After the unexpected passing of our beloved founding pastor, John McIntyre, in 2021, we grieved — but we did not retreat. Pastor Gene McIntyre and her sister, Pastor Lacey Kramer, now boldly co-lead The Altar as a Spirit-led, Bible-preaching, inter-denominational church with a burning desire to see people encounter God and live transformed lives.
You are invited into the story. Whether you join us in person, request prayer online, or simply watch our services — you are part of The Altar family. If God is stirring you to support this mission or help reach the next generation, we promise — your investment in the Kingdom will not be wasted.
At The Altar, the needs of people and the majesty of God intersect — and there is always room for one more.
Click on the video below to learn more about our origin story.
What to Expect
Contemporary Worship. Expository Teaching. Authentic Community.
At The Altar Fellowship, you'll experience passionate worship, biblical teaching, and genuine relationships centered on pursuing God's presence and living out His Word. Our gatherings combine contemporary worship with verse-by-verse, expository Bible teaching that helps people understand Scripture in context and apply it to everyday life. We believe church should be more than a weekly event—it should be a place where people grow, belong, and encounter God in meaningful ways.
A Place for Every Season of Life
Whether you're a:
- Family looking for community
- Student or young professional seeking purpose
- New believer wanting to grow in your faith
- Longtime Christian hungry for deeper teaching
- Skeptic exploring faith and asking honest questions
You'll find a welcoming community where relationships matter and spiritual growth is encouraged.
Come As You Are
- You don't have to have all the answers.
- You don't have to have it all together.
- You don't have to pretend.
- Just bring your questions, your story, and your desire to grow.
Sisters in Faith. Partners in Ministry.
Pastors Gene and Lacey lead The Altar Fellowship with a shared commitment to biblical truth, Spirit-led ministry, and authentic community. As sisters by blood and partners in calling, they bring unique perspectives, complementary gifts, and a deep passion for helping people encounter God and grow in their faith.
Together, they are building a church where Scripture is taught with depth, lives are transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit, and people are equipped to live out their faith in everyday life.
Serving Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, and Palmetto, their heart is to strengthen families, develop future leaders, serve the community, and create spaces where people can experience God in a real and meaningful way.
Their vision is simple: help people know God, grow in truth, and become a light in their homes, workplaces, and communities.
In Loving Memory of John C. McIntyre
(1961–2021)
Let’s start like rebels: John didn’t like being called “Reverend.” He was simply John—a wonderful man, husband, father, brother, friend, pastor, and relentless truth-teller who loved God and people with his whole life.
Born August 1, 1961 in Madison, WI, John grew up in Pardeeville/Beaver Dam—playing sports, doing theater (Dr. Caius, no less), debating anyone brave enough, and perfecting the art of the good prank. He earned a degree in Director of Church Ministries from Concordia University, served as a CNA with deep compassion, pastored, and chaplained at Blake Memorial—showing up where pain lived and bringing hope.
At 19, after reviewing world religions like a careful scholar, John got honest with God on his mom’s couch and surrendered. From then on, he walked with Jesus—studying Scripture voraciously, serving with InterVarsity, and later ministering across churches and communities. He loved a good argument, welcomed door-to-door missionaries inside (game on), and pushed everyone to think, test, and truly know the Word.
With his beloved Gene (Lilia Geneva), whom he famously married “four times, no divorces,” John founded The Altar in their living room in 2008. Together—with Astrid Victoria and JC—they fed neighbors, sang carols door to door, crossed denominational lines, and kept the mission simple: “We love God. We change lives.”Â
John delighted in his children’s growth, wrote hundreds of love letters to Gene, and cheered Wisconsin sports like an Irish poet at a playoff game. He was fiercely thoughtful, funny, and faithful.
John stepped into the Heaven he trusted on September 2, 2021. We miss him deeply—and we carry the flame. The mission continues here at The Altar, with the same gritty love and clear Gospel he lived. And yes: we will see him again.
