St. Matthew’s has a wonderful and vibrant history of proclaiming love in the Wedgwood area stretching all the way back 1952! Below is a historical timeline of the major milestones in the life of the St. Matthew’s community. Check it out, there is some cool information and historical documents.
1957 – 1959
Pastor Gerhard Weise served as pastor of St. Matthew’s.
1953 – 1956
Pastor Norman Forde served as the mission developer for St. Matthew’s.
1963 – 1968
Pastor Kenneth Ribe served as pastor of St. Matthew’s.
1966
Groundbreaking for the sanctuary and original classroom wing took place.
1968 – 1972
Pastor Gary Anderson served as pastor of St. Matthew’s.
1970
St. Matthew’s became a self-sustaining church.
1971
St. Matthew’s elected its first female president of the congregation, Shirley Bennett.
1973 – 1977
Pastor Robert Doxey served as pastor of St. Matthew’s.
November 1974
St. Matthew’s swirling colored glass windows are dedicated. Removed from the sanctuary during the 1983-84 remodel, the windows now reside in the narthex and are able to be lighted from behind. The colored glass cross window, formerly at the entrance to the sanctuary before the remodel, was thought to be lost but was discovered in 2015 safe and intact.
1977 – 2000
Pastor Terry Boggs served as pastor of St. Matthew’s, overseeing two building expansions, the designation of St. Matthew’s as a RIC Congregation and St. Matthew’s involvement in the starting of the parachurch ministry Allied Communities of Tarrant.
1984
The sanctuary is renovated to allow for worship in the round and the fellowship hall is built. During the renovations Sunday Moring Worship was held at the Winn-Dixie grocery store just a few blocks down the street.
1988 – 1991
Pastor William Irons served as associate pastor of St. Matthew’s.
November 1991
Striving to better proclaim love for all God’s Children, St. Matthew’s became the first Reconciling in Christ congregation in the DFW area.
1993
The church building is again expanded, adding much needed space for our youth and music ministries, along with new office space.
1997 – 1998
Pastor Janet Miller served as associate pastor of St. Matthew’s.
1998 – 2002
Pastor Jenny Stephenson served as Pastoral Resident and then Associate Pastor of St. Matthew’s.
2000 – 2002
Pastor Bernie Kern served as interim pastor of St. Matthew’s.
2000 – 2002
Pastor Vince Nelson served as interim pastor of St. Matthew’s.
2002 – 2006
Pastor Gordon Roesch served as pastor of St. Matthew’s.
2003
St. Matthew’s adopted a new logo and “Proclaiming the love of God for all People” as it’s new slogan, building on its legacy of proclaiming love in the Wedgwood area.
2006 – 2007
Pastor Craig Erickson served as interim pastor of St. Matthew’s.
July 2007 – July 2018
Pastor Michael Masterson served as pastor of St. Matthew’s.
2008 – August 2015
Associate in Ministry Jolene Webster served St. Matthew’s as Director of Music Ministries.
May 2014 – March 2020
John Parsons served as the Director of Youth and Family Ministries.
April 2015
St. Matthew’s Council adopted the use of a simplified version of the pervious logo along with a new branding strategy.
2015 – July, 2018
Emily Davis served as Director of Music Ministries.
September 2016
After a year of preparation, St. Matthew’s launched it’s Ready, Set, Go! Tutoring Center with 24 elementary age kids coming for tutoring and mentoring.
August 2018 – August 2019
Pastor Phil Geleske served as Interim Pastor of St. Matthew’s.
October 2018 – Present
Adam Frame serves as Director of Music Ministries.
September 2019
The Children’s Community Choir @ St. Matthew’s was re-launched.
September 2019 – March 2020
Pr. Donna Wright served as Bridge Interim Pastor of St. Matthew’s, as we enter the final stages of calling a new pastor.
April 2020 – February 2025
Pr. Lesley Radius serves as pastor of St. Matthew’s.
Worship Space Design
When St. Matthew’s redesigned our worship space, we considered how the entire community might be an active part of worship.