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 Check it out, there is some cool information and historical documents.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 serves as pastor of St. Matthew’s.
1953 – 1956
Pastor Norman Forde serves as the mission developer for St. Matthew’s.
1963 – 1968
Pastor Kenneth Ribe serves as pastor of St. Matthew’s.
1966
Groundbreaking for the sanctuary and orignal classroom wing took place.
1968 – 1972
Pastor Gary Anderson serves 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 serves as pastor of St. Matthew’s.
Nov 3rd, 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. It is intended for the cross window to be installed within our building when funds are available.
1977 – 2000
Pastor Terry Boggs serves 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 Win-Dixie grocery store just a few blocks down the street.
1988 – 1991
Pastor William Irons serves as associate pastor of St. Matthew’s.
Nov 24th, 1991
Striving to better proclaim love for all God’s Children, St. Matthew’s Becomes 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 serves as associate pastor of St. Matthew’s.
1998 – 2002
Pastor Jenny Stephenson serves as Pastoral Resident and then Associate Pastor of St. Matthew’s.
2000 – 2002
Pastor Bernie Kern serves as interim pastor of St. Matthew’s.
2000 – 2002
Pastor Vince Nelson serves as interim pastor of St. Matthew’s.
2002 – 2006
Pastor Gordon Roesch serves as pastor of St. Matthew’s.
2003
St. Matthew’s adopts 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 Norman Forde serves as the Pastor Craig Erickson serves as interim pastor of St. Matthew’s.
July 1st, 2007 – July 1st, 2018
Pastor Michael Masterson serves as pastor of St. Matthew’s.
2008 – Aug 2nd, 2015
Associate in Ministry Jolene Webster serves St. Matthew’s as Director of Music Ministries.
May 12th, 2014 – March 2020
John Parsons serves as the Director of Youth and Family Ministries.
April 19th, 2015
St. Matthew’s Coucil adopts the use of a simplified version of the pervious logo along with a new branding strategy.
2015 – July 27th, 2018
Emily Davis serves as Director of Music Ministries.
September 20th, 2016
After a year of preparation, St. Matthew’s Launches it’s Ready, Set, Go! Tutoring Center with 24 elementary age kids coming for tutoring and mentoring.
Aug 15th, 2018 – Sep 1st, 2019
Pastor Phil Geleske serves as Interim Pastor of St. Matthew’s.
Oct 28th, 2018 – Present
Adam Frame serves as Director of Music Ministries.
September 4th, 2019
The Children’s Community Choir @ St. Matthew’s re-launches.
September 15th, 2019 – March 2020
Pr. Donna Wright serves as Bridge Interim Pastor of St. Matthew’s, as they enter the final stages of calling a new pastor.