Since the birth of the church, people have been gathering to share the good news of the love of God in Christ Jesus, to break bread together, to welcome both neighbor and stranger and to attend to the needs of the community. For 80 years, St. Matthew's UMC has been making a positive impact in the Garden Oaks & Independence Heights communities.
St. Matthew’s was established as a Mission in the 1940s. The very first service was held August 1, 1943 in the Garden Oaks Civic Club Building on 34th Street; led by Rev. Eldon R. Koerner appointed as its first Pastor. The Mission was officially organized on August 29, 1943, taking on the name of Garden Oaks Methodist Church, where 80 people were received into membership. In 1947, the congregation voted to change the name to St. Matthew’s Methodist Church and moved from the Civic Club Building to the first unit of our new home at 4300 N. Shepherd Dr. In 1968, the Methodist and United Brethren Churches became The United Methodist Church, thus, our current name of St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church.
St. Matthew’s is located at 4300 N. Shepherd Rd at the corner of Crosstimbers. Our mission is, “To make disciples of Christ for transformation of the world to the glory of God.” We live into this statement through genuine worship on Sunday morning and welcoming people from all walks of life into our doors. St. Matthew’s also offers a vibrant preschool program, a monthly community breakfast, and weekly gatherings for seniors.
COVID-19 brought its share of challenges to communities throughout the world and St. Matthew’s was no exception. Therefore, in response to the challenge of gathering in person, we launched online worship in 2020 and continue to make worshiping online a viable option for persons who are homebound or unable to come in person for whatever reason. Our goal is to continue to grow in making the church accessible to more and more individuals, for we know that God is accessible to all.
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