Who We Are
About St. Matthew's
St. Matthew's is a casual, informal and welcoming group of believers, who agree that all things come from God. In that knowledge we seek to manifest the love of Christ through worship, justice and community, and to invite all children of God into our communion. We strive to create a comfortable atmosphere where everyone feels invited and loved.
The Episcopal Church
Like all Christians, we believe in and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death and resurrection saved the world.
We believe that God loves you–no exceptions.
The Episcopal Church embraces a legacy of inclusion, aspiring to tell and exemplify God’s love for every human being; people of all genders and sexual orientations serve as bishops, priests and deacons in our church. Laypeople and clergy work together in leadership and governance, which means the people in the pews on Sunday morning take active leadership roles in their churches and the diocese.
Episcopalians talk a lot about the via media, or the middle way. Some people think of us as the center point between Roman Catholics and Protestants (like Lutherans or Methodists) in terms of how we worship and what we believe. We unite ancient traditions with radical welcome for all people, just as they are. We actively work toward racial reckoning, justice and healing, and we care about the environment and our effect on it.
Generally, our church buildings and worship services look traditional, with wooden pews, stained glass and organ music, but you will also find churches in modern buildings full of natural light or worshipping in nontraditional spaces, like a school gymnasium.
Most congregations celebrate the Holy Eucharist, or Communion, every Sunday. Episcopal services follow the Book of Common Prayer, so when we worship together in a local church, we are also saying the same prayers and hearing the same scripture as people all around the world.
The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina
The Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina includes 49,000 people gathered into 105 congregations and 10 campus ministries throughout 38 counties in the central part of North Carolina, from Iredell County to Edgecombe County, and from Caswell County to Scotland County.
Our vision as a diocese is to be a community of disciples committed to following Jesus Christ into the dream of God for us and for all creation, in Becoming Beloved Community.
Our mission is simple: Empowered by the Holy Spirit, the Diocese of North Carolina seeks to live God’s dream by making disciples and making a difference. We do so by practicing The Way of Love and building joyful congregations and other communities of faith into Becoming Beloved Community, centered on the Gospel, in the communion of The Episcopal Church. We go forth, as apostles, to offer God’s reconciling love to all persons, with special concerns for the unchurched, young people and those on the margins of society.
Priests
The Revs. Bob Cook and Dan Wall are our regular supply priests and typically celebrate Holy Eucharist with us on the second and fourth Sundays of the month, respectively.
