Our Church Story
Our history of traditional worship, common prayer, and community service reflect our deep and diverse commitments to God and our neighbor.
A Rich Tradition of faith in henderson, texas
A History of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church
As the oil boom of the 1930s brought change and growth to the Piney Woods of East Texas, a small group of Henderson residents met in the home of Mr. and Mrs. W. Randolph Harris to establish a missionary outpost of the Houston-based Diocese of Texas. From the first service in 1934, St. Matthew's has been a place of faithful serenity, carrying and preserving the traditions of the Episcopal Church in Henderson and Rusk County.
In early years, parishioners met in homes, in the lobby of the Randolph Hotel in downtown Henderson, and at several other locations in town. St. Matthew's found a permanent home at 214 College Street in Henderson in 1947.
Eighteen rectors have attributed to the spiritual growth of St. Matthew's these past eight-plus years. On June 24th, 2007, The Reverend Patsy Barham was assigned Deacon-in-Charge of St. Matthew's, and on January 11th, 2008, was ordained as Priest-in-Charge and has been faithfully serving its congregation since.
Local Church with a Common Fellowship
St. Matthew's is a congregation within the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and the worldwide Anglican Communion, a global fellowship of eighty million Christians with a common theological tradition and history with the Church of England.
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