History of Saint Matthew’s Churches

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever, Amen” (Eph. 3:20, 21).

We are a Community of Faith “Rooted in the Historic Christian Tradition”

Saint Matthew’s Churches takes its name from the first Gospel in the New Testament. Because Saint Matthew’s is ecumenical, we welcome people from all faiths. Our members come from diverse backgrounds within Christ’s Holy Church. This has given us a deep love and appreciation, as well as indebtedness to the historic branches of the Church, among whom are the Anglican, Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Reformed branches of the Church. From these, Saint Matthew’s has drawn several spiritual practices. It is our most sincere desire always to honor and respect each of the great branches of the Church that have emerged through history.

Over the last several years, Christians have been drawn to identify more deeply with the Church as a whole. This has resulted in many Churches around the world wanting to live in the fullness of Christ’s Church. Although it is not an exhaustive list, the following are some of the common elements that many Christians have recommitted themselves to.

1. 1. A restored commitment to the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion.
   2. An increased motivation to know more about the early church.
   3. A love for the whole Church and a desire to see the Church as one.
   4. The blending of the different streams and gifts that each branch of the Church may bring.
   5. An interest in integrating structure while maintaining freedom in worship.
   6. A greater involvement of sign and symbol in worship.
   7. A continuing commitment to personal salvation, biblical teaching, and the work and ministry of the Holy Spirit.

While Saint Matthew’s is ecumenical, our identity is deeply rooted in the Historic Christian Tradition. Our services are informed and shaped by many of these traditions, which have helped Christians maintain the beauty and dignity of Christian worship for hundreds of years.

In matters of faith and practice, Saint Matthew’s recognizes many of the doctrinal texts, which have historically guided Christians from many backgrounds. This includes our affirmation of the sufficiency of the Scriptures as containing all things necessary to salvation. We affirm the spirit of the Historic Christian creeds that have served as a statement of faith for those holding to those traditions since the earliest of times. At Saint Matthew’s we believe that the living core of the Christian faith was revealed in Scripture, illumined by tradition, strengthened in personal experience, and confirmed by reason.

At Saint Matthew’s we are in harmony with the mainstream of Christian tradition. While it is true that the foundation of our worship is shaped by the Historic Christian Tradition, as an ecumenical community of faith, we never want to build fences that exclude anyone who loves and serves our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Rather, our aim is to unite the best from all Christian traditions that will provide a biblical and positive witness to a hurting world.

A Bit of History About Saint Matthew’s Churches

In 1951, Saint Matthew’s Churches Ministry was founded by fifteen born again Christians. For two years the founding ministers served as associates with other churches throughout the United States. They cleaned sanctuaries, cut grass, painted, and repaired church buildings, taught Sunday School, and worked on missionary projects. They assisted pastors in making house calls to the poor and elderly, making hospital calls to the sick and dying, going from door to door inviting people to attend church. We often tell new people that we meet, “If they meet us and forget us, they have lost nothing, but if they meet Jesus and forget Him, they have lost everything.” We must remember that the Bible speaks about the importance of knowing Jesus in the past, present, and future, when it says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8).

Two years later (1953), after much sincere prayer and careful thought the founders concluded that the time had come to open Saint Matthew’s first interdenominational church. This small group of families of different Christian faiths opened this ministry’s first church in San Antonio, Texas with 100 members. Thus, the first local church was established. The order of the services included teaching, singing, praying, and preaching the Gospel. The Sunday evening service consisted of music and a youth service, along with a regular church service. Bible study was held on Wednesday evenings, and a special youth service on Friday evenings. Special missionary or evangelical services were held three times annually. From time to time the church had visiting ministers conduct services.

In 1957, the decision was reached to launch an international ministry. Saint Matthew’s ministers and their families were invited to conduct worship services at churches in various cities throughout the world and traveled extensively to conduct those services. While some of the ministers were on the road, others, especially those with young children, stayed in San Antonio and worked at the local church. Occasionally, several of the ministers traveled outside the US to participate in missionary endeavors. Notably, winning lost souls to Jesus Christ is Saint Matthew’s true calling and lifelong mission.

When this ministry first began, its ministers preached Christ’s Gospel at any location they could, including churches, parks, rented halls, gospel church tents, on a courthouse square, street corners, and going door to door. We did so to tell this simple message, “We are here to tell people that Jesus Christ died on the cross for all of our sins. Anyone can know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and can have eternal life in Heaven. Why not trade something we are going to lose anyway for something we can never lose – Eternal Life?” The Bible says, “If we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in our heart that God has raised Him from the dead, we will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Rom. 10:9,10).

For many decades, Saint Matthew’s conducted church revival services in almost every state and most major cities across America. When we first began in the early 1950’s our congregations were small and would consist of less than 100 members. However, over several decades, when we had citywide church revivals, members attended by the thousands. Some of our church revivals would have a few thousand members in attendance with three church services each day – the news spread by word of mouth from one family to another. And, at some church revivals, 10,000 to 20,000 church members would attend with their Bibles, pens, and notebooks to study. Now, in place of the huge revivals across America, the Church mails free home missionary sermon letters, books, and Bible study material. This Gospel literature is about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’s saving grace, and is sent directly to our church members’ homes, giving them the opportunity to study and fit it into their busy schedules.

Saint Matthew’s is not built upon a particular clergy’s personality. If that were the case, when that minister dies, the church would die. This ministry always has several clergy performing ministerial duties, from preaching and teaching the Gospel, to visiting those in need, and encouraging youth. Saint Matthew’s is a living church, full of excitement, telling the world that it is simple to find salvation through Jesus Christ, according to the Holy Scriptures. As a Christian church, we preach that no matter who a person may be, Jesus loves them.

Saint Matthew’s Churches is a church, not a charity – a charity raises money for causes. Saint Matthew’s gives people the opportunity to worship God with their tithes and offerings, which in turn, enables us to continue spreading the Gospel. Here are several scriptures about giving to God’s work – “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try me now in this…if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it” (Mal. 3:10). “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). “My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).

Saint Matthew’s Churches and Baptism

Based on the Scriptures, we teach that everyone who accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior should be baptized (if they are able). Jesus said, “…Be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with…” (Matt. 20:23); also, He gave this Great Commission, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). When the Church first began, in 1951, the ministers and members would gather at rivers and lakes to conduct our church baptisms, but now the Church has baptisteries and conducts the services inside churches. This old photograph is a representation of one of Saint Matthew’s founding ministers baptizing in a local river. During the first three months of establishing Saint Matthew’s Churches, in the early 1950’s, approximately sixty-five people came to Christ for salvation, and the ministers took them to a river like this and baptized them. We can just hear people singing that old hymn, “Shall we gather at the river.” Those were wonderful times, but some people can’t get to a church service for various reasons; the Lord understands if they are not able to be baptized. That is why we send the Gospel message directly to them, so they won’t miss out on what God has for them. Our mission is to take the Gospel directly to people, where they are at, so they can share in this blessed hope.

Our Foundation is built on the Gospel of Jesus Christ

From the very beginning, Saint Matthew’s Churches has been active in publishing, giving out, and mailing the Gospel free of charge. We do this in accordance with the Gospel according to Mark 13:10, “And the Gospel must first be published among all nations.” As funds have been made available, we have conducted church services and mailed out increasing numbers of Gospel literature to win more lost souls to Christ.

Saint Matthew’s Churches has always been an interdenominational church, reaching all people. We understand Galatians 3:27,28 and Isaiah 56:7 to mean that none are excluded from the plan of God for the salvation of the soul and the fellowship of assembly. “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:27,28). “For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people” (Isaiah 56:7).

Since Saint Matthew’s inception its ministers have busied themselves with publishing and proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ to as many men and women as possible through the most efficient means of communication known to us. The offerings received by Saint Matthew’s are put back into publishing God’s Word and sending it free of charge from door-to-door to tell people about God’s love like the apostles did (Acts 20:20). Our intent is to do all within our power to reach men and women throughout the world as God opens the doors for us to do so.

Saint Matthew’s has been built largely by word of mouth. Its members love the church, and send in names and addresses of friends, family, businesses, other churches, pastors, missionaries, and priests whom they want added to the prayer list. If people want their names removed from the church’s list, they are removed promptly.

The church does not charge for anything. All Bible teachings, home Bible study courses, and publications are sent free of charge. The money received in free-will offerings is put back into publishing the Gospel. As Saint Matthew’s Churches celebrates over seventy years of church ministry, its plans are to continue preaching and publishing the gospel for another century, or until our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, returns in the clouds of glory to call His children home (1 Thess. 4:15,16).