SAINT MATTHEW'S
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
36 NEW CANAAN RD
WILTON, CT 06897
THE RECTOR WE SEEK
About
St. Matthew’s is hoping for a priest who is warm, relational, spiritually deep, and an excellent preacher and communicator, who can lead collaboratively while engaging the wider community in creative, outward-facing ways of ministry.
Pastoral and relational qualities
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Warm and personable, one who genuinely enjoys and relates to all ages: adults, youth, children, and less devout seekers, not just those already committed in active participation through such metrics as pledging, regular worship attendance, or engagement in Sunday programs.
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Demonstrates real care for parishioners’ religious, social, and personal lives, including strong pastoral care for the grieving, the struggling, and those on the margins.
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Open-minded, non-judgmental, and a good listener who takes time to learn and incorporate St. Matthew’s history, traditions, and customs.
Spiritual depth and preaching
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Person of deep faith who can connect Christ’s teaching with contemporary issues, justice concerns, and daily life in a thoughtful, challenging, and hopeful way.
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Strong, engaging preacher: fresh perspectives, intellectually serious, spiritually grounded, vibrant and charismatic enough to attract and retain people.
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Able to challenge the congregation to grow as Christians (helping people discern how God may be calling them into action in the local or wider community).
Leadership and vision
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Confident, energetic leader who can cast a clear vision for how St. Matthew’s can survive and prosper, including realistic “plan B” thinking about viability.
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Comfortable delegating, collaborating, building up lay leadership, and avoiding micromanagement; sees leadership as community-building, not solo heroics.
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Willing to make tough decisions when needed, while maintaining trust and transparency.
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Pastoral skills to help members move from nostalgia of “what has been” to look to the future with excitement and energy.
Community and mission focused
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Sees the potential in the pews as well as in Wilton and surrounding areas to help the parish connect with social service agencies, other churches, and community institutions.
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Outward facing, personal presence: active in town life, schools, and events; willing to offer ministry beyond the building and beyond Sunday morning.
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Passionate about outreach, justice, and creating new ways of service, social gatherings, and worship that meets people where they are.
Style, gifts, and hopeful qualities
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Authentic, smart, creative, out-of-the-box, with a sense of humor and the ability to laugh at themselves as well as with us.
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Enjoys fellowship, values intergenerational life, supports children/youth/family ministry, and cares about music and existing partnerships (especially with Wilton Presbyterian Church).
In a February 2026 parish survey, three qualities stood out as being very important for our new rector to exhibit, with respondents "checking off" these categories:
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78% Preaching
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77% Liturgy / Worship
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77% Children & Families
WHAT WE OFFER OUR NEW RECTOR
St. Matthew’s can offer our new rector a devoted, welcoming congregation, strong and dedicated leaders, and a genuine opportunity to lead renewal and creative change in a vibrant community.
A committed, caring congregation
We are warm, loving, loyal parishioners who care about faith, one another, and doing God’s work. We will partner with and support our rector’s leadership. A core group of thoughtful, educated, involved lay leaders are ready to take responsibility, experiment, and get behind efforts to grow the church and St. Matthew’s visibility in Wilton and the wider community.
Strong physical and local assets
We have an attractive, well-cared for physical plant: beautiful sanctuary, excellent organ, flexible space for worship and gatherings, and a large, newly updated rectory (pictured below) nearby (but not next door). Wilton is a family-oriented town with quality schools, healthcare, and easy access to New York City, the Connecticut coast, parks like the Norwalk River Valley Trail and Weir Farm National Historical Park, and scenic New England roads within a vibrant, affluent, educated community. Wilton has recently been named one of the top ten communities in Connecticut to live in (Travel & Leisure, February 2026).
A community with ecumenical and interfaith connections
Wilton is a town with opportunities for interfaith and community collaboration, including an active inter faith group which St. Matthew’s is a key, founding member. Wilton is home to a Roman Catholic church, Congregational church, non-denominational church, Quaker Meeting House, Reformed Jewish Synagogue, Hindu temple, a small Muslim community, and a new Church of Latter-Day Saints. Our established partnership with Wilton Presbyterian Church, offers collegial relationships, shared ministry possibilities, and peer support for the rector.
Real opportunity for impact and renewal
We feel we are in a turnaround or build something new period: we are a functional but challenged parish that is open about being in transition and eager to try new ways of worship, community, and outreach. We can offer members who are ready to create change in a community that admits it has been relatively docile and now wants to be active, innovative, and more deeply connected to Wilton and beyond.
Trust, warmth, and a shared life
We have a reputation––even among non members––for being warm, inviting, and musically strong, with a robust choir and lively Sunday worship life. Our parish community loves each other, offers sincere trust and support, and wants our new rector not only to serve with us but to find a true home and a place to grow spiritually and vocationally themselves as well.
Let's discern the future together!