SAINT MATTHEW'S
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
36 NEW CANAAN RD
WILTON, CT 06897
Journey with Us
"God of new beginnings, we thank you for our church and the future that lies before us. Guide us in our search, that we may see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and sense your guidance in our hearts. Help us, O God, to trust in what we cannot yet see, and walk with us every step of the way. In the name of Christ we pray. Amen"
Welcome
We are glad you are here! Within these pages are the hopes (and challenges) of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church. We are presenting our selves to you as honestly and transparently as we can as we seek a new rector to minister alongside us in Wilton, Connecticut. Let us discern the future together!
Serving God and neighbor
through worship, prayer, and faithful living.
Who We Are
St. Matthew’s is a welcoming Episcopal community dedicated to sharing the love and teachings of Jesus Christ through worship, spiritual growth, and compassionate service. Rooted in prayer and the sacraments, we seek to support one another and our neighbors—locally and beyond—by living out the Gospel in meaningful, tangible ways. Our mission is to be a spiritual home where all people can encounter God’s presence, strengthen faith, and serve the world with kindness.
How We Worship
Worship is liturgical and musically rich, traditional in format and broad-church in tone; typically experienced as The Holy Eucharist, Rite II on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (on site and online) with choir and organ using The Book of Common Prayer (1979) or Enriching Our Worship, The Hymnal 1982, LEVAS, and WLP. Occasionally the Eucharist is sung which the congregation enjoys. A high value is placed on preaching that connects scripture to daily life and today’s world through thoughtful, challenging sermons. A worship bulletin with lessons and the entire service (minus Hymnal 1982) are available at each service.
How We Live Our Faith in Action
St. Matthew’s lives out its faith through generous service, mutual care, and active engagement with the wider community, even as people wrestle with what long term, boots on the ground commitment looks like today. Even with smaller numbers and worries about financial pressures, members remain deeply committed, sharing time, talent, and treasure to sustain the parish and to keep finding new ways to put faith into action. Our desire is to be even more involved in our community through mission and action.
How We Learn and Grow in Faith
St. Matthew’s learns and grows in faith through worship, relationships, and a range of formal and informal formation opportunities, though children’s and youth ministry are areas of concern and hope. Our formation programs for children and youth (except confirmation preparation) are done jointly with Wilton Presbyterian Church (WPC). Our adult programs tend to be lay led by several volunteers but are often in collaboration with clergy.
Our Hope for the Future
St. Matthew’s hopes for a future that is spiritually vibrant, numerically stronger, more outward facing, and clearly grounded in Christ’s love and mission. Even before COVID-19 we were beginning to see a drop in engagement and attendance from what had been a very large multi-generational congregation, known for its strong Church School and youth programming. We now find ourselves smaller in numbers but stronger in our dedication to following Jesus’s call to love God and love neighbor while growing in our faith and proclaiming the Gospel.
The Rector We Seek
St. Matthew’s is hoping for a priest who is warm, relational, spiritually deep, an excellent preacher and communicator, and one who can lead collaboratively while engaging the wider community in creative, outward-facing ways of ministry. And we 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.
The Context in Which We Live
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 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).
Join Us on a Journey Together
Direct us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, and further us with your continual help; that in all our works begun, continued, and ended in you, we may glorify your holy Name, and finally, by your mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.