SAINT MATTHEW'S
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
36 NEW CANAAN RD
WILTON, CT 06897
WELCOME
We warmly welcome you to St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church. No matter who you are––whatever you believe, whether you come from far away or near––everyone is welcome in this faith community. Whether you are believers or know not what to believe––if you be hopeful or those without hope—if you are bold or bashful, uplifted by your dreams or weighted by your nightmares––you are welcome and shall be warmly embraced and cherished.
St. Matthew’s has a century’s old legacy of bearing witness to the living God—Jesus—who overcoming envy, malice, and greed shows that God’s love is stronger even than humankind’s indifference to humility, integrity, and wonder.
These days we endeavor to make a difference, in the hearts and lives of this community of faith, as well as the wider community and world beyond. We invite you to enter in to discover what Christ may have in store for you and your family.
Come for worship. Come for fellowship. Simply come!
The Reverend John H. Branson, Interim Rector
WHO WE ARE
St. Matthew’s is a vibrant community built on the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ, fellowship, and family in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Here, everyone is welcome, no matter where one may be on their spiritual journey. We cherish intergenerational relationships and provide a safe place for all.
We are open-minded, accepting, and inclusive as together we seek to learn and grow in our faith. We encourage questioning and inquisitiveness within our supportive and prayerful atmosphere. With a strong sense of mission and history, we are worship-centered first and foremost. We uphold our Episcopal roots while stretching ourselves in new ways and are open to new ideas and creative experiences.
Music is an important part of St. Matthew's as exhibited by our dedicated choir at all worship services and other special concerts during the year, including all ages who wish to participate. We host The Arts at St. Matthew's throughout the year with guest musicians, choirs, and singers who acclaim the wonderful acoustics of our sanctuary.
Our church is a place where spiritual formation and education programs of learning, discussion, and action are offered for all ages. Children and youth are seen and heard; they are valued members of our community. Safety and welcoming are paramount; all of our leadership and those who minister with young people and serve on the Pastoral Care team are trained in safe-church practices in accordance with The Episcopal Church in Connecticut.
We enjoy fun fellowship, events, and activities; we don't take ourselves too seriously. We laugh a lot, fostering a spiritual and creative atmosphere. Our community is passionate about all that we do. We believe in having a physical presence in the greater community, going out into the world to make a difference. We host various events that brings the wider community together such as Rise Against Hunger and participate in Wilton Pride every year. We are generous with our time and talents as we partner with many local non-profit agencies through our mission initiatives all year long.
We strive to be good stewards of the world God has given us, taking care of our environment. To that end, in February 2026 energy efficient fixtures and bulbs were upgraded throughout the building, resulting in significant energy and dollar savings. St. Matthew's also applied to the State of Connecticut for permission to install a solar energy system. If accepted, installation will begin late spring or early summer 2026. The Social Justice team also encourages parishioners to bring their own coffee mugs for coffee hour to reduce the use of paper cups.
Join us on our journey of faith, where community, worship, music, and pastoral care are at the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to the future, standing strong in perseverance and resilience while facing challenges and embracing growth together.
Welcome to your spiritual home.
You belong, no exceptions.
Our History
1802
The Founding of the Wilton Historical Society
1815-1819
On June 21, 1802, a notice was posted for the organization of an Episcopal Society in Wilton. Fifty-five families and six unmarried people, most who were already members of St. Paul’s in Norwalk, were the signatories. Their first meeting was held on July 1 to elect officers and December 20, 1802, it was decided to build a church structure on a plot of land (50’ by 65’ plot) owned by Captain Samuel Belden across from his tavern (Old Highway Road).
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church established
Once the church had been built, the Wilton Episcopal Society voted to free its ties to St. Paul’s in December 1815, terminating their sharing of a rector. St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church on Danbury Road was consecrated by the Right Reverend John Hobart, Bishop of New York and Connecticut on August 18, 1819.
1971
St. Matthew's builds and moves to its current location
Outgrowing its building on Rt. 7 (Danbury Rd), St. Matthew's began a joint venture with Wilton Presbyterian Church called Wilton Episcopal Presbyterian Corporation (WEPCO) and built a new sanctuary on its current site at 36 New Canaan Road in Wilton.
Recent Rectors (and Interims)
In total there have been 40+ rectors, associates, or priests-in-charge over the course of St. Matthew's history.
1994-2000 The Rev. William Sachs
2000-2001 The Rev. Canon Curtis Zimmerman (Interim)
2002 The Rev. Hugh Tudor-Foley (Interim)
2002-2016 The Rev. Mary Grace Williams
2017-2018 The Rev. Alon White (Interim)
2018-2025 The Rev. Marissa Rohrbach
2025-Present. The Rev. John H. Branson (Interim)
The Witness Stones Project
Beginning in October 2021, St. Matthew’s began to explore how we might engage with The Witness Stones Project as one avenue of exploring our church’s complicity with racism since the church’s founding in 1802. We recognized that during the 17th and 18th century many individuals, including clergy in local communities, had enslaved others – Indigenous and African. Read more about what we learned and how we celebrated the installation of our first Witness Stone to commemorate John C. Wally at the Wilton Historical Society where his stone is now placed. Read about our Witness Stones' Project here and St. Matthew's early history here.
WEPCO
Our History and Unique Partnership
Beginning in 1864, and for more than 100 years, St. Matthew's worshipped in a lovely stone church still located on Route 7 near the Wilton Town Hall. By the 1960’s, however, St. Matthew’s had outgrown that church and began examining opportunities for a new church home. At the same time, Wilton’s Presbyterian congregation was worshipping in borrowed facilities and exploring possibilities for a permanent church home. Under the leadership of our Rector, the Rev. Roger O. Douglas, long considered a progressive thinker, the Wilton Episcopal Presbyterian Corporation (WEPCO) was formed and we embarked on a unique partnership with our Presbyterian neighbors and friends in 1971.
The WEPCO joint venture grew out of a time when ecumenism was at the forefront of Christian thought. It was also seen as a way that the two congregations could have separate sanctuaries, while sharing resources and the expenses of staff and space. The two congregations share a campus of ten acres as a condominium association. The Presbyterian and Episcopal sanctuaries are owned by the respective individual churches. Everything else is held in common and managed by a WEPCO Board of Directors. This Board is comprised of an equal number of Presbyterians and Episcopalians. The common ownership includes offices, classrooms, meeting rooms, a kitchen, and Parish Hall, as well as the outside grounds and parking lot.
While the WEPCO complex is the physical manifestation of this partnership, its spiritual aspects run much deeper. Through periodic joint worship services and shared community events, all of our parishioners gain increased understanding and appreciation for different ways of worshiping Christ and living in Christian community. Our Church School (K-7) is a shared effort, with all our children gathering to learn and play together on a Sunday morning which leads to lasting friendships and wonderful memories.
The WEPCO partnership requires commitment, compromise, and is, at times,
complex. Our parish strongly embraces the partnership, and believes that
in strengthening the partnership, we will strengthen and build our St.
Matthew’s parish as well. Our clergy and the pastors of Wilton Presbyterian
Church (WPC) are colleagues and enjoy working together. They participate
in the Wilton Clergy Association and are always looking for new ways to
collaborate.
Contact Chris Perry who is one of St. Matthew’s members who serves
on the WEPCO Board for more information.
You can learn about the WEPCO facility and how it is available for
community use or rental here or contact Donna Savage, the Director of
WEPCO.
