The founding of any new Christian Community is many things: a realization of need, vision, hard work, dedication; but most of all it is a miracle of new birth – a new life within the body of Christ – with all the attendant joys, excitement and challenges of new life as it grows and matures.
Rapidly growing Chesterfield County presented such a need. And so, in early 1995 The Venerable Michael R Murphy, Archdeacon of the Diocese with the support of the Department of Mission and then bishop The Rt. Rev Frank H. Vest, Jr. began efforts to establish a mission in the Courthouse area of the county. During that summer a sign was placed on property owned by the Diocese on Beach Road, flyers were distributed, meetings were held with area clergy and lay people to determine interest and on December 24, 1995 the miracle began.
Permission was obtained to hold the services at the Historic Courthouse on Route 10, the first service held on Christmas Eve and St. Matthew’s was born. At the next annual Council of the Diocese in February of 1996 the infant mission was recognized with The Rev. Murphy as its Founding Vicar and Ruth LeFevre as the Bishop’s Warden. Thanks to their combined efforts the Fall Council of the Diocese in September of that year accepted St. Matthew’s as an organized mission and the tiny mission’s first baby steps were realized.
“There is a sense of joy and discovery here”
St. Matthew’s continued to grow. From just a handful at its first service by the summer of 1997 the mission’s membership had increased to fifteen families. Bishop Vest appointed The Rev Martha L. Jenkins to be the new Vicar in July. One of the early decisions made by the people of St. Matthew’s was to be a eucharistically-centered church and to serve people without a church home.
“I was looking for a traditional service. The warmth of this community keeps our entire family coming each Sunday”
Throughout 1999 growth and change at St. Matthew’s continued. It was during this period the young mission became very adept at moving. While the Historic Courthouse was temporarily closed for renovation we worshiped nearby at the former Methodist church owned by the County and then Castlewood owned by the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia. Little did we realize that our frequent journeys would lead us to strongly identify with the desert wanderings of Moses and the Israelites!
By the fall of that year we had outgrown Castlewood and returned to the Historic Courthouse now restored to its 1920’s grandeur. Alas, the heightened ceilings, now bare wood floors and a happy influx of young children necessitated action in order to enable clarity of sound. Just at this time the F&M bank building on Ironbridge Road became available. So we moved again – for the fourth time in less than a year.
We were elated! This move finally enabled us to have all church activities under one roof. The building provided worship space for approximately 80 people, a nursery area, kitchen, an office and meeting space. Additionally, the existing sign on Ironbridge Road afforded us the ability to advertise our presence and within a few short months our membership doubled.
Yet, once again we were forced to “take to the road” in 2000 when the building was sold. However, a search of the area revealed an opportunity to contract space with the nearby YMCA Camp Thunderbird located just off Courthouse Road. This idyllic setting has provided many wonderful memories for the St. Matthew’s family and was our last “temporary” home.
“This community gave me the refuge I was seeking.”
In May 2007 we broke ground for a permanent church home on Beach Road. We worshipped there for the first time on February 3, 2008. We now have permanent space for worship, a nursery, Sunday school rooms, kitchen and gathering area. Truly, we have learned that God pays for what God wants, as Mother Theresa said.
We archived another milestone when the congregation voted to petition the diocese to become an independent parish, a step up from our previous mission status. The petition was approved and on February 2, 2008 many members of the congregation traveled to Williamsburg to Annual Council, where our parish status was recognized and celebrated.
“There is a feeling and closeness that attracts one to St. Matthew’s.”
We have developed as an informal, open and welcoming community and consider our real gift to be that of hospitality. Although varying in form, our worship tends toward the traditional. We continue to grow and welcome all who desire to worship with us and to feel the comfort and strength of this very special community.
“God’s Holy Spirit is with us no matter where we congregate.”
As St. Matthew’s has matured we have continued through the leading of the Holy Spirit to discover ways to glorify God and find ways do His work as a community.
We extend a warm welcome especially to those who may be new or visiting in the Richmond area. We invite you to join the St. Matthew’s Community in the celebration of God’s love and discover for yourself your role in God’s emerging plan as the miracle continues.
The Story of our Cross
Every community has events that define their character. This is one of ours.
An Address to the Congregation
of
St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church
Chesterfield, Virginia
Yesterday some of us traveled to Hampton to be present at the Consecration of David Conner Bane, Jr. as our Bishop Coadjutor.
There are 123 congregations in this Diocese and we are the newest of the new. As such we do not have many of the trappings of the larger, longer established churches.
All of us were instructed to bring a banner to carry in the procession. St. Matthew’s does not have a banner, so we were told to bring our processional cross. With a deep gulp we looked at our small, wooden, handmade cross and said “Since it will be an honor for Brandon and all of us at St. Matthew’s to be a part of this great occasion- why not?”
In this procession, in this great ceremony, there were many trappings of the church- banners large and elaborate, and crosses so heavy with gold and silver that we wondered how some of them could be movable.
I have had the good fortune to meet David Bane. He struck me as a man with great compassion, a well developed sense of joy, and a love for the tradition and the services that we use when we come together to worship our God.
This great procession into this holy place yesterday was so large that it was divided into four parts. It would take the singing of the entire hymn “I bind unto myself this day the strong Name of the Trinity” for all the assorted officials, priests, deacons, bishops, banners, etc. to make their way down the center isle.
The young man chosen by David Bane on this, the holiest day of his of his priesthood thus far, the most photographed, watched and planned day, was a young man who often did this at Christ Church, Dayton, Ohio. David Bane did not pick the handsomest of the handsome or the strongest of the strong. He selected a young man disabled and confined to a wheelchair. And as those in charge lined up this huge procession, it was discovered that there was a problem – these large, heavy, much decorated crosses were all too cumbersome for this young man.
So Brandon McMackin was asked to carry a cross that this morning sits in one of our large, well-appointed, grand sister parishes; and as is only fitting for such a grand cross, he led the second group in this procession. Our small, humble, wooden, handmade cross in the hands of this young man in a wheelchair led the banners, crosses, clergy and bishops into this holy space.
And I think God for the way in which He teaches us all lessons.
Ruth LeFevre, Bishop’s Warden
September 7, 1997
History
11919 Beach Road
Chesterfield, VA 23838
804-790-1211
