Episcopal life in Madison started in the mid-1980s with the Church of Our Savior. It didn’t last long, but it helped the Diocese learn what an Episcopal church would need to grow in this fast-changing area.
St. Matthew’s began in 1991, led by the Rev. Michael Cleckler with help from the Church of the Nativity and the Diocese of Alabama. At first, the congregation worshiped wherever space was available, until volunteers turned a warehouse into the first sanctuary. From the beginning, St. Matthew’s was shaped by strong lay leaders, solid formation programs, and a genuinely warm, welcoming spirit.
Under the Rev. Paul Bailey (1995–1999) and later the Rev. Robert O. Miller, the church built its first real sanctuary, opening it in 1998. When the Rev. Steve Gruman arrived in 2000, St. Matthew’s entered a big growth phase—adding classrooms, expanding children’s and adult programs, and eventually building a larger sanctuary while turning the original one into a meeting hall. The Christian Ed Building, finished in 2016, was another major step forward.
After Fr. Steve retired, Chris Hartley and his family came to Madison to serve the parish. During that time, St. Matthew’s started its Endowment Fund and continued to benefit from the steady leadership of the Rev. Dillon Green and the Rev. Deacon Lynn Bullard. The past few years brought both highs and lows as the church, like many others, navigated a changing world and shifting expectations of parish life.
Today, the Rev. Susan Sloan, our interim rector, and the Rev. Deacon Taylor Johnson are helping guide St. Matthew’s through a season of rebuilding, renewed focus, and rediscovered unity.
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