Father Patrick Tomter and longtime St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church parishioner Priscilla Hall offer each other the sign of peace during the church’s final service last month.
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St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church has said its goodbyes after 73 years last month. But at the very least, it went out with a shout on Tuesday, Nov. 21. “We had a full service with communion. Bishop Michael Hanley presided over the communion, and Father Patrick Tomter delivered the homily. He spoke for longer than usual and talked a lot about the history of St. Matthew’s and its people. It was very lovely,” says Laura Minnick, the now-former senior warden at St. Matthew’s, who described herself as “sort of like a board chairman with a bit more responsibility.”
St. Matthew’s, at 11229 N.E. Prescott St., uploaded various pictures of the event on its Facebook page that show people engaging with the church’s history. One photo depicts two women scrolling through a photo album with the heading, “Finding someone they knew in an old photo album.”
To end things on a high note, Tomter alluded to the valued role St. Matthew’s established for itself within Parkrose. “St. Matthew’s was considered the heart of the neighborhood. What more could be thought? But of course, St. Matthew’s has been supported by many over the years.”
Like Priscilla Hall, who, with her husband (until he passed away) has been a St. Matthew’s parishioner for more than 40 years. “My daughters and sons and granddaughters and my great-granddaughters all went to Sunday School at St. Matthew’s,” she said. “We have four generations of us there.” Priscilla, who lives in the David Douglas School District, said she will attend both St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church in Hollywood and St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in outer east Portland. For her daughter Barbara Hall, who is a member of St. Matthew’s governing board, it was a profoundly sad day when the church decided to close. She never envisioned her church shutting down. “It’s been my whole life. I grew up there; it’s always just been part of my life,” she said in a telephone interview. “My dad was very involved there; my mom’s been involved there. I guess I was just in denial that [the end] was ever going to come.” She said she’ll be worshipping at St. Aidan’s in the future.
Barbara Hall, who is on the governing board at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, attends the church’s final mass, which was held last month. She grew up in the church and is deeply saddened to see it close.
STAFF/2017
After the service, which was in part business as usual, there was a reception with estimates of between 60 to 75 community members in attendance throughout the evening. In announcing that St. Matthew’s was closing last month, we noted that only about a dozen people could be expected in St. Matthew’s pews on Sundays just prior to its decision to close its doors.
St. Matthews’s Episcopal chapter entered media lore in 2010 (“Schism partitions Parkrose Church,” MCM July 2010) when many of its parishioners ditched their fellows to start St. Matthew’s Anglican Church (currently sharing space with Faithful Savior Lutheran Church at 11100 N.E. Skidmore St.) over ideological differences. The Episcopal church was for gay marriage and female priests, for example, while the Anglican church was not.
“I had a chance to thank a number of people and had a vestry group hug. I almost held it together during the prayers,” says Minnick. “We had a lovely reception: there was food and cake and punch, and people had an opportunity to look at some old photos and such. I even got a chance to sit down and put my feet up.”
A beautiful and bittersweet story. Thank you for sharing
First thing, I will have to say the views and opinions included in this Post belong to their author and do not necessarily mirror the views and opinions of St Mathews Anglican Church.
I get off at the stop next to St Mathews Episcopal church most Sundays. I was a member of the church form 2008 to 2010 and left with those to form St. Mathews Anglican Church. It is rather simplistic and spitefully to say we left because gay and Women Priest, it is more complicated.
The point was between scripture it final in it authority and interprets itself though illumination the Holy Spirit contrasted to a liberal belief that of the interpretation derived through conversation and consensus within the human community. I will point you to a Discussion between father David Humphrey, Rector of ST. Mathews Anglican and Bishop Michael Hanley of Episcopal Diocese of Oregon, on 5 May 2010 Edition of OPB Think Out Loud.
For me it was my own fear of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon would move against us if we did not leave. On the first vote, I voted not to leave the Episcopal Church because we need a gospel witness but I ponder the week before the second vote. I look at the depart of Bishop Itty, while progressive, he supported us, whispers in the Diocese about the “St Mathews Problem” and my own experience in dealing with Progressives in Politics. I concluded the Diocese would not tolerate us and , voted to go with St. Mathews Anglican. When I read Bishop Michael Hanley with members of St Mathews Episcopal marched in 2011 Gay Pride parade, it clear they chose their path.
Finally, Progressive church needs to look in the mirror than at St. Mathews Anglican. St. Mathews Episcopalian then and Anglican now is a unique church draws many members out of Portland Metro area and South Washington with the Gospel of Christ was though the Word. For me it is a 2-hour Bus and Light rail commute from Hillsboro. If I wanted stay with the Progressive church, St Gabriel’s Episcopal Church is only 10-minute bus and 15 walk.
The progress church must look at what do you offer to the young progressive? There are many progressive churches to choose from. But what compelling reason at progressive church has to offer the young secular progressive? Is it spirituality, but why go to church instead of the Yoga Class, for Social justice but why go church instead of the mass protest.