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Our Story is one of a brand-new vision and service to the community!

St. Matthias had its beginnings in the early 1960’s, amidst the civil rights movement in Alabama. Reverand Dubose Murphy, the rector at Christ Church, assisted by Emmitt Gribbin and Bob Cook of Canterbury Episcopal Church, had a vision to start a new church in the eastern part of Tuscaloosa. It was the first new Episcopal church in west Alabama in one hundred years. Bishop Murray suggested the name St. Matthias because there was no other Episcopal church in the diocese with this name and because all the other disciples selected Matthias to become the apostle named to replace Judas.

The church was officially recognized as a mission at the 1962 Diocesan convention. The first service of St. Matthias was held at Canterbury Church on June 4, 1961, led by the Reverand George Shroder. The services were soon moved to Alberta High School Auditorium followed by another move to rented space from the Seventh-Day Adventist Church on Skyland Boulevard. In 1963, the church bought land on Skyland Boulevard, formed a building committee, and borrowed money to build the Parish Hall. The building was dedicated on July 7, 1963; with Reverand George Schroder serving as vicar.

In 1965, a new priest, Jim Lilly, was appointed. Reverand Lilly was interested in mental health issues and racial justice during the tumultuous times of the 1960’s in Alabama. Reverand Lilly offered St. Matthias as a head start location and a place for discussion of racial tensions between Black and White groups. In 1966 the Educational Building was completed and in 1967 the Scout Building was completed. St. Matthias sponsored Troup 43 of the Boy Scouts.

St. Matthias achieved parish status on January 30, 1975. The first vestry was elected with Charlie Senna serving as senior warden. In 1975 the parish hall was named Dubose Murphy Hall. In 1977 Sam Mason was appointed to serve as priest for St. Matthias. During his tenure, St. Matthias had over one hundred parishioners and was very involved in outreach projects.

In 1979, it was time to build a larger church. The new building was consecrated on February 20, 1983. Reverand Mason left St. Matthias on November 6,1983 with a new building completed. On July 1,1984 Mark Johnson was called to be the priest at St. Matthias. One notable achievement during this time was the formation of the West Alabama Food Bank. Mary Jane Taylor was instrumental in making the food bank a reality; and served on the first Board of Directors. In April 1987, Reverand Johnson left St. Matthias to become the camp director at Camp McDowell. Dr. Betty Hust from St. Matthias worked with Reverand Johnson to establish the environmental camp experience at Camp McDowell, which has been attended by thousands of school children in Alabama.

Our next priest was Reverand Gary Steiber who served from October 1, 1987-June 30, 1992. He was a forester by trade and had a passion for the environment. He instituted the first blessing of the animals service at St. Matthias. This was a period of growth for the church with new members joining the parish. During Reverand Steiber’s tenure, St. Matthias became the first church in the Alabama Diocese to have a deacon; Ms. Dana Wilson. Elizabeth Kent and Madeleine Pearce became the first women to serve at the altar.
In December of 1994, Reverand Bill Thomas was called from New York to St. Matthias. He served until July 2003. The church grew under his leadership. He was active in supporting the Scouts. The Holiday food box ministry was started during his tenure. The first group of vocational deacons were ordained in Alabama during this time and Mary Jane Taylor from St. Matthias was in this first class.

In 2002, a new Wicks organ was handmade for the St. Matthias sanctuary. It was the last organ made by hand from this company. From 2004 to 2006 Deb Braydon served first as a deacon and later as a priest. In 2005 Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and St. Matthias engaged in helping evacuees and later in cleanup efforts.

From 2006 to 2008 John Thompson served as interim priest. Support of various community agencies from our outreach funds began during this time under the direction of John Stewart.

In 2008 Frank Roth was called from Arkansas to St. Matthias and he served until 2013. In 2011 Tuscaloosa was devastated by a tornado. St. Matthias became the coordinating hub for all volunteer relief activities in the county as Tuscaloosa and the surrounding area worked to clean up and recover.

From August 2013 to 2015 Monica Carleson served as priest. It was during her tenure that the Beans and Rice ministry began by serving fifty families. We found significant food insecurity existed in our community and this program quickly began to grow. Also, during this time Madeleine Pearce led St. Matthias to be involved with the Kairos prison ministry. Daivd Hall served at St. Matthias from 2015 to 2020. During his tenure we worked to repair Murphy Hall and the kitchen was completely renovated. The beans and rice ministry grew to serve 250 families a month.

Covid struck in 2019 and we were quarantined and not able to hold in-person church services. Reverand David Hall, Deacon John Stewart, and Music Director Quincy Hall were instrumental in keeping the church connected by broadcasting church services, morning prayer, compline, and inspirational music online. In late 2020, we were able to have in-person services once again, and Bob Henderson, a retired priest served St. Matthias part-time from 2020 to 2021. Reverand Henderson emphasized the power of prayer and small group discussions. Catherine Collier, also a retired priest, served part-time from 2021 to 2022. She was instrumental in leading us to renew and refresh our spaces and focus on being ready to grow.

In 2023, our current priest, Reverand Barry Vaughn was called to St. Matthias. He is known for insightful thought provoking sermons which we invite you to hear in person or online on our Facebook page. In 2024, Bill Hust presented a series of three classes on the history of St. Matthias. For a more detailed look at the history of St. Matthias, these classes are available on the St. Matthias Facebook page.