New pastor to be installed at Crafton’s St. Matthew’s
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Sixteen charter members founded St. Matthew’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Crafton in 1903, but it was not until 1905, when it had 30 members, that the group could begin building the original church at its present location on the corner of Steuben Street and Lincoln Avenue. The initial building was dedicated March 18, 1906.
In the next two decades, membership grew to more than 100 members with well-attended services and an active Bible study group. In 1941, the church expanded to its present-day building size, and membership was able to support a wide range of charities including the National Lutheran Council, Thiel College and others.
The year 1953 saw the congregation celebrate its 50th anniversary with a corn roast at Carnegie Park. By 1961, there were 25 teachers in the Sunday School and 135 registered pupils. More than 200 people attended services.
Through the years, St. Matthew’s has had about a dozen pastors as well as several interim pastors providing worship and care services.
Today, the church has 100 parishioners and around 12 members who are shut-ins and visited regularly by the pastor.
The Rev. Doug Kinsey began his career as an artist, attending the prestigious Otis College of Art in Los Angeles. He worked as an Imagineer for the Walt Disney Corp. and after recognizing a call to ministry, he attended the Trinity School for Ministry in Ambridge and graduated with a master’s degree in divinity. He began the art therapy program at Holy Family Institute and went on to become active at the Church of the Atonement in Carnegie.
He was brought to St. Matthew’s by his friendship with the Rev. Sean Malarkey of the Church of the Nativity Episcopal Church in Crafton. Kinsey was interviewed by St. Matthew’s call committee and was duly elected by the church to provide pastoral care in spring 2018. The Lutherans and several other denominations have a cooperative agreement allowing them to share ministry, such that even the words “Father” and “Pastor” are interchangeable.
Kinsey is ordained through both ministries and, on June 30, he will be officially installed as pastor at St. Matthew’s in a Rite of Installation service.
St. Matthew’s is a member of the Crafton Ministerium, a collaboration among local pastors to support each other, their churches and the community at-large. Activities of the church include supporting the Crafton Food Bank, ministering to the Eliot Heights Retirement Community, hosting a community paper recycling bin and participating in the Family Promise Ministry for homeless families. The building is used for weekly movie nights, monthly coffee hours, book club meetings, Advent/Taise services, meager meal and worship during Lent and a yearly Octoberfest celebration on the Feast of St. Matthew.
Each spring, the church holds a wine-tasting event called “Wine, Cheese and Jesus.” They also hold a Rally Day event where the Sunday worship service is conducted off-site at a local park, followed by a covered dish picnic lunch, games and fellowship.
Worship is held at 10:15 a.m. Sundays with additional services at 7 p.m. Wednesdays during Advent and Lent. Call 412-921-1125 for more information about the church.