St. Matthew's, Browns Point/Tacoma

Founded in the early 1950's by a handful of people from neighboring Christ Church, Tacoma, St. Matthew began meeting in the basement of a local family before moving to a storefront space in the neighboring Browns Point shopping center. Plans to build what are now the the most seasoned buildings on the current plant began almost immediately, fueled by an a nearly insatiable appetite for blackberry pie (served at nearly every planning and work meeting) and a desire to serve God creatively in the isolated yet growing community of Browns Point. As documented in a News Tribune article, circa 1952, St. Matthew has the unusual distinction of being a parish developed and built nearly entirely from donated materials and volunteer labor (many of whom were not parishioners) making St. Matthew a truly community neighborhood church. It is the first church on Browns Point and remains to this day the only church on lower Browns Point. Today, St. Matthew is a growing and diverse family of neighbors who have a heart for learning and a desire to connect with those who find purpose in serving the community in meaningful and creative ways.