An Episcopal Home on Highland Drive in Brecksville
St. Matthew's Episcopal Church sits at 9549 Highland Drive in Brecksville, Ohio, a small parish with red doors and a reputation for warmth. The building opens twice on Sunday mornings, and the congregation describes itself in plain words: inclusive, caring, affirming, and growing. Members travel from across the Cuyahoga Valley suburbs to gather here, and the doors are intentionally open to anyone "just as God created you." St. Matthew's is a member of the Episcopal Church within the Diocese of Ohio, and it shows the marks of classic Anglican worship without the stiffness that some newcomers expect.
What people notice first is the size. St. Matthew's is a small church, and that shows up in everything from the building itself to the names on the ministry list. The Rev. Stephanie Pace has served as Rector since 2010 and is a familiar face to every member. Volunteers run more than twenty ministries, and a coffee hour after the later service is one of the most reliable places to actually meet people. Visitors are greeted at the door, handed a welcome bag, and invited to stay for conversation.
Two Sunday Mornings, One Tradition
St. Matthew's gathers every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. Both follow the Episcopal liturgy, both include Holy Communion, and both use the same scripture readings and message. The difference is mainly in tone.
The 8:30 service is more intimate and slightly less formal. There is generally no music, and the room is smaller in scale. People who like a quieter, contemplative Sunday morning tend to make this their weekly habit.
The 10:00 service is the larger gathering. Members process in with the cross, and the congregation sees acolytes lighting candles, lay readers carrying the scripture, chalice bearers assisting at the altar, and musicians supporting the hymns. A projection screen at the front of the church projects the entire service so visitors and long-time members can follow without flipping through a prayer book. The 10:00 service is also broadcast on Zoom each week for those unable to attend in person, and a recording of the service is posted afterward for anyone who wants to catch up later in the week.
Holy Communion is observed at every Sunday service. Communicants come forward to the altar, and the bread and wine are offered to all baptized Christians. Anyone is also welcome to come forward for a blessing in place of receiving the sacrament. St. Matthew's teaching on the communion table is characteristically expansive: "The Communion Table belongs to God, not to us. We invite everyone, no matter where they are on their spiritual journey, to participate with us."
Music That Reaches Across Genres
Music holds a central place in the worship of St. Matthew's, and Music Director Jayne Kacik shapes that ministry. Kacik plays both piano and organ, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of Toledo, and spent twenty-five years teaching K-8 music before returning to St. Matthew's. She brings a wide repertoire to the bench.
Her philosophy is that music creates a shared experience during worship. Kacik offers traditional Episcopal hymns alongside contemporary Christian songs and even pieces from other genres that carry messages of love, faith, strength, and acceptance. She occasionally plays music from the 1970s and Broadway, and the Worship Team plans a special annual Beatles service that has become something of a signature moment in the church year. Gary Pinter, an organist with more than fifty years of experience, joins the parish from time to time, and violinist Matt Wilkinson provides special music for feast days and holy days.
An Episcopal Way of Worship
St. Matthew's worships within the broader Episcopal tradition, which means the service follows a common structure rooted in the Book of Common Prayer. The order includes a procession, a collect to gather the assembly, four readings from scripture, a sermon, the Nicene Creed, prayers of the people, a confession of sin, the exchange of the peace, Holy Communion, and a benediction.
Worship at St. Matthew's is intentionally informal in atmosphere. The language of the prayer book is preserved, but the dress is whatever people feel comfortable wearing. On any given Sunday, congregants wear everything from shorts and jeans to business suits. Visitors are gently told that St. Matthew's "is not about what you look like or what you wear." The church follows the church year through Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, and All Saints' Day. Christmas Eve at St. Matthew's features a candlelight service that draws families from across the area, and an annual Blessing of the Animals in October honors St. Francis of Assisi by inviting pets to receive a blessing at the altar.
A Rector with a Global Story
The Rev. Stephanie Pace grew up in the Azores, Japan, and Brazil, and she speaks Portuguese, French, Japanese, Spanish, and English. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and Economics from Queens College in Charlotte, North Carolina, she and her husband Hugh lived in Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, Argentina, and Mexico for twenty-three years. During that time, she worked in marketing and finance and added fluent Spanish to her language repertoire.
Stephanie entered the San Andres Episcopal Seminary in Mexico City in 1993 and completed the Master of Divinity and Master of Sacred Theology degrees. She was ordained an Episcopal deacon in April 1998 and an Episcopal priest later that year, also in Mexico City. Before coming to Brecksville, she served as Professor of Theology at San Andres Seminary, Associate Rector at Christ Church Mexico City, Associate Priest at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Akron, Rector of New Life Episcopal Church in Uniontown, Ohio, and Rector of St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Trion, Georgia. She has been Rector of St. Matthew's since 2010.
Deacon Dave McBee, who was ordained at Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland during the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020, complements the clergy team. McBee is a graduate of the University of Akron and completed six units of Clinical Pastoral Education at the Cleveland Clinic. He sees the diaconate as a bridge between the church and the world, and he serves at the Lord's table alongside priests and fellow deacons. The parish verger, Steve Bodey, handles the details of each service, from scheduling readers and acolytes to coordinating the audio-visual team so the Rector can focus on preaching and pastoral care.
Beliefs and the Way of Love
St. Matthew's states its beliefs in four short lines. Members believe in a loving, liberating, and life-giving God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, whose life, death, and resurrection saved the world. They believe that leadership is a gift from God that can be expressed by all people in the church, regardless of sexual identity or orientation. And they believe that God loves everyone without exception.
The parish also follows the Way of Love, a way of life practiced across the Episcopal Church worldwide. The Way of Love is built around seven intentional practices: Turn, Learn, Pray, Worship, Bless, Go, and Rest. Adult Christian Formation at St. Matthew's offers Bible studies, coffee forums, and special education programs throughout the year to help members put those practices into daily life.
Children, Youth, and Confirmation
Children of all ages are welcome at St. Matthew's services. Busy Bags filled with quiet activities sit at the back of the church for toddlers and young children, and there is a designated area of the sanctuary with quiet toys for families who need it. During the message, children are invited to participate in an age-appropriate lesson before rejoining their families for Communion.
Children and Youth Christian Formation remains part of parish life even though formal Sunday School was paused during COVID. The parish retains teachers, curriculum, and confirmation materials for preschoolers through teenagers and is ready to reopen as more families with children join. All adult volunteers who work with children have been background-checked through the Safeguarding God's Children program.
Confirmation is a significant milestone for the youth of St. Matthew's. The confirmation class meets for about a year with Rev. Stephanie, completes service projects, and learns about the Bible and the responsibilities of church membership. The class culminates in a special Confirmation service with the bishop. Teenagers also serve in worship as ushers, acolytes, readers, and members of the audio-visual team running the projection system from the balcony.
Pastoral Care and Healing
St. Matthew's takes pastoral care seriously and offers it through several overlapping ministries. The Healing Ministry gathers members who offer healing prayer during and following services and meets monthly at the leader's house for supper, fellowship, and learning about spiritual, emotional, and physical healing.
The Intercessory Prayer Ministry has been active for generations. Members pray daily for anyone who requests it, and all prayer needs are kept completely confidential. Anyone in the parish or beyond may submit a prayer request.
Stephen Ministry extends that one-on-one pastoral reach. Stephen Ministers are trained lay members who walk alongside people experiencing bereavement, hospitalization, terminal illness, separation, divorce, unemployment, relocation, or any other life crisis. Each Stephen Minister typically meets with one care receiver for about an hour a week, and training is required to join the team.
Eucharistic Ministers extend pastoral Communion to shut-ins and people in the hospital who cannot get to church, and a short training session prepares anyone interested in serving in this way.
Outreach Beyond the Parish Walls
Outreach at St. Matthew's is hands-on and deeply local. Members purchase, cook, and serve dinner at the Brookside Center three times a year. They prepare gifts for shut-ins, knit hats and blankets for cancer patients, and supply gift cards at Christmas to youth in foster care. The parish also coordinates with other area churches that are collecting items for people in need, and St. Matthew's regularly hosts a Red Cross Blood Drive in its building.
Healing Ministry, Intercessory Prayer, and Stephen Ministry extend the parish's reach into the wider community through prayer, presence, and one-on-one care.
A Building Shared with the Community
St. Matthew's building serves the parish and the wider Brecksville community. The Discovery Project uses the church as a base for home-schooled and hybrid-program students ages six to eighteen, with hands-on learning programs offered on Wednesdays and Fridays. Roughly sixty students travel from across Northeast Ohio to participate in the program's twelve-week fall and twelve-week spring sessions.
Girl Scout Troop 70865 has met at St. Matthew's since 2017, when it started as a Daisy troop. Two local Shriners groups also use the building: the Shriners Legion of Honor and the Shriners Hillbillies Drum Corps. Both are part of the broader Shriners fraternity, which supports Shriners Hospitals for Children.
Building and Grounds, together with Grounds Beautification, keep the property ready year-round. Building and Grounds handles utilities, snow removal, driveway upkeep, and interior improvements under the Junior Warden. Grounds Beautification meets seasonally to plant and tend the gardens that welcome visitors.
Sacraments for the Whole of Life
St. Matthew's celebrates the two great sacraments of the Episcopal Church and walks with members through every major moment of life.
Holy Baptism is performed during public worship, with the candidate sponsored by parents and godparents (or, in the case of an adult, presented by a beloved friend or family member) and surrounded and affirmed by the congregation. Baptism is offered to both infants and adults, and the bond God creates in Baptism, in the Episcopal understanding, cannot be broken.
Weddings at St. Matthew's are understood as a sacrament, one of the moments that bind the couple and the community together by the grace of God. The Episcopal Church recognizes and performs all weddings, including those for couples previously married and same-gender couples. At least one member of the couple must be a baptized Christian with a connection to St. Matthew's, either as a member or as a relative of a current member, and non-members are invited to speak with Rev. Stephanie. Weddings are typically scheduled after the couple has been participating in the life of the parish for at least six months.
The parish also walks with families through death. A Christian funeral at St. Matthew's is a reverent mix of grief and joy, and the church offers as much support as possible during the arrangements. The Book of Common Prayer reminds the congregation that "life is changed, not ended," and the burial service moves from death to resurrection through scripture, hymns, and prayer.
Joining In
St. Matthew's offers more than twenty active ministries, and members are encouraged to find a place that fits their time and gifts. Newcomers can serve five minutes a week as a Money Counter or several hours as an Acolyte, and training is provided for most roles. The Welcoming Ministry, in particular, is looking for two people each week to greet visitors before the service and during coffee hour.
For newcomers who want to start small, the parish keeps the path open. The Connect page on St. Matthew's website offers a one-stop place to join the email list, register for a directory account, fill out a First Time Guest form, request prayer, tell a story, sign up for a ministry, or contact the church office. Anyone who has been baptized in any Christian tradition can become a member of the Episcopal Church, and the parish welcomes people who are Confirmed or Received by a bishop.
Giving and Stewardship
The parish runs on the generous giving of its members. Offerings are collected in the plate during services, gifts may be sent by mail, and donations are also accepted online through PayPal. Stewardship commitments are invited by the end of October for the following calendar year, and the congregation votes on the annual budget at the Annual Meeting in January. Annual and quarterly budgets are available to anyone on request, and the Vestry publishes giving statements quarterly. Planned giving through estate planning is also encouraged for those who wish to fund the long-term growth of the parish.
A Parish That Welcomes Where You Are
St. Matthew's asks only that newcomers come as they are. Visitors are told they will be greeted from the parking lot, that they can wear whatever they want, that their children are welcome to make noise, and that there is no obligation to give on a first visit. The parish sums up its welcome in a single line: "God loves you - no exceptions." That conviction shows up in the red doors, in the busy bags at the back of the church, in the Zoom link for those at home, and in the long list of ministries ready to receive anyone with five minutes or five hours to share.