The Parish of St. Matthew

The Parish of St. Matthew was established on October 5, 1941. Its first service was held in the library building of the Presbyterian Conference Grounds, then located north of Sunset Boulevard at Temescal Canyon Road in Pacific Palisades, California. When the library was no longer available, services were held in a parishioner’s studio. At one time, a tent was even considered.

The first church building, located at the corner of Swarthmore and La Cruz in Pacific Palisades, was established in 1942. A few years later, St. Matthew’s Preschool was established in 1949 and the St. Matthew’s Parish Day School opened a year later.

The church, along with 86 homes, was destroyed by fire in 1978, but it did not destroy the community. Parishioners united to build a new church and begin anew. In 1981, ground breaking ceremonies were held for the new church. Today, there are 13 buildings, four residences, a swimming pool and other recreational facilities on the property.

The Parish of St. Matthew consists of over 1,700 baptized members and approximately 900 confirmed communicants. To learn more about St. Matthew’s church history, we invite you to visit the Church History page using the link below.