Matthew’s Bio

Role: Elder

Hometown: Floyd, VA

Family: My wife, Stephanie, and I met in the mailroom at Roanoke College. We got married shortly after graduation. Stephanie is the most loyal friend anyone could ever have. She loves to share the love of Jesus with our precious daughters (Elliana Grayce, Adelyn Louise, and Myra Jane) and the families of Orchard Hills.

Education: B.S. in Mathematics from Roanoke College and M.S. in Mathematics Education from Radford University.

Background: By the grace of God, I was born into a God-fearing family in Floyd – one of my great-grandmothers helped haul rock to build a church and another founded a Baptist Church in Tuggles Gap. Serving in the church has always been a big part of my life. My parents taught me to be humble, to work hard, and to put others’ needs above my own. After college, I started teaching mathematics at Read Mountain Middle School, then Lord Botetourt High School, and now at Roanoke Valley Governor’s School. My wife and I bought a house outside of Fincastle that we now call home. We started attending Orchard Hills in the spring of 2012 and fell in love with what God was doing through what we now call our church.

My Passion at Orchard Hills: We are a community of believers, united in Christ, that walk hand in hand in whole-hearted love of the One, True, Triune God of the Bible.

Something not many people would know about me: Stephanie and I love to travel together. Thanks to our (60% Steph) dream of seeing the world, we have been to England, France, Italy, Iceland, Rwanda, and all over the United States. Next stop is the Holy Land!

Favorite illustration of Biblical Truth: As I prepared for my grandmother’s funeral, the Lord showed me that I was being fed the gospel while picking, stringing, and canning green beans on my grandparents’ small farm. Like the soil, we must have humble hearts that can be cultivated to receive God’s blessing (Heb. 6:7). Like the beans we are picked or chosen by the Father (1 Pet. 2:9), like the beans we are snapped or broken by the sin in our lives (Rom. 3:32), but then we are washed cleaned in our baptism (1 Pet. 3:21). Because of Jesus we are joined with others in Christ (Rom. 6:3 – 4). Like the beans in the jars, we are put under heat or trials (1 Pet. 1:6 – 7). Next, the jars received a lid which illustrates that we are sealed by the power of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13). Lastly a jar of beans has a ring placed on top or like us, in Christ, at the end of our physical lives are given a crown of righteousness (2 Tim. 4:6 – 8).