WELCOME TO ST MATTHEW
LOVING GOD. LOVING PEOPLE.
OUR VISION
We are making disciples of every individual in our communities and abroad nurturing them to maturity in Jesus Christ and equipping them for mission and ministry.
OUR MISSION
We exist to advance the kingdom of God, proclaiming the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and unconditional love of God to the world.
OUR THEME
"My Brother's Keeper"
#WeAreBetterTogether#
Genesis 4:9 & Luke 15:32
Worship With Us!
Sunday Service - 11am
Sunday School - Online at 9am
Conference Line: 848.220.3300
Passcode: 3254055
(in-person at 9:30am on 4th Sundays)
Children’s Service - Sundays at 11:30am
(2nd & 4th Sundays)
Children's Sunday School on 1st Sundays at 9:30am
Wednesdays Prayer & Bible Study at 6pm via
(In person on the 2nd Wednesday of each month)
Men's only prayer on Thursdays at 12pm.
(425) 436-6200 Code 349401
OUR PASTOR
William Marcell Brown was born in Kansas City, MO. He attended Hickman Mills High School, graduating in 1997. In the fall of ’97, he attended LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Tennessee, graduating in 2003 with a degree in Business Administration. He has been gainfully employed with FedEx since October 9, 2003.
Rev. Brown accepted his call to the Gospel ministry on July 27, 2013, preaching his trial sermon on September 25, 2013. He was ordained as a Deacon in the AME Zion Church on July 15, 2017, under the episcopal leadership of the Bishop Darryl Starnes; the following year on June 30, 2018, Rev. Brown was ordained as an Elder by Bishop Darryl Starnes.
Rev. Brown was assigned his first pastorate in July of 2018 and was blessed to pastor Speaks Temple AME Zion Church in Omaha, Nebraska for nearly seven years, ending November 10, 2024. On November 9, 2024, Rev. Brown was assigned to his second pastorate under the episcopal guidance of Bishop Daran H. Mitchell to shepherd Saint Matthew AME Zion Church in Kansas City, Missouri.
Rev. Brown is excited about the opportunity to become a better servant leader during his tenure at Saint Matthew AME Zion Church and is looking forward and upward in a collaborative effort with the people of God to go to ‘Higher Ground’.
‘My heart has no desire to stay where doubts arise and fears dismay;
Though some may dwell where these abound, My prayer, my aim, is higher ground. Lord, lift me up, and let me stand By faith, on heaven’s tableland; A higher plane than I have found, Lord, plant my feet on higher ground’.
Rev. Brown’s favorite Scriptures are Psalm 112 and Psalm 119. He enjoys reading God’s Word & spending time with his family.
OUR HISTORY
In the gospel of St. Mathew 18:20, these words of Jesus are recorded: “For where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them.”
His word was fulfilled in 1908 when a few black Christian women of different persuasions started an Interdenominational Church and named it Union Church. They held worship services in a house at or near 3816 E 28th Terrace, in their community called Roundtop.
A few years later, three God-fearing pioneers, Mrs. Mary Stewart, Mrs. Alice Quarles and Mrs. Ellen Watson, felt the need for a Methodist Church in the community and began worship services in a tent on a vacant lot at 2801 Mersington.
These three women enlisted the services of two Methodist ministers, Rev. Bennet and Rev. Black to hold a revival and to lead them in purchasing the lot. The lot was later purchased by Bishop L.W. Kyles. (Records are not available as to when the building was erected.)
In 1912 Bishop G.L. Blackwell reported to the General Conference that two churches had been received in the Kansas City District. One of those churches was St. Mathew; the other was St. James, currently known as Metropolitan. Thus our cornerstone reads, “St. Matthew A.M.E. Zion Church, June 19, 1912, Rev. Chapple, Pastor.”
Episcopal leaders having jurisdiction over the Missouri Conference, of which we are a part, were Bishops George L. Blackwell, A.J. Warner, J.W. Wood, J.W. Martin, W.C. Brown, Joseph D. Cauthen, W.A. Hilliard, George J. Leake, John H. Miller, Ruben L. Speaks, Enoch B. Rochester, Kenneth Monroe, Darryl B. Starnes, Dr. Michael A. Frencher and presently Daran Mitchell.
Presiding Elders who have served the Kansas City District are the Reverends Frank Alstork, S.D. Martin, F.Z. Flack, James F. Gray, George W. Whisonant, Samuel L. Hopkins, Joseph H. Jones Sr., Harvest T. Wilkins, Kenneth Monroe, Michael L. Murray, and presently, Seth M. Moulton.
Pastors appointed to St. Matthew were Reverends Chappel, Canty, S.S. Ingram, Broomfield, J.C. Webb, W.A. Hilliard (later became a Bishop), Ben Blanks, George W. Whisonant, G.M. Howell, Annie M. Webb, Milford S. Vaughn, Jesse L. Williams, Dr. Osofo L.H. McDonald, Terry L. Jones Sr., Herolin Aiken, Vince L. Monden, Lloyd W. McKenzie Jr., D’Andre W. James-Daniels, Kelsey M. Hopson, Dr. Charles W. Thurman Jr., and William Marcell Brown.
The question may be asked as to why and how did this congregation decide to relocate to Linwood and Kensington?
During the administration of Rev. Jesse L. Williams at 2801 Mersington, additional ground was purchased and plans were drawn to build a new edifice east of the existing building facing Myrtle. This plan failed to materialize. In July of 1977, Dr. Osofo McDonald was appointed pastor of St. Matthew.
On Mother’s Day, May 14, 1978, the old church building collapsed due to its age. We then began to hold our worship services in the nearby Seventh Day Adventist Church located at Linwood and Spruce. Later we held combined services with the congregation of the Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church, 2828 Prospect, while seeking a place to build a new church.
The lots at 4400 Linwood Blvd. were for sale and an agreement was made with the Oakwood Baptist Church. The ground was purchased in 1978 and plans were made to construct a new edifice. The persons responsible for the acquisition of this property and building were Dr. McDonald, Presiding Elder Dr. Joseph H. Jones, and Bishop George J. Leake.
Groundbreaking services were held at the Metropolitan A.M.E. Zion Church at 11:00 am, March 24, 1979. Immediately following the service, we proceeded to the new building site at 4400 Linwood for the ground to be broken with construction beginning shortly thereafter. The first official meeting held in this new building was the first Check-Up Meeting of the Missouri-Colorado Conference on November 14, 1981. Dr. McDonald presided, and the first sermon was delivered by Bishop John H. Miller.
We are grateful for the vision and the tenacity of these three saints, Sisters Mary Stewart, Alice Quarles and Ellen Watson, who gave life to the St. Matthew African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.
During our history, St. Matthew has come from a canvass tent with dirt floors and kerosene lamps to a pre-cast concrete stone building with wall-to-wall carpeting, padded pews, paved parking lot, gas, water, electricity and central air. For all these things, we are thankful.
To God be the glory for the great things He has done in the life of St. Matthew. We are abundantly blessed.
MINISTRIES
CHILDREN'S ZONE
Learn a
Bible Verse
Hear a
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Learn to Pray
Family Fun
Play
Bible Games
THE TEENS!!
The Joy of Generosity
St. Matthew AME Zion Church is a generous body of believers. Please give as much as you are able to help us with our mission of transforming lives in our community and beyond. You can easily donate by clicking on the Givelify icon on this website, via your mobile device using the Givelify app or contribute during each of our services. “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves a person who gives cheerfully” (2 Corinthians 9:7). Thank you for your faithful support.
The Resurrection: The Most Important Thing
1 Corinthians 15:1-7, 12-20 NKJV
Rev. W. Marcell Brown
April 20, 2025
15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, 2 by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by [a]Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have [b]fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have [a]fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. 20 But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have [b]fallen asleep.
Call To Worship
Call to Worship Luke 24:5-8,NIV Leader: “Why do you look for the living among the dead? People: He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: Altogether: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” Then they remembered his words.
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Ministerial Staff
Please join us on Wednesdays for Prayer at 5:30pm via
and in person every 2nd Wednesday.
We also have Men's only prayer on Thursdays at 12pm. Dial phone # (425) 436-6200 Code 349401
