About the Pastor
I grew up in a very small town in northwest Pennsylvania. My mom still lives there; my dad lives in Rochester, NY. I have two younger sisters. I’m married to Emily Hendel who is a nurse practitioner. She works in a free clinic on the Westside of Chicago.
Like many people in my generation, while in college I explored other religions, became politically active, and began to drift from the church.
After college I volunteered in the Philippines for a year. Amidst the poverty and oppression, I saw God working through people to transform the world into a more just place. I decided, in my own way, I wanted to be one of those people.
I fail often, but I believe God is with me, with us, through it all. I believe God calls us to build communities that transform lives, and I believe God’s grace frees us to answer this call.
- Rev. Matthew Lang