We are delighted to introduce The Very Reverend Matthew Warren, a dynamic and innovative leader who brings a wealth of experience and a genuine passion for ministry to St. Stephen’s.
Matt comes to us from Christ the King Episcopal Church, in Quincy, CA, where he has served as Vicar for over a decade. While there, he was actively involved in the community; in addition to serving as a regular coach in youth sports, he and his wife, Kristy, founded a Co-Op Preschool which was housed at the church. Matt’s preaching style is invitational by design, and he was able to attract and integrate new members to the church with an open and welcoming embrace.
Matt was also heavily involved at the Diocesan level. Most visibly, he injected humor into Diocesan Convention where he served as Secretary. As someone who prides himself on collegial relationships, he was selected to serve as a Regional Dean, where his experience in pastoral care, spiritual leadership, organization development, and mission-oriented strategic planning assisted congregations of varying sizes.
Earlier this summer, Matt was an inaugural fellow at The Leader’s Way Fellowship hosted at Yale Divinity School. Fellows were selected for their ability to “stand courageously at the intersection of faithfulness and innovation in the service of creating more vibrant Christian communities,” and we are excited about the energy, vision, and deep commitment to spiritual growth he brings to St Stephen’s.
Education is passion for Fr. Matt, a self-described “life-long learner.” As a student, Matt loves studying New Testament Christology and early Christian History. Of course, Matt is also a teacher, teaching Ethics and World Religions at the Community College level for the past five years.
Being called as Rector is actually a homecoming for Matt, whose father Doug served as Rector from 1986-2003. Matt grew up in Orinda, attending Sleepy Hollow, Glorietta, OIS, and Miramonte. At St. Stephen’s, Matt was an acolyte, Sunshine Camp Counselor, and even built our first parish website while in high school.
Matt went to Occidental College in Los Angeles, where he met his wife, Kristy on the very first day of Orientation. They started dating in the spring, and after each finished their masters work, were married here at St. Stephen’s!
Kristy is a school administrator, currently serving as the Assistant Superintendent and Director of Curriculum and Instruction for schools in Plumas County.
Together they have two children: Abby, 15, and John, 13. Abby will be attending Miramonte where she hopes to continue playing Golf, Basketball, and Softball. John will be at OIS, where he hopes to play soccer. John also is an avid swimmer and speed cuber. John can often be found scrambling and solving Rubik’s cubes of all shapes and sizes.
As a family, the Warrens love to spend time on the water, where they all enjoy waterskiing, wake surfing and Paddleboarding. They also enjoy their favorite hobby discovered during covid—pizza making!
