Our Staff

Father Matt Woodley

My story with Jesus and the church:

Every weekend my dad and mom and six siblings piled into our wood-paneled station wagon and trekked to church–an event that often bored me almost to tears. On a positive note, though, as soon as the service ended I could get back to something actually fun and interesting, like spending time outdoors collecting colorful rocks or playing baseball and kick the can. For the first sixteen years of my life I tried to ignore the God. If he existed, he was kind of a cosmic bully.

But I couldn’t shake what one poet called “The Hound of Heaven,” the persistent pursuit of Jesus who calls and draws sinners to himself. In a high school study hall, I met a friend who was a Christian. When he invited me to church I met a group of people who sincerely loved God, cared for each other, and wanted to bless the world with Christ’s love. After working hard to ignore or run from a God I dreaded, I surrendered to a Savior who truly loved me. Throughout the past 40 years as a follower of Jesus, I have worked in the corporate world, pastored three churches (two in Minnesota and one on Long Island, New York), and worked in editing/publishing. In 2010 I left the pastoral ministry with no intentions to return. But through Christ’s healing work in my life and the beauty of Church of the Resurrection and her leaders, God slowly drew me back into pastoral ministry.

How I serve at Resurrection: 

As the Missions Pastor, I oversee our work in the following areas: local missions, global missions (we support missions partners and Anglican partnerships in places like Nigeria, Cambodia, Brazil, the Middle East, Chad, etc.), and evangelism (or learning how to share Christ’s love in everyday life).

Phone: 630-653-3888  extension 7121