Rev. Lea Matthews

Lea (she/her) is the Associate Pastor at St. Paul & St. Andrew in New York City. Lea has been called and is committed to doing the intentional and intersectional work of actualizing our collective liberation. As an ordained deacon, her ministry focuses on growing souls, building inclusive and supportive community, and expanding and deepening faith life beyond worship. Lea is on the Leadership Team of D3 Open Arms, which helps to support newly arriving students and their families in District 3 public schools. She is also a consultant with the Interfaith Center, working collaboratively with faith leaders from diverse houses of worship to support refugees and asylum-seekers in the city.

She serves on the Metropolitan District Committee on Ministries in the New York Annual Conference. She is on the Executive Leadership Committee of the United Methodist Queer Clergy Caucus and is a member of the Advisory Board of Methodists in New Directions. She also is on the Board of Lutheran Higher Education Ministries, which support progressive, ecumenical campus ministries in Manhattan. Since 2016, she has worked at Union Theological Seminary, supporting students professionally and pastorally in peer groups. Lea received her Master of Divinity from Union Theological Seminary, with a concentration in Biblical Studies and Pastoral Care.

She holds a Master of Education from Lehman College and a Bachelor of Arts from San Francisco State University, where she studied literature and human sexuality. Lea taught English Language Arts in the Bronx Public Schools for a decade, before entering the ministry. She currently resides in the Bronx, with her wife, Rachel, and their daughter, Nora.

Lightning Round:

• • Favorite Food: Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and collard greens, y’all!
  • Little Known Fact: U.S. Women’s Soccer Team mega fan
  • Unwinding Activity: Reading queer romance novels
  • Words to Live By: “Do justice, love kindness & walk humbly with God.”