St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rowan County, North Carolina, was organized on Sunday, April 15, 1838, by Rev. Benjamin Arey, the church's first pastor.

On March 1, 1838, thirty-three persons participated in a communion service. A class of twenty-five persons was confirmed on March 3, 1838. We do not have a charter membership list, but it is most likely that the congregation was made up of those listed at the communion service of March 1, and the class confirmed on March 3. The first baptismal record is for Michael Bame, son of Samuel and Anna Bame on April 16, 1838.

The congregation worshiped at different places before a church was built, sometimes in a barn or under a walnut tree at Abram Hill's home or at Rufty's Mill. On February 21, 1845, John and Anna Wilhelm sold the church three acres of land for $10.00 for church purposes. The church was called Wilhelm's Church for many years. The first house of worship built on this lot was a frame structure with a gallery on three sides and a high pulpit on the north end. It stood across the road in what is now part of the grave yard.

On April 12, 1882, the cornerstone was laid for the 40 X 60 foot frame structure that is still in use. A tower was built in 1910 and in 1924 transepts were added. Two Sunday School wings were constructed in 1951, and the interior of the church refinished. The first parsonage was built in 1889 about a mile west of the church. The current parsonage was built in 1934 near the church. IN 1959, people in the congregation built a Fellowship Building across the road from the church. A new Educational Building with Sunday School and office space was dedicated on May 13, 1990, located on the west side of the sanctuary. The Family Life Center dedication was celebrated on May 1, 2011. It includes a multi-use space that is suitable for services, meetings and a gym, a professional kitchen, classroom space, and a parlor.

The church has been connected with different churches in parish relationships but agreed in 1947 to call and support a full-time pastor. This is the home church of Rev. J. L. Morgan, first full-time president of the NC Synod; Rev. P. J. Bame; Rev. John L. Morgan; Rev. J. D. Stoner; Rev. W. Gilmer Boggs; Rev. Bill Hoffner; Rev. J. Marion Boggs; and Rev. Bill Ketchie.

St. Matthew's celebrated its 150th anniversary on April 17, 1988 and its 175th anniversary on April 14, 2013. St. Matthew's is a member of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ. Rev. Jarrod Lanning began serving as our Pastor August 1, 2021.