Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Matthew

St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church
The congregation has been located at 178 Bennett Avenue since 2006
General information
Town or city	Manhattan, New York City
Country	United States of America
Construction started	1671, 1673, 1729, 1767, 1822, 1841, 1847, 1906, 1926, 1956
Completed	1671, 1673, 1729, 1767, 1822, 1841, 1847, 1906, 1927, 1957
Client	St. Matthew's German Lutheran Church
Design and construction
Architect	John Boese (1903)

Coordinates: 40°51′21.64″N 73°56′3.8″W / 40.8560111°N 73.934389°W / 40.8560111; -73.934389

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of St. Matthew is the oldest Lutheran congregation in North America. The congregation is a member of the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. Since 2006, the congregation has been located at the Cornerstone Center, 178 Bennett Avenue in Manhattan, New York City. The congregation has been known by different names, only acquiring the name St. Matthew in 1822 and using it exclusively since 1838.

The congregation was founded in 1643 by Dutch Lutherans in New Amsterdam but the church was not chartered until December 6, 1664, when the new governor, Richard Nicolls, issued a charter.after the British had taken control of the colony in April 1664.

The first church building was constructed in 1671 on the present Broadway site of Trinity Episcopal Church, outside the walls of the city. This building was destroyed in 1673, and the congregation constructed a new church to the south of Rector Street and Broadway. This structure was later described as a "cattle shed" and replaced with a new stone edifice known as Trinity Church, and dedicated on June 29, 1729.

German-speaking members seceded from the congregation in 1750 and purchased a brewery on Cliff Street, which became Christ Church Lutheran. That year, the Rev. Henry Melchoir Muhlenberg began to serve the church, starting a parish school in 1752. Beginning in 1770, Rev. Bernard Michael Houseal served the church for 14 years. His home and Trinity Church was destroyed during the New York Fire of 1776. The church records escaped the fire and the congregation thereafter worshiped in the Cedar Street Scotch Presbyterian Church. In 1874, Rev. Houseal escaped New York as a Loyalist. In 1784, Christ Church Lutheran united with Trinity Lutheran Church as the United German Lutheran Churches in New York City. After the merger, services were held in the former Christ Church building at Frankfort and William streets, which had been built in 1767 and was known as The Old Swamp Church.