Photo by Aila Boyd
By Aila Boyd
Matthew Aldas delivered his first sermon at Buchanan Presbyterian Church in his new position as minister on Sunday.
Aldas comes to Buchanan from Roanoke, where he served for the past two years as an associate pastor for youth at Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church.
Originally from Dallas, Texas, Aldas attended seminary in Austin, Texas.
“It was just a really good fit,” he said of coming to Virginia to serve at Raleigh Court Presbyterian Church. He noted that an added benefit was that his wife’s parents live in Lynchburg, so they were able to be closer to her family.
Aldas explained that he was perfectly happy where he was when he was approached by a group of worshipers at Buchanan Presbyterian Church who wanted to inquire about his interest in becoming their new minster after viewing a video of one of his sermons on the internet, but the opportunity to lead his own congregation was too good of an offer to refuse.
“I wasn’t actually looking to leave youth ministry, but we [the church] had some great conversations that made me feel at liberty to just be who I am. I told them what I’m about and what I hope to accomplish in ministry. It appeared that it was a good fit. It felt like something I had to do,” Aldas said of accepting his new position in Buchanan.
Going forward, Aldas said that he will be working to get a better feel for what the congregation would like to see and where the needs are. “The idea is to partner with local churches that don’t have established youth ministries so that we can use our space together,” he said. “I love kids.”
Aldas replaced Skip Hastings, who was serving in an interim capacity.
Aldas, his wife, and three children currently reside in Roanoke. They plan to move into the church’s parsonage next August.
“I’m a people person. I get energized by building relationships. I love to be able to sit with people during the high points and low points of their lives and let them know that they matter,” he said. “I look forward to getting to being able to get involved in the lives of people here in Buchanan.”