An Important Announcement from Rev. Matt Gaston

It is with much prayer and great thanksgiving for you, my church family, that I announce I have sent a letter to Bishop Ruben Saenz, Jr. requesting retirement status effective July 1, 2026. 

It has been a true gift to serve as your pastor for the past 10 years. It is an honor to preach the Word, celebrate the sacraments, and be with you during those sacred moments of our lives. It has been a joy to live and laugh with you as we have grown in our discipleship to Christ and service to our mission field. My life is richer for loving faithfully with you. 

Together, we have connected God and grace to ourselves and to the community. We have welcomed an increasing diversity of God’s children into our fellowship, right-sized our campus, created a new front door for a new chapter, become debt-free, and will soon have a $1M Permanent Endowment to help fund ministry going forward. 

For me, 2026 marks 67 years of life, 40 years of ministry, 40 years of marriage, and 10 years at FUMC Plano. The time is right for a fresh voice with fresh ideas to have the privilege I was given in 2016 – to love and work alongside you for the sake of the next chapter of Christ’s mission in our region.

I will work diligently with our Staff Parish Relations Committee, our District Superintendent, Rev. Philip Rhodes, and our staff to pave the way for a smooth and successful transition for my successor, just as Jan Samuels and Rev. Ron Henderson did for me. I am thankful to God for this incredible church and people. You bless me daily, and I love you all.

Breathe peace,

Matt Gaston
Lead Pastor