The Church of the Epiphany

Our Story

An Episcopal community on the Upper East Side — rooted in tradition, growing in love.

Our Story

A parish shaped by faithfulness

Founded in 1833, the Church of the Epiphany is one of New York City's historic Episcopal parishes. We've hopped around; we ministered on the Lower East Side in our early years before relocating to the Upper East Side on York Avenue in the 1930s to minister to the growing hospital community.

The past few years have brought tremendous transition—and renewal. We sold our old home in 2018 and began a years-long move to our new home in the historic Jan Hus Presbyterian Building, undertaking a complete gut renovation, and in the middle of the pandemic. Our new home is considerably larger than our old home, and it is serving our growing community well.

Through it all, we are keeping to our vision: we want to be a community church that gathers, transforms, and sends people out into the world in hope for what God has done, is doing, and will still do.

Parishioners gathered outside the Church of the Epiphany

What We Value

Who we are

These are the commitments that shape our life together — not aspirations, but the values we practice every day.

Sacrificial Love

Love is known by its cost. God's love is demonstrated through self-giving, and our life together is meant to reflect that — an invitation to trust in the sacrificial love of Jesus, and a challenge to model that love for the world.

Radical Welcome

Epiphany is a place for everyone — young, old, and four-footed friends. New parishioners are finding a home, the Wednesday dinner program draws neighbors from the street, and our door and welcome is genuinely wide.

Service to the Margins

The Wednesday Night Dinner Program is not a side program — it's our principal outreach ministry. Our building tenants are chosen by values, not just finances. We measure faithfulness by proximity to those in need.

Joyful, Embodied Community

Bar trivia, pumpkin carving, a fun run, roof barbecues, songwriter rounds, a potluck stewardship Sunday. We clearly like each other, and that's treated as a theological good, not a distraction.

Lay Leadership

The pastoral care committee, the vestry, the volunteer corps at Wednesday dinners, the youth leaders — the model recognizes that the best ministry is done collaboratively between clergy and parishioners. Shared leadership is a value, not just a staffing necessity.

Theological Formation

Thirty weeks of Episcopal curriculum. Deep-dive series on Isaiah. Lenten prayer practices. This is a congregation being asked to think about their faith, not just feel it — making disciples and equipping future saints.

What We Believe

Faith rooted in scripture, tradition, and reason

Episcopalians are part of the worldwide Anglican Communion — a tradition that holds together ancient faith and a generous, inquiring spirit.

The Three-Legged Stool

Anglicans approach faith through scripture, tradition, and reason — holding all three in balance. We take the Bible seriously, not always literally, and trust that God speaks through the church's wisdom and through our own God-given capacity to think.

Sacramental Worship

Our worship is centered on the Eucharist — the thanksgiving meal Jesus gave us. We gather around an open communion table: all baptized Christians are welcome to receive.

Radical Welcome

We celebrate marriages of same-gender and different-gender couples. We believe the image of God is reflected in every person, and we strive to build a community where everyone can bring their full self.

We are part of the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of New York, within the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Our Team

The people who serve this community

Epiphany is led by a dedicated team of clergy and staff, supported by lay leaders and volunteers who make this community run.

The Rev. Matthew Dayton-Welch

The Rev. Matthew Dayton-Welch

Rector

The Reverend Matthew Dayton-Welch is the 16th rector of the Church of the Epiphany in its nearly 200-year history. He presides over a season of vitality for Epiphany and a commitment to its historic passion for community engagement, congregational care, and inviting worship.

Previously, Fr. Matthew served six years as rector of St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, during which the congregation grew threefold. He also held positions at St. David's Episcopal Church in Radnor, Pennsylvania, and Christ Church in Short Hills, New Jersey. He is a graduate of the General Theological Seminary in New York City.

Originally from Oklahoma, Fr. Matthew has extensive experience in the Middle East, having received his calling to ordained ministry while serving as a diplomat at the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem where he worked closely with Jewish, Christian, and Muslim leaders and human rights advocates, and where he led near-weekly walking tours of Jerusalem and Bethlehem for visiting American congressional delegations.

Fr. Matthew is chairman of the Spafford Children's Center in the Old City of Jerusalem, a historic house of hope that provides trauma therapy and academic tutoring for disenfranchised children, and empowerment programs for women and families. He was admitted to the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem by His Majesty King Charles III.

He served as the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania's Canon for the Holy Land and completed six years as trustee of the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. He was an inaugural member of the International Steering Committee for the Princess Basma Center in Jerusalem, an astonishing school and support center for children with disabilities and their families.

Fr. Matthew (Di-Ti-YO-Hi-Ha) is a proud citizen of the Cherokee Nation. He is married to Paul Dayton-Welch, and they live near the church with their dog, Juniper.
The Rev. John Schmidt

The Rev. John Schmidt

Associate Rector

The Reverend John Schmidt has broad experience leading teams and communities across difference, especially individuals experiencing food and housing insecurity, and those justice-impacted. He has a deep love of liturgy and people, especially when a community fashions a common life around practices and habits that lead to loving one another and their neighbors well.

He has a high priority for beauty in the church, and loves creating and making art, and is currently focusing on oil portraits that display the dignity of individuals with warmth and light.

Father John holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Art from Furman University focusing in Woodworking, and a Master of Divinity from Duke Divinity School. He and his wife, Roxy, live in Brooklyn with their dog, Oliver.
AN

Alex Nguyen

Music Director

RH

Robert Howard

Dir. of Parish Administration

MC

Marilyn Castillo

Sunday School Director

GJ

Gerald Jenkins

Head Sexton

LM

Lizzy Murry

Receptionist

Our Building

A ministry hub for the neighborhood

Our historic building at 351 East 74th Street is more than a worship space — it's an instrument of dignity. The building itself functions as a ministry, housing partners whose work aligns with our values and who keep our doors open to the community seven days a week.

The chapel
The gymnasium
The sanctuary
The rooftop garden

The Nave

Our worship space seats the congregation for Sunday Eucharist, weddings, funerals, and special services throughout the liturgical year.

The Bigelow Organ

Installed in 2025, our new Bigelow organ was unloaded by 30 parishioners on delivery day. It anchors a music program that is growing into one of the most vibrant on the Upper East Side.

Rooftop Garden

A hidden gem above the city — our rooftop garden hosts barbecues, receptions, and quiet afternoons alike.

Parish Hall & Gymnasium

The parish hall hosts our Wednesday Night Dinners, community events, and gatherings. The gymnasium serves the neighborhood's children and youth programs.

Building as Ministry

Our building is home to the Carter Burden Network, providing elder services and a daily lunch program, and the Gamut School, serving young people who would otherwise struggle to access education. These partnerships are values-driven — a form of incarnational presence in the neighborhood.

Columbarium

Our columbarium contains 105 niches, offering a sacred resting place within the walls of the church.

Interested in renting our parish hall, rooftop, or gymnasium for your event?

Inquire About Rentals

Come and see

The best way to know Epiphany is to join us on a Sunday morning. Whether you've been part of a church your whole life or you're just curious, there is a place for you here.

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