STAFF
WILLIE MATOS
Lead Pastor
I’m originally from Southern California and I’ve been in ministry for over 30 years in 9 different sates, including Alaska. Our family moved to Richmond from Central Florida in June of 2017 and we love it here!
I went to Westmont College and Alliance Theological Seminary and have have enjoyed traveling and working in parts of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Apart from church work, I also have a background in student development within higher education, as well as the transportation, financial, and restaurant industries.
My wife Beverly and I have three kids and our dog Thor; our sons Nate and Kevin are both grown and out on their own, while our daughter Emma is still home and finishing High School.
I greatly enjoy the outdoors (hunting, fishing, hiking & camping) and anything to do with with adventure. Besides being serious about coffee, I also like learning about leadership, visiting historical sites, listening to jazz, and watching college football. Some of my favorite movies, TV series, books are: The Lord of the Rings, The Bourne series, The Warrior Poet Society, Richmond’s Unhealed History, and The Battle Cry of Freedom: Civil War Era.
CARLTON EDWARDS
Associate Pastor
I grew up a middle child among three boys in Portsmouth, Virginia. After spending four years in the U. S. Air Force, I decided to pursue my love of art studying for two years at
the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Eventually, that pursuit led me to obtain a Ph.D. in communication from Regent University.
I am happily married to my wife Kathy and God blessed us to have parented three children: Hannah, Isaac, and Zoe. While I enjoy sports, reading, traveling, and just spending time with my family, my main passion and greatest joy is teaching God’s Word.
Teaching is at the heart of everything I do. I have spent nearly 30 years as a professor of communication in higher education. I have also taught Bible studies and conducted Christian services in many of the state’s security prisons as a volunteer chaplain for more than 25 years. My passion for helping people understand and apply the Bible’s spiritual truths to their lives is what motivated me to start and pastor a church, Bethel Temple Living Water Ministries in Chester, Virginia, for several years. That same passion is why I serve today as a pastor at West End Church.
KATHIE SZEWCZYK
Church Administrator
I’m Kathie; happy to meet you! I grew up just outside the City of Good Neighbors, also known as Buffalo, NY. (Anyone who has experienced a Buffalo winter will understand the proven nickname!) I moved to Richmond with a job transfer in 2000, but continue to maintain a faithful, yet frustrating, relationship with two of my favorite sports teams, the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres.
After focusing on business studies in high school, I went right into the workforce where my on-the-job training carried me through retail, office, and management jobs. My first full-time job came in 1978, where I met my husband, Steve, and we now enjoy two adult children, their spouses, an incredible grandson, and five grand furbabies.
When I’m not outside helping Steve keep up with our 2-acre country home and expanding garden, you’ll find me in my home office working two administration jobs...or rekindling my love of cooking and baking...or watching sci-fi and crime dramas on TV with Steve.
Stop by my house at any time of the year but don’t be surprised to hear Christmas music, because Jesus’ birth and the ‘reason for the season’ is to be celebrated all year long!
SHARI MCRAE
Worship Arts Director / Women's Group Leader
I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and still love the Steelers and the snow! I graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Psychology and later got my M.A. in Counseling from Ball State University; however, from the age of 6, I have also pursued a love of music.
My ministry experience has included writing, speaking and leading worship in many different contexts over the years. A lifetime highlight for me was the opportunity to record an album of worship music in Nashville in 2015.
My husband Walter and I have 3 grown and married children, and 7 impossibly adorable grandchildren. We live in Glen Allen with 2 dogs, 3 cats, and our 2 teenage “bonus kids,” who came to live with us by God’s grace in 2022. I love to write, bake, and read books (old-fashioned British detective fiction, Jane Austen, and JRR Tolkien are favorites); and I can never get enough pizza!
Brendan Horner
Pastoral Resident
Hi, I'm Brendan. I've spent most of my life in Jacksonville, Florida - where I grew up - and Lynchburg Virginia - where, since 2006, I started in my career in computers, met my wife, finished college, and saw my daughter for the first time.
I am a pastoral resident here at West End, which means I'm a pastor that is in a residency to train in aspects of starting a new church or site. I love fantasy, history, and comedy and will talk to you in movie references while playing a video game yet finding Jesus in any conversation.
My wife is my opposite and is amazing and my daughter sometimes beats me in video games. We love to serve together and we are looking forward to serving WEC. Come join us as we follow Jesus together.