Clergy & Staff

The Reverend Matthew Ainsley

The Ainsley family comes to Lafayette after nearly two decades of life and ministry in Orlando, FL. Fr. Matt was born and raised in Hampton Roads, Virginia. He grew up attending a large Baptist church that founded a Christian school in the mid-1980s. In short, he lived at the church and school. At only fifteen, the Lord impressed upon Matt that he was to be a pastor. With his mother, youth pastor, and a host of mentors as guides, he began to discern a call. As a high school student, he had the opportunity to preach in youth group, at juvenile detention homes, and occasionally in “big church” (i.e., the main service).

Fast-forward to the summer before his senior year of college, when Matt accepted an internship at a large non-denominational church in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.  It was there that he met the love of his life, Kasey.  Shortly after they wed, Matt accepted a call to serve as youth pastor at a church in the Orlando area.  There, in Central Florida, their two daughters, Windsor and Pippa, were born. 

At the same time, Matt & Kasey were welcoming children into the world, the Lord was calling them into a new church context.  The Ainsleys had only ever worshipped and worked in Baptist and Non-Denominational churches.  So how on earth did they end up in the Episcopal church? The truncated explanation is that the Lord put a deep longing for the sacramental life and for “the faith delivered once for all to the saints” (Jude 3) into Matt’s heart.

Pastor Matt became Father Matt on September 16, 2015.  Prior to coming to Ascension, Fr. Matt served in the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida as Assistant Rector at Ascension in Orlando and, most recently, as Vicar of All Souls in Horizon West.  Fr. Matt is a graduate of Liberty University (B.A. in Religion), Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary (M.A.R. in Theology), The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and Nashotah House Theological Seminary (Certificate in Anglican Studies).  He continues his theological education, having taken doctoral-level coursework, and anticipates formal entry into a program soon.

The Ainsley family is thrilled to be part of Ascension Episcopal Church and School. As a priest in Christ’s Church, Fr. Matt is devoted to the faith and practice of the Ancient Church. His priestly and pastoral ministry centers on preaching and teaching the Bible, a zeal for worshipping the Triune God with reverence and awe, and a commitment to fostering Christ-centered relationships within the parish. He looks forward, prayerfully, to Ascension’s growth in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Email: [email protected]