At age 28, Rev. Landry became the youngest ordained elder in the Indiana Conference. He was appointed pastor of the Winamac UMC in July 2010, his first church appointment. He grew up in Knox, and his family attended the Methodist church in Monterey.

Pastor Matt, as he is generally known, graduated from Knox High School and earned his bachelor's degree in business administration in 2007 from the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne. He then completed his master's of divinity in 2010 from the Methodist Theological School in Delaware, OH. That same year he was commissioned as a provisionary elder in the Indiana Conference of the United Methodist Church.

In the Methodist discipline, elders lead and serve the entire church with primary responsibility for the preaching and teaching ministry. The elder is responsible for administering the sacraments and ordering the ministry of the church. Most elders serve as pastors in charge of local congregations. However, elders may be appointed to extension ministries, and serve in a variety of settings. Bishops and district superintendents are chosen from among ordained elders.

Pastor Matt received recommendations to become a candidate for ordination while still an undergraduate student at Saint Francis. He describes the lengthy journey as a “process of discernment” for both him and the church. It has included completing his master’s of divinity degree, plus mentorships, much paperwork, examinations, seminars, study and interviews.

“I view the ordination process as an affirmation of a person’s call to the ministry,” Rev. Landry explains. “The church is positioning me to fulfill this calling, to serve where I am called and do what needs to be done.”

An avid enthusiast of history and continued education, Pastor Matt observes that from a historical perspective, his ordination class will be “just six generations removed from John Wesley (the founder of the Methodist doctrine) – as well as a handing down of the apostolic task of communicating the faith.”

Several Winamac and Monterey UMC congregation members, along with family and friends of Pastor Matt attended Saturday's ordination ceremony in Indianapolis. A celebration lunch followed the service. The Winamac congregation also celebrated the ordination the following day during worship service. A church picnic lunch followed for both the Winamac and Monterey congregations.

Rev. Landry's parents are Wayne and Sandy Landry of Knox. He is married to Candace Buell Landry of Fort Wayne.