Matthew McKellar has been pastor of Sylvania since August 1987.  He was born on May 19, 1960 in Mt. Pleasant, Texas to Lee and the late Ruby McKellar.  Following graduation from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1978, he attended Baylor University where he received the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1982.  He attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and received the Master of Divinity degree in 1985 and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1991.  Matthew served as a trustee of Southwestern Seminary from 1996-2006 and since 1989 has served periodically as an adjunct professor at Dallas Baptist University, East Texas Baptist University, the Criswell College and the Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary.

Matthew married Jennifer Jeffress on August 13, 1982.  They are the parents of three daughters: Caroline, and her husband, Justin Pillsbury, live in Jackson, MS, where he serves as Minister to Students at First Presbyterian Church and she is a nurse at Baptist Medical Center. Rebecca is a junior at Texas Tech University, studying elementary education. Mattie is an eighth-grader at Grace Community School.

Outside of his pastoral, pulpit and teaching ministry, Matthew enjoys reading, music and spending time with his family.