Matt Ybanez
Neighboring Pastor
Matt is a native Texan who was born in Houston and grew up in San Marcos. After graduating from San Marcos High School in 2002, he attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX, where he met his future wife, Aimee (a lifelong member of FUMC Hurst) during their First-year Seminar in August of their freshman year. They graduated from SU in 2006 and were married in July that same summer, by Rev. Philip Rhodes. Matt and Aimee have two smart, beautiful daughters who were born in 2009 and 2011.
Matt discerned a call to ministry at the age of 16, thanks to his family and his experience with youth ministry at his home church, FUMC San Marcos. It wasn’t until Aimee prodded Matt to get involved with FUMC Georgetown in 2003 that he began to take steps towards a career in ministry. Matt served as an assistant youth-director at FUMC Georgetown from 2003-2006, then as the assistant youth-director here at FUMC Hurst from 2006-2009. While serving as the assistant youth-director here, Matt also attended seminary at Perkins School of Theology and graduated with a master’s degree in church ministries in 2009. That same year, Matt was commissioned as a deacon in the Central Texas Conference of the UMC and was appointed as the Minister with Youth and Their Families at FUMC Hurst. Matt was fully ordained as a deacon in 2011 and served as the youth minister until 2017, when he transitioned out of youth ministry to serve as the Minister of Missions and Evangelism.
Matt is deeply passionate about helping FUMC Hurst carry out its mission ministries, both locally and globally, and seeks creative ways to bridge the gifts of the people of FUMC Hurst with the needs of the community around us.