The Rev. Richard Shippee, Priest-in-Charge at 
Saints Matthew and Mark Episcopal Church since 2011 describes his parish as a generous community that provides a strong worship experience and serves to relieve distress wherever it occurs through numerous outreach programs and financial support. The parish was opened in 1891 in West Barrington by the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island as the "Chapel of Ease" for linen makers and their families who worked in the former mills. Through flood and fire and financial hardships, Saint Matthew's has continued on as a thriving place to worship. The congregation's Queen Anne Gothic Revival-style building is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.