Matt moved to Madison from Arizona in the fall of 2002 and has been a member of Door Creek Church since the fall of 2003.  He has been happily married since May 2004 to Tessa Lowinske Desmond.  Matt enjoys all things outdoors (hiking, fishing, camping) as well as basketball, painting, reading, traveling, and playing with his rambunctious Old English Sheepdog, Owen. 

Currently an advanced graduate student of sociology at the University of Wisconsin, Matt studies organizations and work, risky technology, inequality, and race relations.  He is the recipient of the Harvey Fellowship, a three-year scholarship for Christian graduate students in top academic departments seeking to integrate their faith and vocation.  Because sociology possesses the potential to better the lives of disadvantaged people, through shaping public policy and informing critical debate, Matt understands sociology as his response to Christ's command to advocate on behalf of the poor and powerless.  His doctoral dissertation will examine practices of racial segregation in Milwaukee, America's most segregated city.

Since joining the Door Creek Church family, Matt has been a member of a Bible study group, ushered, coordinated an outreach project to serve homeless families, worked with the Habitat for Humanity Apostles Build, played (poorly) in the church basketball league, helped teach Sunday school, and, yes, dressed up like a clown and twisted animal balloons at Celebration Sunday Picnic.  As a current member of the Community Outreach leadership triad, Matt works with others to mobilize the resources of Door Creek Church to reach out to those in need living in Madison and its surrounding communities.