Staff

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The Reverend Dr. Robert Strenth
Rector

Father Rob was ordained to the priesthood in 2022 after serving 5 years as a vocational deacon at Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Sanford, Florida. He has a passion for preaching, teaching, and celebrating the Eucharist. Although born in Orlando, Rob grew up in towns across Texas and Louisiana, before returning to Central Florida after serving in the US Army.

Rob holds a B.A. with Honors in History and two graduate degrees from the University of Florida. He earned his doctorate from the University of Central Florida examining moral reasoning and moral decision making. He attended seminary at Reformed Theological Seminary.

Rob spent 26 years as a teacher, administrator, and principal with Orange County Public Schools before being called to be the rector of St. Matthew’s. Rob’s wife, Leslie, is a three-time graduate of Florida State University and serves as a middle school guidance counselor. They share two adult children, Caroline and Preston, and four cats. Rob enjoys watching classic movies, adding to his Star Wars collection, and dreams of having a Lionel train layout one day.

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David Somers
Deacon

​I was the oldest of three boys and raised in a conservative Baptist home in Michigan. I move to Central Florida in 1975 and have lived here ever since and I consider myself a Floridian. I earned a degree in English from Oral Roberts University where my understanding of faith changed radically. I became an Episcopalian because I fell in love with the freedom of the liturgy and the traditions of the greater church and because most of the English faculty seemed to go there too.

I have three children. The oldest lives in Japan with his family and my two grandchildren. My daughter, a physical therapy doctor, lives in Pittsburgh with her fiance. My other son resides in Orlando working in the game industry.

I have recently retired after working for 40 years as a technical writer in the aerospace industry. My hobbies are raising rabbits, reading, disc golf, running, brewing beer, and playing video games. My wife and I are big Orlando Magic fans.
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I was ordained a deacon in 2010. Since then I have completed a Master of Ministry degree and Nashotah House, an Episcopal seminary in Wisconsin. My faith is very simple. I believe in God. I believe that God is good. I believe that Jesus is the most perfect expression of God’s love. The role of the deacon is to have one foot in the church and one in the world. I like that. The emphasis of my ministry is on visitation and community outreach.

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Jennifer Latterell
Children's & Youth Ministry Coordinator

Jennifer has served in Children’s Ministry at St. Matthew’s for nearly 20 years. She works closely with our children and families to develop relationships and cultivate learning experiences for our children that enhance community and build connection. 

Jennifer has a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education with a certification in Preschool Disabilities. She teaches Early Education at UCF and Valencia and works with local state agencies to provide higher quality education for our children state-wide. She has 4 children ranging in age from Middle School through College. She was born and raised in Orlando, loves to travel and have fun with family and friends. 

I love being the Children’s and Youth Ministry Coordinator at St. Matthew’s. It is truly an opportunity to teach children the faith, grace, and love that God has given to me time and time again. I look forward to more opportunities to grow in love with our children and families of St. Matthew’s.

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Raphael Arenas Fernandez
Music Minister

Raphael Arenas Fernandez is all about making a joyful noise and is a hymnologist, music minister, educator, and interdisciplinary music artist from Longwood, Florida.

As a musician trained by Juilliard and Curtis faculty, he began his musical career as a pianist at the age of four and was awarded the coveted Paderewski gold medal in his first year of eligibility and currently serves as an adjudicator for the Florida Federation of Music Clubs. As a conductor he has led both amateur and professional choirs, orchestras and operas like the Aiken Symphony Orchestra, the Eastman-Rochester Chorale, the Bach Millennium Opera, the Notre Dame University Chorale, the Notre Dame Children's Choir, and the Rollins College Opera Theater. He is an international winner of the World Melody Music Competition's First Prize in Conducting and the World Classical Music Awards' Gold Prize in Conducting. As a composer, his interest is in polyphonic and instrumental hymnody, psalmody, and sacred opera.

He was an All-State cellist and as an undergraduate, was recognized by his alma mater as the most outstanding string performer collaborating and soloing with local and international guest artists on the stages of the Bob Carr Theater and Dr. Phillips Performing Arts Center. He earned his Masters Degree in Sacred Music from the University of Notre Dame as a Fassler Fellow and his Bachelors Degree in music from Rollins College as a Nelson Scholar and was their Marshall Scholar nominee.

He maintains an active performance schedule with various ensembles to include Opera Orlando and is the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park's Bach Choral Scholar and has served as the classical guest conductor for the Central Florida Community Arts Orchestra, the largest of its kind in the United States. He also performs internationally and was featured at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, as the winner of the Annual Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition and is also the winner of the World Melody Music Competition's Vocal Performance Division and the World Classical Music Awards' Vocal Performance Category.

He is the former music director of Annunciation Catholic Church and is currently Cristo Rey Orlando's music director designee, St. Matthew Episcopal Church's music minister, and the Congregation of Reform Judaism's choir conductor.

In his spare time, he enjoys reading sacred scripture, mentoring his studio students, and sharing home cooked meals.