He helped form the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Victoria, was its first president, and established congregations in Australia, the United States and Mexico.

Matthias Goethe was born on 29 March 1827 at Neuendorf (now part of Koblenz, Germany), Rhine Province, Prussia, the eldest child of Johann Heinrich Göth, a labourer, and Anna Katharina Günther.

[3] In England, Goethe met John Dunmore Lang, a leader of the Presbyterian Church in New South Wales.

[12] As well as serving as pastor for the Lutheran Trinity Church in East Melbourne, Goethe established congregations in Grovedale, Ballarat, Bendigo and Castlemaine, and conducted services at other locations.

[14] Goethe wanted his congregation to affiliate with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Australian (ELSA) but there were insurmountable disagreements concerning the hymn and prayer book used in Victoria and other matters.

[16] Citing health reasons, Goethe requested six months' leave on 21 February 1867; the congregation meeting of 9 April 1867 was his last in Melbourne.

A congregation meeting on 15 December 1867 discussed a letter from Goethe saying that he had reached San Francisco in August 1867 and wanted to resign as their pastor.