ALF Insight’s newest faculty member, Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews, has built a career at the intersection of faith and community organizing. He is the Principal for Prophetic Foundry, LLC, a consultancy at the nexus of spirituality, healing, and justice. The Compton native and ALF Senior Fellow from Class XLI spoke to me about the connections between faith and movement building, his path to leadership, and how he recharges his spirit during stressful times.
Demone: Your work focuses on the intersections between faith and grassroots organizing. Could you talk a bit about the role of the church in social movements and this concept of “sacred resistance” to injustice?
Michael-Ray: Sure! I grew up in a large, historic African American church in Los Angeles, and two main things were really instilled in me there. First, a deep appreciation for connecting with the sacred—a rich, meaningful relationship with the divine, as my pastor would say. Second, a strong sense of responsibility toward the community, particularly the Black community. The congregation was largely made up of folks who had migrated from places like Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma in the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s.
The people who raised me were children of the Civil Rights Movement—most had gone to HBCUs and were chasing the dream, even though the assassination of Dr. King and other events made them question it. But there was this undeniable sense of community responsibility. So, when I felt called to ministry at 12, I always saw my role as twofold: helping people connect with the sacred and stewarding our relationship with the community. As the community in my part of LA evolved, this expanded to include the growing Hispanic/Latino and Korean communities.
By the time I was in grad school, I started to see congregations as spaces for organizing—building relationships within the church to deepen our connection to the sacred and our ties to the broader community. This led me to think about how to build the kind of power needed to make real, meaningful change in people’s everyday lives.
Sacred resistance is really about reigniting the flame of the Black church’s legacy as a center of resistance against injustice. It is a framework I developed with colleagues in Faith in Action, particularly in response to the Ferguson uprising ten years ago. It’s about recognizing systemic injustices and having a clear determination to resist—not just resist but also create and build new things. It’s about saying no to empire and yes to the concept of Beloved Community, replacing human hierarchy with dignity, scarcity with abundance, and isolation with belonging.
D: What led you to join ALF? And what was your cohort experience like?
MR: I came to San Jose in 2000 to pastor Grace Baptist Church and was there for eight years. I was invited to join ALF multiple times, but to be honest, I just couldn’t afford it the first few times. It took about 15 years before I finally made it work financially.
When I finally joined, I wanted to be part of that community of leaders from different sectors. As a young pastor, I was looking for leadership development and connections. By the time I joined, though, I was one of the older members of my cohort—which I’m still getting used to—but it was a really diverse and supportive group. We still stay in touch, celebrate each other’s work, and help each other out. It’s deepened my commitment to ALF and made me want to help steward its work in the region.
D: Your work stresses the importance of tough conversations. Why is that so critical today, particularly in this region?
MR: Well, we’re in a really tough moment as a society. Hyper-individualism, isolation, loneliness, and fear are all very prevalent right now. I think a lot of what we’re dealing with is driven by grief—grief over what’s been lost, whether that’s power, resources, connection, or respect. And there’s fear about more loss to come. So, people retreat into their own worlds or small groups of like-minded folks for safety.
However, while that dynamic plays out on cultural, social, and political levels, communities like ALF must practice alternative ways of living with these tensions. Sacred resistance comes into play here, too—resisting the pull toward separation and embracing connection instead. It’s not easy. Every day, I feel how different I am from others, but I also believe we need to build bridges across those differences and practice seeing each other as part of the same human family.
D: In your role with ALF Insights, where you’re doing facilitation and consulting, how do you see your experience as a faith leader and organizer contributing to that space?
MR: I think my experience as an organizer and spiritual leader is directly applicable. I’ve facilitated many kinds of conversations, often with people who think very differently from each other. I’ve also worked to create spaces for courageous, inclusive conversations. I think my experience in collective spiritual practices will be valuable, too—helping people find peace and connection in the midst of stress and differences. I plan to show up fully as a spiritual leader, facilitator, and organizer.
D: You deal with some heavy topics in your work. How do you unwind and recharge?
MR: I sing—constantly. Singing is my go-to, whether in the shower, walking down the street, or anywhere else. What I miss most is singing in community—iit’sprobably the spiritual practice I miss the most. I also practice yoga, although I’m currently recovering from hip surgery, so I’m not back in the studio just yet. And, of course, I will spend time with my family and my church community and occasionally travel when I can. Even just taking long walks in different places is healing for me.
Demone Carter is an award-winning Hip Hop artist, creative catalyst, and non-profit administrator who works to foster equity across race and class in San Jose. Demone is the Director of Community Engagement for Sacred Heart Community Service, an ALF Senior Fellow (Class XXXVI), and a member of the ALF Insights faculty.
ALF Insights, a service of American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley, is committed to bringing groups of people together in spaces of productive tension in order to build deeper relationships that lead to powerful community impact. Learn more and meet the full ALF Insights team at alfinsights.org.
