Michael-Ray Mathews: Who Will Be A Witness

As a special bonus for our listeners, we have created a series to commemorate Inverse Podcast co-host Dr Drew Hart's brand new book *Who Will Be a Witness: Igniting Activism For God's Justice, Love and Deliverance.* In these additional episodes we will interview friends and co-workers to discuss chapter by chapter Drew's new book. These conversations were recorded in community with friends from around the world as past of Inverse's ongoing work to create formation experiences that deepen our witness to God's justice, love and deliverance. *Who Will Be a Witness* offers a vision for communities of faith to organize for deliverance and justice in their neighborhoods, states, and nation as an essential part of living out the call of Jesus. Drew provides incisive insights into Scripture and history, along with illuminating personal stories, to help us identify how the witness of the church has become mangled by Christendom, white supremacy, and religious nationalism. He provides a wide range of options for congregations seeking to give witness to Jesus' ethic of love for and solidarity with the vulnerable. At a time when many feel disillusioned and distressed, Drew calls the church to action, offering a way forward that is deeply rooted in the life and witness of Jesus. Drew's testimony is powerful, personal, and profound, serving as a compass that points the church to the future and offers us a path toward meaningful social change and a more faithful witness to the way of Jesus. (Buy Drew's new book [here](http://https://www.amazon.com/Who-Will-Be-Witness-Deliverance/dp/1513806580/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=who+will+be+a+witness&qid=1599640684&s=books&sr=1-1).) This conversation discusses Chapter Eight of ***Who Will Be a Witness*** with Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews. Michael-Ray Mathews (he/him/his) brings over 30 years of leadership experience – as a senior pastor, grassroots leader, psalmist and community organizer – to his work as Deputy Director for [Faith in Action](http://https://www.faithinaction.org/) (formerly PICO National Network). He is the host of the [Prophetic Resistance Podcast](https://propheticresistancepodcast.libsyn.com/website), where he engages multi-faith leaders in conversations about cultivating communities of belonging and sacred resistance to injustice. Rev. Mathews is president of the [Alliance of Baptists](https://www.allianceofbaptists.org/), a progressive movement for justice and healing, and co-editor of *Trouble the Waters: A Christian Resource for the Work of Racial Justice*. A visiting professor of public theology at [American Baptist Seminary of the West ](http://bst.edu/)in Berkeley, he is also a senior fellow at Auburn Seminary in New York. Michael-Ray is co-founder of and public theologian-in-residence with [Sympara](http://www.sympara.org/), a multifaith/interspiritual community of practice, repurposing spiritual assets for the common good. Follow Michael-Ray on [Twitter](http://twitter.com/mrmathews): @mrmathews, [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/mrmathews): /mrmathews, and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/michaelraymathews/): @michaelraymathews. Follow Drew Hart on [Instagram](http://http://instagram.com/druhart) and [Twitter](http://https://twitter.com/druhart) @druhart. Follow Jarrod McKenna on [Instagram](http://https://www.instagram.com/jarrodmckenna) and [Twitter](http://jarrodmckenna) @jarrodmckenna Music: We Fly Free by Julie Kerr @juliekkerr