LEAD HOST: Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews

GUESTS: Reverends Rudy & Juanita Rasmus

Seeing Big Ma on the Mothers’ pew of the church, crying her heart out in grief, gratitude and joy, left an indelible mark on me…as a child I knew something powerful and transformative was happening in the front of the church, on “the Mothers Bench.” -MRM 

Conflating the Mother’s & Mourner’s bench as a child, Rev. Mathews has since envisioned ideas of grief, conquering fear, healing, joy and liberation that enflesh theology and hold much-needed space for trauma healing and transformation—not just in body, or mind or the abstracted spirit or soul— but the whole Black Body. The FOUR are joined by Rudy and Juanita Rasmus for a deeply personal and compelling conversation. They are pastors, authors and humanitarians with a passion for healing. Including their own.

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Once lost himself, (in his words, he owned “borderline bordello”), today Pastor Rudy co-leads St. John’s Downtown Houston with his wife, Juanita, of 32 years. 

From nine members in 1992, the church has grown to the thousands where people of every social and economic background share the pew. Pastor Rudy attributes success to tearing down the walls of classism, sexism, and racism, and building compassionate bridges of unconditional love, universal recovery, and unprecedented hope. 

With generous support from government agencies and Beyoncé, Tina and Solange Knowles, St. John’s offers permanent housing to formerly unhoused women and men; employment services, youth empowerment activities; and is one of few faith communities in the U.S. providing HIV/AIDS testing to churchgoers on Sundays. They also lead domestic and global anti-hunger initiatives in conjunction with Beyoncé’s concert tours and distribute over nine tons of fresh produce weekly to hungry families in Houston.