Episode Description
What if the pain we carry, the power we share, and the bridges we build are all the Spirit’s way of healing the church?
“We’re familia. We’re a family, and we love each other. The Spirit flows between us back and forth.”
Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra—pastor, organizer, and academic dean of Centro Latino at Fuller Theological Seminary—joins host Nikki Toyama-Szeto for a luminous conversation about bridge-building, intergenerational love, and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.
Drawing from her decades of leadership in faith-rooted organizing, immigration reform, and accompaniment of marginalized communities, Salvatierra tells stories from the Puentes Collective of young Hispanic leaders navigating faith, identity, and pain.
Together they explore power sharing, healing from internalized colonialism, and the vocation of those who live between cultures. What if pain itself could become liberation’s instrument? What if the vitality of small storefront churches could reshape global Christianity? Salvatierra’s vision is not of a church to be rethought, but a church to be seen—vital, collective, and alive in the Spirit.
Key Moments
“We’re familia. We’re a family, and we love each other. The Spirit flows between us back and forth.”
“I killed people. How am I gonna judge you? All I know is the love of Christ. Christ does not love me more than you.”
“That very torn, code-switching place is such a place from which you can heal the church.”
“It doesn’t need to be rethought—it needs to be accompanied.”
“Our young people are working with orthopathos—the use of suffering for liberation.”
About the Contributors
Rev. Dr. Alexia Salvatierra is Academic Dean of the Centro Latino and Assistant Professor of Integral Mission and Global Transformation at Fuller Theological Seminary. A Lutheran pastor, scholar, and community organizer, she co-authored Faith-Rooted Organizing: Mobilizing the Church in Service to the World. Her ministry has catalyzed movements for immigration reform and economic justice, including the New Sanctuary Movement, Evangelical Immigration Table, and Matthew 25/Mateo 25 Network.
Faith-Rooted Organizing: Mobilizing the Church in Service to the World
https://www.ivpress.com/faith-rooted-organizing
Centro Latino at Fuller Theological Seminary
https://www.fuller.edu/academics/centro-latino/
New Sanctuary Movement
https://www.newsanctuarynyc.org/
Evangelical Immigration Table
https://evangelicalimmigrationtable.com/
Nikki Toyama-Szeto is the executive director of Christians for Social Action and host of Credible Witness. Her leadership amplifies marginalized voices and equips the church for faithful public engagement in pursuit of justice, mercy, and love.
Christians for Social Action
https://www.iamccda.org/nikki-toyama-szeto/
Roots and Calling
Alexia Salvatierra describes growing up in a socialist, anti-religious family and finding faith through the Jesus Movement.
Identifies as “Luther-costal,” blending liberation theology, evangelical commitment, and charismatic spirituality.
“All the way through my ministry, I’ve been called to the intersection between the church and the world.”
Faith-Rooted Organizing and Justice Movements
Formed by the sanctuary movement for Central American refugees, the farm-worker movement, and the pro-democracy campaign against Marcos.
Co-founded the New Sanctuary Movement, Evangelical Immigration Table, and the Matthew 25 / Mateo 25 Network.
Co-author of Faith-Rooted Organizing—an alternative model deeply grounded in the gospel.
The Bridge Builders—Puentes Collective
Bilingual, bicultural Hispanic millennials serving as bridges between immigrant and non-immigrant churches.
“They’re not just finding bridges—they’re becoming the bridge.”
Created the Puentes Network to empower leadership and research theological education and church revitalization.
Intergenerational Power Sharing
Conflict between older and younger activists during pandemic economic-justice debates leads to deeper love.
“Even those of our young people who’ve left the church haven’t really left, because we’re family.”
Structures justice by ensuring Puentes have “power, not just voice.”
Stories of Vital Communities
A queer Puente finds healing in a Pentecostal church that welcomes her and her trans partner.
Pastor Ruben Nuno: “I killed people. How am I gonna judge you? All I know is the love of Christ.”
“They find Jesus and they find healing.”
Familia, Faith, and Transformation
Story of the Molina family—Renee Sr. and Jr.—demonstrating intergenerational trust, conflict, and love in Hispanic congregations.
“He walked through fire, and the fire of the Holy Spirit is in him. I warm myself at that fire.”
Pain, Suffering, and Liberation
All Puentes experience deep pain holding multiple worlds and identities.
“The story is positive, deeply positive—but there is this really deep pain.”
“Our young people are working with orthopathos—the use of suffering for liberation.”
The Holy Spirit and Healing
Integrating trauma and resilience through ecstatic worship and communal healing.
“Praise is medicine for the soul.”
“We trust the Spirit—and that helps.”
Identity as Vocation
“That torn place between worlds is where you can heal the church.”
Puentes called to revitalize both multicultural and Spanish-speaking congregations.
Rethinking—or Accompanying—the Church
Salvatierra challenges the premise of “rethinking church.”
“Our churches are vital—they don’t need to be rethought; they need to be accompanied.”
Calls for visibility of Hispanic congregations’ vitality and Spirit-filled life.
Power, Colonialism, and Sharing Authority
Diagnoses internalized colonialism as “the wounds of power over.”
Advocates “power with”—collective, fluid, relational leadership.
“We have to heal these internalized wounds.”
Intersectionality and Depth
Warns against the “thinness” of doing everything superficially.
“Not check-the-boxes work—but deeper, more powerful, choreographed work.”
Envisions global dialogue on reshaping and re-dancing the church in the Spirit.
Conversational Arc
- Early life in anti-religious family; conversion through the Jesus Movement.
- Ministry formation in sanctuary, farm-worker, and pro-democracy movements.
- Creation of Faith-Rooted Organizing model.
- Emergence of Puentes Collective bridging immigrant and non-immigrant churches.
- Intergenerational power-sharing conflict resolved through love.
- Story of queer Puente welcomed into Pentecostal community.
- Molina family: intergenerational transformation and mutual honor.
- Recognition of communal pain and Holy Spirit-led resilience.
- Identity as vocation: healing from the margins.
- From “rethinking church” to “accompanying church,” sharing power and re-dancing together.
Production Credits
Credible Witness is brought to you by the Rethinking Church Initiative. Hosted by Nikki Toyama-Szeto. Produced by Mark Labberton, Sarey Martin Concepción, and Evan Rosa.
Credible Witness is brought to you by the Rethinking Church Initiative. Produced and edited by Mark Labberton, Sarey Martin Concepcion and Evan Rosa. Hosted by Nikki Toyama-Szeto.
Special thanks to Fuller Theological Seminary, Christians for Social Action, and to Brenda Salter McNeill, whose book inspired the title of the show.
For more information, visit CredibleWitness.us.