Reverend Ray Mackey is an Author, Executive Pastor, and Founder of Higher Impact Ministries (H.I.M.), a faith-based ministry with a mission dedicated to lifting urban and under-resourced communities through the power of literacy. He is a Fellow of Harvard Divinity School, Religion’s & The Practice of Peace Colloquium, and is the visionary of the Lifting Through Literacy Initiative, powered by Footsteps2Brillance. In addition to partnering with the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation and the Good Reasons Houston Coalition, he participates as an NGO Representative in Peace Building Missions through the U.N. Peace Building Support Office, and has served as a registered Faith Based Liaison to the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships during President Barack Obama’s Administration. Reverend Mackey’s aptitude for uniting people from different cultures and faiths stems from his participation in numerous co-operative missions and travel delegations.

The broader vision of H.I.M. is to build strong and sustainable micro-communities that empower families through education, enrichment, and cooperative dialogue.  Utilizing a multi-stakeholder, collective impact model, H.I.M. helps to create new opportunities for “every community, every family, and every child” to be “lifted out of darkness and into the marvelous light”, thereby reaffirming a brighter future for all. The Lifting through Literacy Initiative helps to serve under-served, and under-resourced communities by empowering parents, caregivers, early childhood centers, and school districts with literacy resources and support systems essential to the preparation of children for kindergarten readiness and third grade reading proficiency. Through its collaboration with Footsteps2Brillance, H.I.M is expanding its literacy work to accelerate student achievement by uniting the power of mobile game technology with the latest in cognitive research.  Because 98% of parents own a mobile device today, through this 21st century model, H.I.M. will be able to scale early literacy citywide and provide the resources parents need in both English and Spanish.

Reverend Mackey has been inspired by Barbara Bush, The First Lady of Literacy, who said, “If you help a person to read, then their opportunities in life will be endless”, and that “everyone deserves the opportunity to reach his or her God-given potential.” Ultimately he has determined that we make the greatest impact in life when we improve the lives of every community member, every family, and every child through literacy and the understanding that “we are all united through HIM.”

Reverend Mackey is a leader beyond the Church; he has held civic positions, served as an Ambassador of the Houston Galleria Chamber of Commerce, Member of the Asian Chamber of Commerce, Member of the Greater Houston Partnerships Health Care Business Development Committee and Partner of The Texas Southern University’s Professional Development Mentor’s Program. His passion for community, civic crisis and strategies, social and religious issues is what drives him to serve in various charitable capacities. He currently serves on civic and scholastic executive committees, including Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Faith Council, The Greater Houston Partnership’s Early Matters Steering Committee, Financial Chair of The Houston Symphony’s African American Leadership Council, Literacy Partner of The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation, The Metropolitan Baptist Minister’s Conference-Political Advisory Committee, and most recently serves on Houston ISD’s “One Community Council” formerly the African American Advisory Council in the wake of its reorganization. Reverend Mackey is married to wife Tanya and is a proud father of three exceptional young adult children. He is continually driven by Matthew 22:14, “For many are called, but few are chosen”