Season 14: Healing the World Through New Models of Ministry | Episode 3
Leveraging Weddings for Extraordinary Impact
Overview
What if a wedding could be more than a celebration of love between two people—what if it could also be a catalyst for healing, dignity, and new beginnings?
In this episode, we sit down with Samantha Mathews, the visionary CEO and Founder of The Andrée Collective, who is reimagining the wedding industry as a space for social transformation. Rooted in compassion and creativity, Samantha’s work empowers women who have survived trauma—especially domestic violence—by offering them meaningful pathways to employment, confidence, and connection.
Through her deeply human approach, beauty becomes more than aesthetics—it becomes a force for resilience. We talk about the values that fuel her mission, the sacred stories of recovery and hope woven into each event, and how something as personal as a wedding can ripple outward to change lives and communities.
Meet Our Guest
Samantha Matthews
Samantha Mathews MA, LPC, NCC, is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor and founder of Andrée Collective. Sam discovered her passion for serving female trauma survivors at the start of her career in nonprofit fundraising with a domestic violence/sexual assault dual agency in North Carolina and has spent the last ten years gaining invaluable experience in the field while laying the groundwork for Andrée Collective. Since completing her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Sam has worked tirelessly for the survivor population and towards her greater purpose: seeing women thrive. Sam is actively committed to serving the greater Philadelphia region through Andrée Collective as well as her involvement in church and education.
Meet Our Co-Host
Rev. Dr. Amy Butler
Rev. Dr. Amy Butler is the founder of the philanthropic initiative Invested Faith. She previously served as the first woman senior minister of The Riverside Church in New York City, senior pastor of Calvary Baptist Church (D.C.), associate pastor at St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, and intentional interim minister at National City Christian Church (D.C.). Amy holds degrees from Baylor University, the International Baptist Theological Seminary, and Wesley Theological Seminary. She's a mother of three children and currently lives in Hawaii.
Amy is the author of Beautiful and Terrible Things: Faith, Doubt, and Discovering a Way Back to Each Other. Her new book, Holy Disruption: A Manifesto for the Future of Faith Communities, with Dawn Darwin Weaks, will be out September 16!
Show Notes
Samantha Mathews MA, LPC, NCC, is a Clinical Mental Health Counselor and founder of Andrée Collective. Sam discovered her passion for serving female trauma survivors at the start of her career in nonprofit fundraising with a domestic violence/sexual assault dual agency in North Carolina and has spent the last ten years gaining invaluable experience in the field while laying the groundwork for Andrée Collective. Since completing her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Sam has worked tirelessly for the survivor population and towards her greater purpose: seeing women thrive. Sam is actively committed to serving the greater Philadelphia region through Andrée Collective as well as her involvement in church and education.
Rev. Dr. Amy Butler is the founder of the philanthropic initiative Invested Faith. She previously served as the first woman senior minister of The Riverside Church in New York City, senior pastor of Calvary Baptist Church (D.C.), associate pastor at St. Charles Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans, and intentional interim minister at National City Christian Church (D.C.). Amy holds degrees from Baylor University, the International Baptist Theological Seminary, and Wesley Theological Seminary. She's a mother of three children and currently lives in Hawaii.
Amy is the author of Beautiful and Terrible Things: Faith, Doubt, and Discovering a Way Back to Each Other. Her new book, Holy Disruption: A Manifesto for the Future of Faith Communities, with Dawn Darwin Weaks, will be out September 16!
Visit our show’s website at www.ignitingimagination.org.
To view videos of podcast episodes, please go to the Igniting Imagination YouTube.
To receive emails about the podcast, subscribe to our Learning and Innovation emails here. We know your inbox is inundated these days; we aim to send you content that is inspiring, innovative, and impactful for your life and ministry.
Next Steps
Subscribe
Subscribe for inspiration and insights for your life and ministry. We send emails about each episode and include additional related resources related to the episode’s topic.
Leave a Review
If you enjoy the podcast, please consider leaving a short review? It increases our rankings and helps us to reach more people all over the world.
