A Man of Vision and Purpose.
Pastor Zachary E. Carey is a courageous community leader, organizer and advocate. As a transformative leader, he energizes our city and encourages people to live their best life. Affectionately known as Pastor Zac, he is the current shepherd of a West Oakland icon True Vine Ministries, where his father, Newton Carey, Jr. pastored for 26 years.
Born and raised in Oakland, Pastor Zac is invested in Oakland and understands the impact the church can make in the world. His mantra is “the church mission cannot be confined to the four walls of a building.” For over three decades, Pastor Zac has fought, with unwavering passion and commitment, to eradicate the violence, drug abuse, unemployment and under-education that plaguse the city of Oakland and its surrounding communities.
Pastor Carey began his ministry career walking and teaching in West Oakland neighborhoods, in particular, the Acorn housing project. As the former youth pastor, Pastor Zac conducted church service in Santa Rita prison for several years. It was during this time that he began to understand how the cycle of violence, under-education, and drug abuse destroys families and our community.
As a founding member of the non-profit D & N Institute, Pastor Zac and his parents, Newton and Sallie Carey, began a free food and clothing program that has clothed and fed thousands of people over the past twenty years. Pastor Zack, his wife, Dr. Donna Carey and The D & N Institute host an annual Block Party and Health Fair that provide free clothing, food, and health screenings to over 1000 Bay Area residents.
Under Pastor Zac’s leadership, True Vine Ministries was selected by former Senator Don Perata as one of two Oakland sites for the Senator’s gun buy-back program, aimed at reducing handgun violence in Oakland. Pastor Zack also founded True Vine’s SAVE (Soldiers Against Violence Everywhere) Ministry, which organizes weekly peace “stand ins” in locations of recent homicides throughout Oakland.
Pastor Zac is also a powerful voice for the global community. In 2005, he joined with the Bay Area chapter of Rainbow PUSH, Inc. to organize weekly community boycotts of British Petroleum (BP)-owned gas stations. As part of a special delegation with Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., Pastor Zack participated in a peace and leadership summit in South Africa. He also was selected by Congresswoman Barbara Lee to attend the Congressional Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. Pastor Zack also partnered with Congresswoman Barbara Lee and Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. on a media campaign to spread awareness of the Medi-Cal Part D program to low-income seniors.
Pastor Zac has a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. He is married to Dr. Donna C. Carey and has a daughter, Trinity and Son Zachary Jr.