The Justice Journey Includes Visit to the Perkins Center

The Revs.Dearal Jordan, left, and Alvin Bibb, Sr. were leaders of Justice Journey II

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On Friday, June 10, the Perkins Foundation staff welcomed 57 visitors to the organization's Jackson, MS headquarters. These were members of Justice Journey II, a monumental event for two Illinois congregations that embarked on a 7-day journey to some of the historic Civil Rights sites.

Willow Creek Community Church, a predominantly white 20,000-member congregation, and Salem Baptist Church, a 20,000-member predominantly black congregation, came together across racial and denominational lines to experience racial awareness of a different sort.

 The trip brought the struggles and the history of the Civil Rights movement to life for this group which visited historic in such cities  as Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis, and Jackson.

"Many of us have read and heard about these historic cornerstones in relationship with the Civil Rights movement," said the Rev. Alvin Bibbs, Sr., the Justice Journey visionary. "Last year we did a pilot program with a group of about 14. We're delighted this year's group has increased to 57.

"The timing of this Justice Journey is perfect,” he added. “God is stirring something up in the hearts of influential leaders across our nation, such as Bill Hybels ( Willow Creek's senior pastor) and Pastor (James) Meeks (senior pastor of Salem) and making racial reconciliation and justice a core value within their churches.”

So when Bibbs decided to organize the Justice Journey, Dr. John Perkins, founder of the John M. Perkins Foundation for Reconciliation & Development, was the first person he called.

“When God laid the vision for the Justice Journey on my heart, I pushed back on it,” says Bibbs. “I felt the vision was too much for me. I felt that the first person I needed to share it with was Dr. Perkins.

"I’ll never forget the day I told him about it. He immediately said, ‘Man, that’s it! I’m in. I’ll do whatever you need me to do."

Perkins accompanied the team on their pioneer journey on last year and again this year, joining them in Nashville on June 5. He continued his trek with the Justice Journey team until his arrival in Jackson on June 10. The Justice Journey ended a day later in Memphis.

Perkins calls the coming together of these two mega churches "something monumental."

 “This trip is a fulfillment of a dream," he said earlier. "I have longed for a day when we could give a trip like this a Christian try."

 Perkins, who Bibbs introduced to the group as “the Godfather of Racial Reconciliation” shared encouraging messages with the group each day. He also shared information about many of the sites they visited, among them King Center and Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

"This has been a wonderful experience," said the Rev. Dearal Jordan, Salem's pastor of pastoral care and Salem's team coordinator. "Overall, this trip has meant that God is able to bring people together under one banner and they then discover they are all alike. It's good to see that.

"Personally, I think God has helped me be more aware of what the calling in my life should be - reconciling for God, being an ambassador of Christ."

Jordan added that team members have bonded and built genuine relationships.

"It's great when a predominantly black church and a predominantly white church can come together for seven days of living together, crying together, eating together, fellowshipping together and worshiping together," said Jordan. "Being a part of it all is such an awesome thing."

Jordan added that it was wonderful to have Dr. Perkins accompanying the group on such a major part of the journey Sitting in his presence, listening and talking with Perkins was such an educational and inspirational.

"He has just blown me away," Jordan said with much enthusiasm. "Just to see and hear some of the things he has gone through was remarkable. The history here in Jackson is remarkable!"

In addition to visiting the Perkins Center, where the group spent time  clearing weeds, mowing, raking and edging the front lawn, the group visited  the home of Civil Rights martyr Medgar Evers.  Evers was a leader in the Civil Rights movement in Mississippi. In 1955, he opened the state National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) office in Jackson. He was hunted down at his own home for his Civil Rights leadership role and in June  1963 Evers was shot in the back as he got out of his car.

Members of the group were emotionally moved as they saw evidence of blood stains yet in the driveway of the Evers' home Perkins, known for speaking his mind, said, "It’s hard for my white brothers and sisters to understand the woundedness of black people. That’s what makes reconciliation so hard. One doesn’t want to walk in that woundedness again.

"It makes reconciliation hard, but that’s why this Justice Journey is so important. It’s about reconciliation. It’s similar to having a scab on a sore; the scabs have to come off before the wound can heal. With this trip, we’ve been taking off the scabs."

Team members return to the Justice Journey tour bus after rain shortened a work day at the Perkins Center.