A Day of Celebration

     More than 100 friends and well-wishers gathered at the Voice of Calvary Worship Center in Jackson, Miss. on April 15 to honor Dr. John M. Perkins, the recipient of the 2005 Leadership Award.

     Presented by the Washington, D. C.-based Center for Public Justice, the award recognized Perkins as a "pioneer in equipping Christian citizens to transform communities, mentor to young leaders, defender to the poor, and advocate for justice and racial reconciliation in the service of Jesus Christ."

    In 1989, Perkins co-founded the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA), a national network of evangelical churches and ministries dedicated to training Christians to reclaim and restore under-resourced communities. He and his wife, Vera Mae,  started several ministries, including Mendenhall Ministries in Mendenhall, Mississippi,  the Harambee Christian Family Center in Pasadena, Calif., and Voice of Calvary.

     Perkins is an international speaker and teacher on racial reconciliation, leadership and community development. He has received seven honorary doctorates recognizing his outstanding leadership in racial reconciliation and Christian community development. He also has written and co-authored several books, including A Quiet Revolution, Let Justice Roll Down, Restoring At-Risk Communities and He's My Brother.

     Jim Skillen, president of the Center for Public Justice, said the organization selected Perkins for the award because of his commitment to change a political system that breeds inequality, as well as community work.

     "He has been primarily occupied with what most people consider charitable work, but not with a blind eye to the public, legal arena" Skillen said. "He has been an inspiration in my life after I heard him speak in 1970.

     "In fact, he was one of the first people the center invited to speak," he added.

     Others were on hand to honor Perkins and speak about the impact he has made on their lives. Among them were the Rev. Phil Reed, president of Voice of Calvary Ministries; the Rev. Dolphus Weary, president of Mission Mississippi; Mississippi State Auditor Phil Bryant; Darel Thigpen, president of Mendenhall Ministries; and Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson Jr.

     "Like many of you, I knew of Dr. Perkins before I knew him," said Johnson. "long before faith-based was in, Dr. Perkins had a vision and he saw to it that the church went outside the four walls.

     "He believes in and pushes racial reconciliation. The fruit of his labor is seen in the mixed bag of people out here celebrating his accomplishments."

     Thigpen added that he's glad Dr. Perkins' fruit is still growing. He considers himself a product of Perkins' labor. He had worked for several years as an administrator at a private school in Metro Jackson, but one day he found himself without a job. He had no money in his pockets and as a result he found himself isolated from friends. They didn't want to hang around him any more.

     At his low point in his life, Perkins came to the rescue and offered him a job in Mendenhall. It's a job Thigpen says he loves and enjoys.

     "I thank God for this man," Thigpen said of Perkins. "He's special to me."

     Bryant added that Perkins taught him that those in government and other prestigious positions "could also get out of their ivory towers, roll up their sleeves and go to work."

    He told the audience that a few years ago he was introduced to Perkins and Mission Mississippi, a Christian racial reconciliation organization Perkins helped establish. They looked at him, a  white republican from Rankin County (Mississippi) and said "come on brother; we need you, too." As a result Bryant began to work in the area of reconciliation. He even became a mentor to a young man in Midtown, Jackson's inner city.

     Comparing Perkins to Moses, who lead Israelites  out of captivity and into the Promised Land, Bryant told those attending the luncheon, "some of you in this room have to step up and lead the way for the rest of us."

     Perkins, 74,  has had a long journey through the wilderness, he added. Since 1960 Perkins and his wife, Vera Mae, have worked for change in Mississippi. They started several ministries, including The Mendenhall Ministries in Mendenhall, Miss.; Voice of Calvary Ministries in Jackson, Miss.; and the Harambee Christian Family Center in Pasadena, Calif. He has received a number of civic awards, as well as seven honorary doctorates recognizing his outstanding leadership in racial reconciliation and Christian community development.

   "It's our pleasure to share the spotlight with what has happened here in Jackson and Mendenhall," said Bryant. "We are thankful for Dr. Perkins."