In the sermon “The Drum Major Instinct” delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia on 4 February 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke of wanting to be remembered as a drum major (leader of the marching band) for justice after his death. The Lord Jesus led people to the beat of a different drum—to the drumbeat of love, truth, and justice as he journeyed to the cross. He proclaimed the whole gospel of the kingdom in word and deed to make individuals and their communities whole.

Today, there is an urgent need to proclaim the life-changing and society-changing Gospel in word and deed. Dr. John M. Perkins and Dr. Paul Louis Metzger consider themselves drum majors for love, truth, and justice: love because our world is full of hate, and people desperately need to know God’s love through his Son, Jesus Christ, whom God sent to save the world; truth because individual and community life is often built on the shaky foundations of hearsay, fads, and whatever feels good, and people desperately need to build their lives on the authoritative and unshakable teaching of God’s word; and justice because equity is often a commodity that can be bought and sold, and the marginalized desperately need to see that there is justice for all.

As drum majors, Drs. Perkins and Metzger want to inspire people across the nation to pursue a biblical vision of love, truth, and justice where the all-consuming love of Jesus revealed in the Bible consumes those things that divide us, like race and class barriers. They will be speaking in different locations nationally, working with churches and community groups to raise up well-trained and educated Christian leaders who are passionately engaged in proclaiming the whole gospel of the kingdom in word and deed through the church, to the whole person, in the whole community.

They view their roles in this Drum Majors partnership as instruments of inspiration and consultation, helping to mobilize communities to take ownership and address the issues they are facing, impacting their cities and towns. Thus, they are not looking for those who stand by and clap as the band passes, but for those who will join them on their march, playing their parts in the love, truth, and justice band.

The Drum Majors Tour Package:

Drs. Perkins and Metzger contextualize their talks and sessions to meet the needs of the communities to whom they speak. Here is a sample weekend conference format: an introductory talk on Friday evening (”That Sense of Urgency”), two workshops on Saturday morning (one on the biblical and theological foundations-”Toward a Theology of Engagement,” and the other on community development-”Beyond Charity: The 3 R’s”), a moderated forum on Saturday afternoon on spiritual formation (”Marathon Runners in the Making”), a session dedicated to getting groups to build a self-sustaining network on Saturday afternoon based on mutual trust and collective ownership (”Owning the Pond Together”), and a closing talk on Sunday morning (”Reflecting God’s Kingdom-Where Do We Go From Here?”). Here is the sample outline (other formats as well as weekday frameworks are also available):

• “That Sense of Urgency,” Drs. Perkins and Metzger (Friday Night)
• “Toward a Theology of Engagement,” Dr. Metzger (Saturday Morning)
• “Beyond Charity—the 3 R’s,” Dr. Perkins (Saturday Morning)
• “Marathon Runners in the Making,” A Moderated Discussion with Drs. Perkins and Metzger (Saturday Afternoon)
• “Owning the Pond Together,” A Moderated Discussion with Drs. Perkins and Metzger, and Community Leaders (Saturday Afternoon)
• “Reflecting God’s Kingdom—Where Do We Go From Here?” Drs. Perkins and Metzger (Sunday Morning)

Desired outcomes would include the following four components:

• A greater grasp of biblical and theological foundations for Christian community development work.
• Practical insights on how to do Christian community development work.
• Attentiveness to the needed spiritual maturation process.
• Logistical guidance on how to build a network of associations committed to building the trust, passion, and infrastructure necessary to establish and sustain vibrant communities.

The Drum Majors:

Dr. John M. Perkins is the Founder of the John M. Perkins Foundation for Reconciliation and Development, Co-Founder of the Christian Community Development Association, and author and editor of numerous works, including Let Justice Roll Down and With Justice for All: A Strategy for Community Development. Dr. Perkins has served as an advisor to several U.S. Presidents on poverty and justice related matters.
Dr. Paul Louis Metzger is Professor of Christian Theology & Theology of Culture at Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Oregon, Founder and Director of the seminary’s Institute for the Theology of Culture: New Wine, New Wineskins, and author and editor of numerous works, including Consuming Jesus: Beyond Race and Class Divisions in a Consumer Church.

Additional Details:

Further information about the partnership will be posted on consumingjesus.org, as it becomes available. The contact person for the “Drum Majors for Love, Truth and Justice” partnership is Mr. Ronn Elzinga (503-222-7216).

Endorsements:

“Drum Majors for Love, Truth and Justice has captured the voice of our generation. Drs. Perkins and Metzger are the perfect spokesmen for this movement, understanding the urgent need to proclaim the life-changing and society-changing message of the Gospel through word and deed. They have been a respected voice for justice, truth, and love in our area for years, and have challenged thousands to think more Biblically to recognize ways that our evangelical community can step up to share the whole Gospel with the whole person. I’m excited to see how the Lord will continue to use these two leaders, and this movement, to challenge the Body of Christ, bring us together as one, and reach out with the relevant message of Christ.”
Kevin Palau, Executive Vice President, Luis Palau Association

“ The time is now for a prophetic voice to shout theologically and practically, inspiring and equipping a new breed of evangelical. Drs. Perkins and Metzger do this convincingly, pounding out a gospel centered cadence. This gospel of grace builds the city through love, truth, and justice. It breaks in, confronting our consumerism, our relational walls of separation, and our societal structures of injustice. Though from diverse cultural backgrounds, these Drum Majors, like B.B. and Bono, make a beautiful sound when their message of love, truth, and justice comes to town. At Imago Dei, our community is enriched and I am inspired and convicted repeatedly by their message and their partnership.”
Clark Blakeman, Director of Community Relations, Imago Dei Community Church, Portland, Oregon

“Drum Majors for Truth, Love, and Justice helped our school set aside time to consider what we are doing, or not doing, when it comes to injustices in our community. With so many questions of community identity and protectionism during harder economic times, it was refreshing to remember what we can do and that we can start putting one foot in front of the other now. The Gospel message of love was presented by both Dr. Perkins and Dr. Metzger, each in his own capacity to speak to different aspects of college and community life. This conference kept us on track to keep these issues at the forefront of our minds and reflected the urgency of the needs. Calvin College is very happy to have had the opportunity to host these fine Drum Majors!”
Erin O’Connor-Garcia, Coordinator for Student Activities and Organizations, Calvin College

“Although Dr. Perkins and Dr. Metzger are very different from each other, they challenged us in a single unified message beautifully woven together. They called us to critically examine our own lives and our role as Christians to serve as agents of transformation in our culture and society. I heartily endorse their ministry, and encourage pastors elsewhere to invite them to bring their inspirational and transformational message to their towns and cities.”
Jack Kooreman, Senior Pastor, Grace Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan”

“We were moved and inspired by Dr. Paul Louis Metzger and Dr. John M. Perkins to work as a community and as brothers and sisters to be the united body of Christ in meeting the needs of the greater Portland area. This required honest and open discussions about the past and how to forge new relationships with the entire Christian community to do Kingdom work. I have known both Paul and John for many years and consider them to be men of integrity, and my friends. I wholeheartedly endorse and support the work they do with Drum Majors for Love Truth and Justice and believe the body of Christ is growing as a result of their work.”
David Greenidge, Senior Pastor, Tigard Covenant Church

Its not easy being green.

Environmentally green that is. But we here at the Perkins Foundation believe, as stewards of the Earth, that it is our responsibility. God gave us dominion over this world and with that responsibility comes the duty to among other things conserve water, recycle, drive less, use less electricity, garden and compost. We’ve taken a number of small steps to make it easy for our staff, Zechariah 8 families and Perkins Center children to be environmentally friendly.

For our Zechariah 8 families we’ve provided recycling bins and a schedule of things they can do to easily play their part. Jackson recycling services picks up twice a month and we’ve also created a recycling drop off for our families here at the Perkins Center. We’ve also begun our community garden project where our Z8 families can plant, tend to and harvest their own produce.

Our children have started a recycling program with Capri Sun through which they collect used packages and get a refund from Capri Sun that goes towards the Afterschool Program. They also recycle their bottles, cans and paper and help sort the recycling that comes in from our Z8 families. They also help water and tend the garden during the program.

For our staff and Perkins Center facilities we’ve changed all of our lightbulbs to energy-saving bulbs, try to use natural light during the workday and utilize the garden and compost. We hope to build our first “green” house in the near future. Wayne Perkins is in the process of learning how to do just that! If you or someone you know might want to help us please contact our office!

We encourage all people, Christian and non, to think about their relationship to the Earth and thoughtfully pursue how you can be part of the solution to the environmental problems of our time.

On January 19, 2009 a group of Belhaven College students proved the school’s motto — “To serve, not to be served” — is more than just an empty slogan.

To commemorate Martin Luther King Day a group of 80 Belhaven students joined the staff of the Perkins Foundation for a day of service. The 80 students were members of Belhaven’s men’s soccer team and women’s softaball, volleyball and soccer teams. The coaches and managers pitched in, too.

“We love coming down here to help out,” Men’s soccer coach Steve DeCou said. “What 80 of us do in a few hours might take one person a whole week.”

Its a school-wide day of service each MLK Day. Classes are cancelled and students are encouraged to find a ministry, church or school to volunteer at.

“We appreciate Belhaven so much,” Volunteer Coordinator Wayne Perkins said. “Its always great to have folks from the school around.

As the students left Wayne signed them up for another year.

“Same time next year, y’all!”

“We’ll be here!” one of the students shouted back.

If you’re interested in volunteering at the Perkins Center call Wayne at 601-238-3024.

As part of our “Meet Me at the Well” gathering each month we’re adding a weekly Wednesday noon prayer time. We’re praying at noon because that is when Jesus met the Samaritan woman at the well. We want to join Him there because we’re thirsty — thirsty for a mid-day drink.

This “meeting” will take place on a conference call and will only last 30 minutes as we want to respect participants’ time and schedules. To join the conference call each week:

Dial - (218) 339-2500
Enter Access Code - 805585 followed by the “#” sign

Please email your prayer requests to Elizabeth Perkins before the end of the day Tuesday each week.

Quotes from mission team members who have spent time in Jackson at the Perkins Foundation.

“The staff was very helpful. It was wonderful to be able to connect with the staff and youth they serve in such an in-depth way.”

“After returning home we are seeing our outreach here as more holistic than ever before. We now see the people we serve in a new light.”

“To have an opportunity to stretch our hearts toward service in the midst of conversations on race was great. Our group was challenged to continue to speak out against racial and social oppression and to keep fighting for justice!”

“I had a fantastic time working with the Perkins Foundation staff. They are all such great people who have hearts of passion for what they do and it shows. Its contagious!”

Hearing Dr. John Perkins discuss the ministry of the John M. Perkins Foundation in Seattle, Washington last year was enough to motivate homebuilder Ryan Anderson to join the ministry’s cause of rebuilding communities. Through Dr. Perkins’ message he caught the vision of the Foundation’s Zechariah 8 Community project and wanted to help.

So in January 2008, Anderson and 11 employees of the Seattle-based R.W. Anderson Homes came down South to renovate a house on Voorhees Ave. in West Jackson.

“God has truly blessed my business. I believe He blesses us so we can bless others. All we have is His anyways,” Anderson said. As he began to reap the harvest of a successful business, he began to ask God how he could show His gratitude. He felt God telling him it was time to give back and last year he and his staff went to work alongside the people of Uganda.

This year Anderson and his team of volunteers decided to give more money towards the work project instead of airfare and volunteer in the United States somewhere. Many of them worked extra hours to raise money for the trip and all were supported in some way by families and friends in Seattle. With the money they raised they paid their own airfare and donated a substantial amount to the Voorhees home.

Jackson resident J.W. Sturgiss was delighted that the group chose to come to Jackson. He lives across the street from the renovated home and has seen people move in and out for the past two or three years. He said after the original homeowners lost the home, different families have rented the property and let it fall into disrepair.

“The house was really in bad shape,” said the 73-year-old Jackson resident. “These young people have come in here and done a wonderful job on the house. Everything is looking really nice.”

The volunteers, in their 20’s and 30’s, were excited about the opportunity to beautify the home and provide a home for a needy family. They also enjoyed meeting some of the families living in the Z8 community. Among them were Angela Andrews and Rachel Bratton, who prepared meals for the group during their stay.

The two women said it’s the least they could do for the group who left their homes, wives, fiancés and children for a week to fix up a house for people they don’t even know. They both said that despite working from early morning to late at night they always saw smiles on their faces.

“They didn’t have to do this, but they did. Willingly,” says Angela Andrews. “They were also wonderful with my twin boys. God bless them all!”