Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Careers, Workplace and Religion
When I’m 85: A Journey With Dr. John Perkins

When I’m 85: A Journey With Dr. John Perkins

Last updated on: November 19, 2015 at 10:52 am by Guest Contributor

When I’m 85: A Journey With Dr. John Perkins 2015-11-19T10:52:24-05:00 Guest Contributor

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

By David Spickard: published at the Jobs for Life blog on 11/4/15.

On an unseasonably cool day this past summer, I found myself driving a rental car through the backroads of Mendenhall, Mississippi. It had been a long time since I had been in Mississippi. Growing up, I frequently visited Jackson to see my grandparents, but after they died, I had not had found an opportunity to visit again.

But on this day, the gentleman in the passenger seat gave me a good reason to come. Dr. John Perkins was taking me along with my teammates at Jobs for Life, Byron McMillan and Alex Ford, on a tour of the history of his ministry – an experience we’ve captured on video on our Jobs for Life podcast.

The Lord has given me several days in my life I will not forget. Thankfully, this is one of them.

“Take a right here,” he said to me as he guided us into an area just beside the town of Mendenhall. “You see over there, the whites lived on the top of the hill….Blacks lived on this side of the tracks in the quarters. It was in the lowlands. This would flood over here. That’s how it got the name D’lo, Mississippi. The man said, ‘This was a damn low place.’ So, when it got time to register it, it became D’lo.”

Dr. Perkins (“JP” as his friends call him) is a noted civil rights leader and co-founder of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA). He along with his wife, Vera Mae, started Voice of Calvary Ministries in Mendenhall as a response to the racial violence he experienced in the late 60’s and early 70’s.

Having been brutally beaten at the hands of white authorities who resented his efforts to seek justice for African Americans, JP made it his life goal to face injustice square in the eye through a ministry of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Starting with Voice of Calvary, he has given his life to equipping and raising up indigenous leaders, revitalizing neighborhoods though job creation and affordable housing, giving a voice to those who are voiceless, planting churches, and helping people become reconciled to Christ and one another.

Next week, I along with thousands of others will attend the CCDA National Conference in Memphis, TN. It’s an annual conference of people all over the world committed to seeing under resourced communities restored and people experience life and hope through Christ.

Each morning, we will get up early so that we don’t miss one of the highlights of the conference…Dr. Perkins’ bible study.

He’s 85 now and has hardly slowed down since the beginning of Voice of Calvary Ministries. The day we spent with him in Mendenhall, he talked for seven hours straight.

Watching JP makes me wonder what I will be doing at 85. Lord willing, if I live that long and have good health, would I get up each day fueled by a deep passion to see God restore deep places of brokenness? Would I spend extended time with people half my age encouraging and casting vision to them? Would I still live with purpose knowing time is short and God is still using me?

I sure hope so.

Click here to watch our drive through Mendenhall and tour of Voice of Calvary Ministries.

David Spickard is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Jobs for Life (JfL), a global non-profit organization that engages and equips the local church to address the impact of joblessness through the dignity of work. He lives in Raleigh, NC with his wife, Alice, and their four children.

Previous Post

November 18, 2015

What do you do when your idealism crumbles?

Next Post

November 20, 2015 It's Never Too Late to Head Back to School

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Audio posts Bible and Work Book Review Books Budgeting Calling Common Good Community Development Conferences Discipleship Economics Entrepreneurship Ethics Faith and Family Faith and the Marketplace Faith and the Workplace faith and work History of Work and Vocation Leadership Local Church Meaning New Blogger News Prayer Relationships Seminaries Theology of Work Uncategorized Video posts Vocation Worship Resources

Select a Month April 2026 October 2025 September 2025 July 2025 April 2025 January 2025 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 May 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 August 2023 July 2023 April 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 May 2022 April 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 June 2021 May 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 January 2020 December 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 April 2018 March 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

In the New Testament what is the last book?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Matthew Luke Titus Revelation