Evangelical Leader John M. Perkins, Champion of Social Justice, Dies at 95

Perkins created an influential network of community-development ministries focused on racial reconciliation and helping the poor.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 4:56pm

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The Rev. John M. Perkins, a Black evangelical leader who created an influential network of community-development ministries fostering social justice and racial reconciliation, died at his home in Jackson, Mississippi at the age of 95. Perkins was known for his faith-based approach to uplifting impoverished communities and his message of forgiveness, even towards the white officers who had once brutalized him.

Why it matters

Perkins was a transformative voice in the years after the civil rights movement, bridging the divide between evangelical Christianity and social justice. His 'whole Gospel' approach of combining spiritual nourishment with practical programs for economic and community development served as a model for many faith-based organizations working in distressed areas.

The details

Perkins started his ministry in the small town of Mendenhall, Mississippi in the 1960s, organizing voter registration drives and boycotts against local white-owned businesses. In 1970, he was brutally beaten by Mississippi police while trying to bail out students involved in his ministry, but responded with a message of forgiveness. Over the following decades, Perkins expanded his work, creating a network of churches, clinics, and community development programs across the country focused on uplifting the poor and promoting racial reconciliation.

  • Perkins was born on June 16, 1930 in New Hebron, Mississippi.
  • In 1970, Perkins was beaten by Mississippi police while trying to bail out students, leaving him hospitalized.
  • Perkins published his influential book 'Let Justice Roll Down' in 1976, which was widely read in evangelical circles.
  • Perkins moved to Pasadena, California in 1982 to start new ministries, including the Christian Community Health Fellowship and the Christian Community Development Association.
  • Perkins passed away at his home in Jackson, Mississippi on March 14, 2026 at the age of 95.

The players

John M. Perkins

A Black evangelical leader who created an influential network of community-development ministries focused on social justice and racial reconciliation.

Priscilla Perkins

Perkins' daughter, who confirmed his death.

Charles Marsh

A professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia who had written about Perkins.

Dolphus Weary

A minister who succeeded Perkins in running his ministry.

Bryan Stevenson

A lawyer and human rights advocate who founded the Equal Justice Initiative.

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What they’re saying

“People were asking the question, How do we take this precious gospel to the poor without dehumanizing them and without making a free handout? John Perkins gave people the concept of how to do that.”

— Dolphus Weary, Minister

“The highest calling of God is to love your neighbor as you love yourself. The organization is styled on the life of Jesus, who had the greatest concern for the weakest of people.”

— John M. Perkins

“I'm not waiting until I get to heaven. I'm doing what I can do here on earth. What I've got to do in my life, I have to do in time. I'll be judged by what I do in time.”

— John M. Perkins

The takeaway

Perkins' life and work demonstrated how faith-based community development can uplift the poor and marginalized, while also promoting racial reconciliation and a more just society. His message of forgiveness and concern for the 'weakest of people' continues to inspire many in the evangelical and social justice movements.