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John Perkins

John Perkins

June 16, 1930 – March 13, 2026

Civil Rights Leader & Pastor

Beaten for his faith, chose forgiveness — pioneered Christian community development

Biography

American civil rights leader, evangelical minister, and community developer. Growing up in rural Mississippi, he fled north after his brother was shot by a deputy marshal. After his conversion to Christianity, he returned to Mississippi to minister to the poor and became a leader in the Christian Community Development Association.

Faith & Testimony

Perkins is a deeply evangelical Christian whose faith drove him back to the very community he had fled. Beaten nearly to death by Mississippi state police in 1970, he chose forgiveness over bitterness. He pioneered the '3 R's' of Christian community development — relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution — all grounded in gospel theology. Endorsed by John Piper, Tim Keller, and other Reformed leaders.

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