March 13, 2026 — Jackson, Mississippi John M. Perkins, pioneering evangelical minister and civil rights activist known for faith-based community development and racial reconciliation ministries, dies at 95. The influential Black leader, who founded Voice of Calvary Ministries and promoted the “three Rs” of relocation, redistribution and reconciliation, passed away at his home under hospice care from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, surrounded by his wife of 74 years, Vera Mae, and family.
His daughters, Priscilla and V. Elizabeth Perkins, co-presidents of the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation, announced the death.
“To the world, he was Dr. John M. Perkins, a voice for justice, reconciliation, and the gospel of Jesus Christ,” his daughter Elizabeth wrote on Instagram. “He received 19 honorary doctorate degrees, but most importantly, he was the devoted husband of his bride, Vera Mae Perkins, for 74 years, and together they were blessed with 8 children.”
Civil Rights Activism
Born in 1930 in New Hebron, Mississippi, to sharecropper parents, Perkins endured poverty, his mother’s death from starvation and his brother’s killing by police. After converting to Christianity in 1957 in California, he returned to Mississippi in 1960, organizing voter registration, boycotts and desegregation efforts. In 1970, he was arrested and brutally beaten by officers in Brandon Jail during a protest, an ordeal he later forgave, crediting it with deepening his commitment to gospel-centered justice.
“He was beaten for just attempting to be a human in Mississippi,” said the Rev. Barbara Williams-Skinner. “But instead of being bitter, he became a better human and taught us to be better humans.”
John M. Perkins, pioneering evangelical minister and civil rights activist known for faith-based community development and racial reconciliation ministries, detailed his experiences in books like Let Justice Roll Down (1976).
Ministries and Legacy
In 1969, Perkins launched Voice of Calvary in Mendenhall, expanding to Jackson with church, daycare, health clinics, thrift stores and housing co-ops. He co-founded the Christian Community Development Association in 1989, influencing hundreds of holistic ministries. Later efforts included Harambee in California and the Spencer Perkins Center after his son’s 1998 death.
A Bible teacher, he led Zoom studies with figures like Shane Claiborne and Rick Warren. His work challenged evangelicals to integrate social justice with faith.
“You know, Jesus didn’t commute from heaven,” he said.
This breaking news from March 13-14, 2026, highlights Perkins’ legacy in Christian leadership, Bible teaching, and transformative ministries like Voice of Calvary, aligning with themes of faith-based leadership, Christian ministry training, and biblical wisdom for life.
John M. Perkins, pioneering evangelical minister and civil rights activist known for faith-based community development and racial reconciliation ministries, earned praise as “one of the most transformative Black Christian voices.”
Tributes and Funeral
Tributes poured in, including X posts sharing obituaries. A homegoing celebration is set for 11 a.m. March 21 at New Horizon Church in Jackson, with speakers including Rick Warren and Bryan Stevenson. Internment follows March 22 in New Hebron. The family requests donations to the foundation.
The Perkins Foundation vows to continue his work.