Civil Rights pioneer Dr. John M. Perkins to visit Geneva College

BEAVER FALLS, PA (09/19/2013)(readMedia)-- Civil Rights pioneer Dr. John M. Perkins will visit Geneva College on October 2 and 3, 2013, speaking in a number of venues. Perkins is an international speaker and teacher on racial reconciliation, leadership and the philosophy of ministry known as Christian Community Development.

He is the founder and president of John M. Perkins Foundation for Reconciliation and Development of Jackson, Mississippi. Perkins is one of the leading evangelical voices to come out of the American Civil Rights movement, and he and his wife, Vera Mae, have also founded multiple ministries.

Perkins grew up in New Hebron, Mississippi, amidst dire poverty. Fleeing to California at the age of 17 after his older brother's murder at the hands of a town marshal, he vowed never to return. However, after converting to Christianity in 1960, he returned to Mendenhall, Mississippi, to share the Gospel. While there, his outspoken nature and support and leadership in civil rights demonstrations resulted in repeated harassment, beatings and imprisonment.

Despite being a third grade drop-out, Perkins has been recognized for his work with 11 honorary doctorates from colleges and universities across the country, including an Honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Geneva College. He is the author of nine books, including Let Justice Roll Down and Leadership Revolution: Developing the Vision & Practice of Freedom & Justice. The recently released publication Mobilized for the Common Good: The Lived Theology of John M. Perkins by University Press of Mississippi "seeks to understand Perkins's life and work in its theological and historical context. It contends that Perkins ushered in a paradigm shift in twentieth-century evangelical theology that continues to influence a growing movement of Christian community development projects and social justice activists today."

Perkins formally served on the board of directors of World Vision, Prison Fellowship, National Association of Evangelicals, Spring Arbor University, as well as 15 other boards.

He is coming to the college through the Geneva Visiting Artist and Lecture Series (GVALS). All of his appearances are free and most are open to the public.

Watch Perkins' speech from the Legacy Movement 2012 at Moody Bible Institute here.

Schedule of Events

Wednesday, October 2-Metheny Fieldhouse; 10:10 a.m.

Chapel Message: "By Faith: John M. Perkins"

Free and open to the public.

Wednesday, October 2-Benedum Room; noon

Pastors' Lunch

Reservations required. Email becky.phillips@geneva.edu.

Wednesday, October 2- Second Baptist Church of Beaver Falls; 7:30 p.m.

Lecture: "Preaching the Word"

Free and open to the public.

Thursday, October 3-Skye Lounge; 7:30 p.m.

Lecture: "Discipleship"

Free and open to the public.

Geneva College invites students to accept the challenge of an academically excellent, Christ-centered education. Offering nearly 40 undergraduate majors, Adult Degree Programs with fully online and campus-based options, and seven graduate degrees, Geneva has programs that place students at the forefront of higher learning. Adhering to the inerrancy of Scripture, the liberal arts core curriculum fosters a breadth of knowledge through the study of humanities, social and natural sciences, and experiential learning.