John M. Perkins

Dr. John M. Perkins
Born	1930 Lawrence County, Mississippi

Dr. John M. Perkins is an American Christian minister, civil rights activist, Bible teacher, author, philosopher and community developer. He is Founder & President Emeritus of John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation with his wife Dr. Vera Mae (also known as "Grandma"). Perkins has received 13 Honorary Doctorate degrees from Belhaven University, Lynchburg University, Wheaton College, Gordon College, Taylor University among others. He has served on the Board of Directors for World Vision and Prison Fellowship.

On September 17, 2016, his three daughters: Elizabeth Perkins, Priscilla Perkins, Deborah Perkins became consensus Co-President of jvmpf.org.

Born in 1930 in New Hebron, Mississippi, John Perkins' mother died of Pellagra when he was just seven months old. Abandoned by his father, he was raised by his grandmother and extended family who worked as sharecroppers. In 1947 he moved from Mississippi at the urging of his family, who worried that he might be in danger following the fatal shooting of his brother, Clyde, by a police officer. He settled in southern California where, in 1957, he underwent a conversion to Christianity following his son Spencer's invitation to him to attend church.

In 1960 he moved with his wife (Vera Mae Perkins) and children from California to Mendenhall, Mississippi, which neighbors his childhood hometown of New Hebron. There, in 1964, he established Voice of Calvary Bible Institute.

Motivated by a desire to help their neighbors as well as their own children, Vera Mae started running a day-care center from their home that from 1966 to 1968 became part of the federally funded Head Start Program. Initially concerned solely with evangelism and Bible literacy, Perkins had a growing conviction that the gospel of Jesus Christ addressed spiritual and physical needs.

...
Wikipedia