Dr. John Perkins

Christianity More Than Just "God Talk," John Perkins Tells Erskine College and Seminary Audience

Guest speaker Dr. John Perkins told a special Erskine College and Seminary chapel Sept. 28 that Christianity has been perverted into folklore and hearsay, an extension of selfish individualism and greed with "Jesus as our therapist, Jesus to make us rich," and "trying to make prayer into our personal gadget" in order to get what we want.

Along with a critique of institutionalized racism in the both the predominantly white and predominantly black churches, Perkins offered a message of reconciliation and hope.

A recovery of authentic Christianity must begin with a recognition that most of our societal problems are behavioral, Perkins said. With a rapidly growing prison population in the United States, "The government is coming to the end of what it can do about these problems," he declared.

Perkins, known for launching Voice of Calvary Ministries and Mendenhall Ministries, and famous as a leader in Christian community development, took Psalm 11 as his text.

"This psalm comes out of the greatest crisis of his life, when his own son Absalom is coming after him–David is fleeing for his life." As his friends urge him to hide out in the hills for awhile, David gives what Perkins characterized as "a great rally speech," saying he will not "flee to the mountain" but rather put his trust in God.

In the exercise of authentic faith, "We can make a difference," Perkins said. "If you want to be successful in life, find the deepest need in society and devote your life to that."

Focusing on the third verse of Psalm 11–"When the foundation is being destroyed, what can the righteous do?"–Perkins said it is clear that the foundations of society, the family and community, are being destroyed, and posed the question, "Who are the righteous?"

The righteous are those who are "able to see that we are sinners, broken" and they must "rediscover faith … faith as a real, tangible thing."

Perkins said, "We should read the Bible in order to obey it, not for inspiration. Inspiration is a byproduct. We must get back to the word of God.

"We must learn how to pray again," he said. "Prayer is more than making noise," he said. "Prayer is God whispering into our ear what we need to do."

Instead, Christians often "try to make prayer our personal gadget," said Perkins. "If you want to know what real prayer is, look at what Jesus taught: prayer is asking that's God's will be done, that God's kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven."

Perkins said Christians must "redeem the gospel from white colonization" in the white churches as well as from "Afro-centrism," and "making the church a black political base," in the black churches, both of which are forms of racism. "The world should know we are Christians by our love for one another."

Perkins said that ministry must be based on more than just 'God talk'.

"You must develop a philosophy of ministry." He said when we was a child, he organized his life around the first nursery rhyme he ever heard–"Early to bed, Early to rise, Makes one healthy, wealthy and wise."

"It worked," laughed Perkins, who was born into a sharecropper's family in Mississippi. "I'm not poor anymore." Perkins said after his conversion experience he found his philosophy of ministry in Galatians 2:20: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

"I'm living my life in gratitude for God's love," he said. "We need to be 'trapped' in God's cause. You white people have too many options–decide what you want to give your life to and do that."

Perkins cited what he called the "three R's" of Christian community development: relocation, reconciliation and redistribution.

Relocation means going back to the community you came from, he said, bringing with you skills to help create wealth.

Reconciliation is essential to real community, he said. "Reject racism," Perkins urged. "I bear in my body the wounds of racism." Perkins said his friendship with two white ministers who tried to fight against racism and were rejected by their congregations, later committing suicide, taught him the depths of the sin of racism. He said he himself was criticized by some black community members who objected to his opening up his programs to Mexican immigrants.

Redistribution is for Perkins not robbing the rich to feed the poor or some form of communism, but rather, seeking means to bring the energy, motivation and skills necessary for growth and vitality back to impoverished neighborhoods and communities.

Perkins told college and seminary students to witness to their faith in Christ, and "start tutoring and discipling someone." For Perkins, this is how real Christian community and real education begins. "We know that tutoring is the best way to teach–just put a teacher with a student."