Confronted with the long-reaching effects of racism, America is being racked with upheaval and unrest. Many are asking, “How do we respond as Christians to the injustices we see today?” The challenges in our country are complex and deeply rooted; however, we believe the Church, as a witness to the character of the God we follow, has a responsibility to confront evil and injustice in all its forms.
The conviction that God calls Christians to confront injustice has guided the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation into underserved communities for more than 60 years. The foundation endeavors to be an example and to provide resources that equip and empower Christians to pursue biblical justice and reconciliation in their communities.
Long before justice was trending and missional was a word, Dr. John Perkins was boldly pioneering a new movement in Christian culture. In 1976, he published Let Justice Roll Down, a manifesto inspired by his own experience growing up in Mississippi and forged through suffering and imprisonment. Let Justice Roll Down, named by Christianity Today as one of the Top 25 most important books of the 21st Century, serves as a blueprint for the Church to begin to reclaim an ancient commitment to social justice.
Today, the Perkins Foundation is committed to investing in the lives of leaders, pastors, Sunday school groups, associations, companies, clubs and anyone interested in learning. They have found the best way to help Christian leaders reclaim a commitment to social justice is by inviting them to Jackson, Mississippi for a Perkins Justice Pilgrimage. This Pilgrimage includes life-changing dialogue, engaging Bible study and immersive learning experiences about reconciliation and justice, a spiritual pilgrimage that embraces our past and insists that our “now” is not separate from our “then.”
The Perkins Justice Pilgrimage includes personal time with the Perkins family, and other civil rights and Christian community leaders. During this Pilgrimage, you will visit historic landmarks in Mississippi and beyond that helped shape the theology of Dr. Perkins and the Perkins Foundation. This will be a life-changing experience for all who participate!
All Participants: $1400
The Perkins Foundation is located at 1831 Robinson Street, Jackson, Mississippi.
All meals included beginning with dinner on Wednesday, Oct. 8. Four nights lodging included.
Elizabeth Perkins, Professor Ron Potter, Pastor Phil and Marcia Reed
Tentative Itinerary
The intent of the Pilgrimage is to visit each of the sites listed below. Sites closed because of weather, renovation or other unforeseen circumstances will not be visited. The tour guide is given the freedom to use his/her discretion to choose the day and the order sites are visited.
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
Arrive at the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation by 5:00 p.m. for dinner at the Foundation located at 1831 Robinson Street, Jackson, Mississippi. Overnight stay at Perkins Foundation.
Thursday, October 9, 2025
After breakfast, we will travel to Birmingham. Professor Ron Potter will lead a devotional on biblical pilgrimage. In Birmingham, we will tour Kelly Ingram Park and 16th Street Baptist Church. In the afternoon, we will travel to Montgomery, where we will visit the Montgomery Riverfront, have dinner and spend the night.
Friday, October 10, 2025
After breakfast, Professor Potter will continue his devotional on biblical pilgrimage. We will visit Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, Equal Justice Initiative Museum, The National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the The Legacy Museum. After lunch, we will travel to Selma, where we will walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. That afternoon, we will travel back to Jackson, with a stop for dinner along the way. Overnight stay at Perkins Foundation.
Saturday, October 11, 2025
Today we will explore Mississippi’s journey in civil rights. Following breakfast, our journey will begin with a Bible study and discussion followed by visits to Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. Overnight stay at Perkins Foundation.
Sunday, October 12, 2025
The morning’s Bible study on biblical justice will be led by Pastor Phil and Marcia Reed. The final session of this pilgrimage will be a discussion led by Elizabeth Perkins, Professor Ron Potter, Pastor Phil and Marcia Reed.
Tours Planning Team:
