March 30, 2012 (Jackson) - Belhaven University invited Dr. John Perkins to speak in chapel Tuesday, March 27, and focused in on racial reconciliation. Current events like the three young men sentenced for hate crimes and killing in Jackson show a tear in race relations that still needs mending.
Dr. Perkins is considered to be the father of racial reconciliation for the evangelical church. He is also known for founding the Voice of Calvary Ministries in Mississippi, the Christian Family Center in California, and other foundations for youth like the Spencer Perkins Center.
Spencer Perkins, John’s son and civil rights activist, spoke 14 years ago at a racial recognition conference hosted by Belhaven University. He spoke about a directional changing message about the grace of God. Two days after this incredible speech, Spencer Perkins had a heart attack and died.
Dr. Perkins’ message taught on the subject of grace, the same topic his son had preached on at Belhaven so many years before. “The grace of God is all of God’s redemptive work put together… sanctification, atonement, predestination; we put them all together when we say the grace of God,” said Dr. Perkins.
Perkins mentioned that the way we treat others is the grace of God working within us. He said, “We are all created equal in the eyes of the Lord; therefore we shouldn’t treat each other with inequality. The founding fathers had the idea that they were supposed to reflect the Kingdom of God, and as a result made one nation under God with liberty and justice for all.“
Belhaven stands among the select Christian colleges and universities that offer a unique general core curriculum encouraging the development of a personal worldview. The university believes a Christian worldview is a key to preparing men and women academically and spiritually to serve Christ Jesus in their careers, in human relationships, and in the world of ideas.
Founded in 1883, Belhaven University now serves over 3,000 students from campuses in Jackson, Memphis, Orlando, Houston, Chattanooga, Atlanta and online, offering traditional undergraduate degrees, graduate and adult degree programs, and online degree programs.