Fw: Spencer Perkins, national racial reconciliation voice, dead at 43
H. C. Covington (rdc01@sprynet.com)
Sat, 31 Jan 1998 00:39:41 -0600
-----Original Message-----
From: H. C. Covington <ach1@sprynet.com>
Date: Friday, January 30, 1998 11:47 PM
Subject: Spencer Perkins, national racial reconciliation voice, dead at 4=
3
We have lost a valued friend and brother that we had grown to know and lo=
ve
since 1994. May his death impact as many people in restoration and
reconciliation as his life has done to all that he touched while on this
earth, including my own.
Sonny
--------------------------------
1-28-98
Spencer Perkins, national racial reconciliation voice, dead at 43
by Chris Rice
Spencer Perkins, 43, has finished his earthly race! As his father,
evangelical
leader John, said yesterday, "Spencer now sees clearly what I still see
only
dimly through a glass." Spencer now has all the answers he ever longed fo=
r
regarding his heart's pursuit=97reconciliation.
The brother in Christ I called my "yokefellow" died in his home of a
massive
heart attack yesterday (Jan. 27) shortly after 1 PM. Spencer's wife and
"soulmate," Nancy, and their three children=97Jonathan (11), Jubilee (8),=
and
April Joy (4)=97are in need of your prayers.
Last night, as hundreds of Voice of Calvary church members and extended
friends and family descended upon Antioch and Reconcilers' offices to
grieve
and offer support, the question "why?" was not far from our lips. But muc=
h
more so, there is a sense of painful, yet joyful, thankfulness that our
friend
and mentor in the faith was faithful to the end to his prophetic calling.
Spencer died Tuesday, just three days after passing out at our historic
"College, Ethnicity, and Reconciliation" conference held here in Jackson.
Immediately, more than 300 conference attendees joined in prayer for his
safety. The conference, which had already been a smashing strategic
success,
suddenly became a prayer service of racial unity, as all entreated God fo=
r
Spencer's safety.
God graciously answered our prayers, and Spencer emerged doggedly from th=
e
hospital Saturday night to deliver, along with me, what became his final
call.
In our closing address to the conference at Belhaven College (where both =
of
us
graduated), Spencer outlined a new vision for a higher level of
reconciliation=97a call to radical grace among the races.
It was a message that grew out of his walk with God and our struggles as =
an
interracial Christian community and even in facing seemingly-insurmountab=
le
obstacles in our own "yokefellow" relationship.
Sitting on a stool to sing about grace is that God forgives us and embrac=
es
us with
open arms even though we don't deserve it. What's new about grace, at
least
for me, is that because we are grateful for what God did for us, we allow
him
to do the same to others through us. This means that if I know this lovi=
ng
God who is so full of grace, then I will forgive and accept (embrace) tho=
se
who, like me, don't deserve my grace and forgiveness."
Spencer spoke of the challenge to create a "culture of grace," and
continued,
"What I am learning about grace lifts a weight from my shoulders, which i=
s
nothing short of invigorating. When we can forgive and embrace those who
refuse to listen to God's command to do justice, it allows them to hear
God's
judgment without feeling a personal judgment from us. Which, in the end,
gives our message more integrity. Being able to give grace while preachi=
ng
justice will make our witness even more effective."
He had been eager to deliver this message, and we thank God that on
Saturday
he did. (The full text of Spencer's Saturday night message will be
reprinted
in the next issue of Reconcilers magazine.)
Just three days later, however, on Tuesday, Spencer experienced a massive
heart attack which was totally unrelated to Saturday's fainting spell (th=
e
result of a diabetic seizure). In fact, while at the hospital Saturday,
Spencer's EKG had shown his heart to be completely healthy.
So why did God take Spencer? This is the question that all of us committe=
d
to
reconciliation now ask. For Spencer and me, the ministry of reconciliatio=
n
was
a calling, first and foremost, to one another. If it couldn't work in ou=
r
own
relationship, we felt we had nothing to say to the crowds. Over 10 years
speaking across the nation, we always stood together. That was our
witness.
Just as Jesus sent his disciples out two by two, so had God called us.
Right now there are many things I don't understand. What I do understand
is
that Spencer finished the race to which our Loving Father called him. An=
d
I
am a witness to the his special spirit of compassion. God is moving upon
His
people, and His work will not be stopped.
We at Reconcilers Fellowship have decided to enter a season of earnest
prayer
to seek God face. I am canceling all of the speaking engagements Spencer
and
I had scheduled. Moreover, we stopped the upcoming issue of Reconcilers
Magazine at the printer yesterday, and will now restructure it as a tribu=
te
to
my brother and yours, Spencer. We will also reflect on the future of our
ministry, which is clearly empowering many, many of God's people down the
highway.
The outpouring of support we've already received has been astounding and
encouraging. You share our grief and we all will walk through this time
together.
Please see the adjoining statement written last night by Dr. John Perkins
upon
the death of his oldest son=97and be encouraged! God always has the Fina=
l
Word,
and I know Spencer looks down from the great cloud of witnesses cheering =
us
on
in the race of reconciliation. Goodbye, our brother!
# # #
Spencer's homecoming service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, January
31,
at Voice of Calvary Fellowship, 3200 Robinson Road, Jackson, MS. A wake
will
be held Friday, January 30, at 6:30 p.m. at the Westhaven Funeral Home,
3580
Robinson Road.
In lieu of flowers, a special college scholarship fund for Spencer and
Nancy's
three young children has been established. Send donations to: John M.
Perkins
Foundation, PO Box 32, Jackson, MS 39205. Please earmark donations to
"Perkins' children fund."
# # #
1-27-98
Statement from Dr. John Perkins
Re: The death of his oldest son and co-worker, Spencer Perkins
-----------------------------
My son leaves a legacy of faithful service to the God we both love and to
his
people. In every way, Spencer was a reconciler.
Spencer is the one who invited me to Sunday school in 1957, out of which =
I
came to know Jesus Christ. So Spencer came to Christ before me, and he's
gone
on to heaven before I get there.
It will make Heaven a much more inviting place for me.
Spencer took over my passion and gave words and intelligence to it. You
see, I
had just a third grade education, and Spencer brought some intelligence t=
o
the
whole reconciliation process. In doing so, he made a place for himself as=
a
builder of God's kingdom here on earth. I wanted our time on earth to las=
t
longer, but God saw fit to bring him on in.
This past Saturday's reconciliation conference was his last hoorah. The
conference--"College, Ethnicity, and Reconciliation"--brought together mo=
re
than three hundred faculty, deans, college presidents, and campus workers
from
more than 50 campuses across the nation. It was co-sponsored
by
Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, the Coalition for Christian Colleges a=
nd
Universities, the National Black Evangelical Association, Belhaven Colleg=
e,
and Tougaloo College.
Spencer and his long-time friend and ministry partner, Chris Rice, gave t=
he
closing address on Saturday night. Spencer spoke with passion about the
need
for grace to abound as we all work to realize true, Christ-honoring
reconciliation on our nation's campuses, and beyond.
Spencer never claimed to have the ultimate answers. He was too authentic
for
that. But Spencer was a reconciler. Like everyone devoted to this high
calling, he lived daily with the hard unanswered questions race presents.
But today--in the early afternoon--my oldest son got the answers to ever=
y
question that had ever puzzled him. Spencer's mother, Vera Mae, and
I--along
with the rest of his family--will sorely miss our son. But Spencer now se=
es
clearly what I still see only dimly through a glass, and for this, I
rejoice.
# # #
H. C. Sonny Covington @ I CAN! America
427 St. John Street - Lafayette, LA 70501
(318) 235-7005 Fax 318-234-0953