By Ian McAninch, student intern writer, Office of University Communications
CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. –Dr. James C. Perkins, the 20th president of Progressive National Baptist Convention and senior pastor at Greater Christ Baptist Church in Detroit, Mich. for 35 years, will be speaking at Campbellsville University’s chapel Wednesday, Oct. 3 in Ransdell Chapel, 401 N. Hoskins Ave., Campbellsville, Ky. His address is Campbellsville’s Dialogue on Race chapel.
Everyone is invited to the chapel.
The Progressive National Baptist Convention Inc. (PNBC) is a vital Baptist denomination with an estimated membership of 2.5 million people. PNBC was formed to give full voice, sterling leadership and active support to the American and world fight for human freedom. It is located in Washington, D.C.
Perkins was ordained to gospel ministry in 1974. He has served as pastor of Greater Christ Baptist Church in Detroit, Michigan for 35 years. He received his Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio (1990, Samuel DeWitt Proctor Fellow). In August 2014, he was elected 20th President of the Progressive National Baptist Convention.
An internationally recognized minister, Perkins fulfills speaking engagements at churches, seminaries and conferences across the United States and abroad.
He is the author of “Building Up Zion’s Walls: Ministry for Empowering the African American Family” and “Playbook for Christian Manhood: 12 Key Plays for Black Teen Boys,” published by Judson Press (Valley Forge, Penn.).
His other writings, as well as profiles of his ministry and details of his community activism, have been included in both secular and Christian publications such as Black Enterprise, USA Today, Ebony, American Baptist, The African-American Pulpit, several edited works published by Judson Press and the best-selling Success Runs in Our Race by George Fraser.
Believing that the church has a responsibility to serve both the temporal as well as the spiritual needs of the surrounding community, Perkins has established numerous enterprises that support that vision. In 1992, he founded the Fellowship Nonprofit Housing Corporation as a vehicle for community economic development. In spring 2006, Providence Place was constructed. This $10 million development provides 50 single family homes for low and middle income families.
Responding to the crisis he witnessed in the available educational options for young, urban African American males, Perkins instituted the Benjamin E. Mays Male Academy in 1993. This kindergarten through sixth grade Christian school for boys operated for 17 years and positively impacted the future of hundreds of males.
In addition, Perkins has served on numerous boards. He is a past president of the Michigan Progressive Baptist Convention and member of the Detroit Baptist Pastors Council, Detroit Chapter NAACP, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., Board of Trustees of Wiley College, Marshall, TX, Board of Trustees of Morehouse School of Religion, Atlanta, GA and a board member of the National Council of Churches.
He was also a recipient of the Ghandi, King, Ikeda Award, Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA, the Pastor of the Year Award, Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the Benjamin E. Mays Award, Howard University, Washington, D.C., the Charles Andrew Hill Achievement Award, Michigan Progressive Baptist Convention, Michigan Chronicle’s Pastor’s Salute Award, Who’s Who in Black Detroit (Inaugural Edition), the Outstanding Church Leadership Award, American Baptist Churches of Michigan, Distinguished Warriors Award, Detroit Urban League and the National Newspaper Publishers Association Power in the Pulpit Award.
He is married to Linda Adkins Perkins and has two daughters, Tamaria Yvette Perkins-Newton and Lindsey Camille Perkins, and one grandson, Chayton James Perkins.
Chapel is designed to provide opportunities for corporate worship and exposure through a variety of informative speakers and presentations.
All chapels are open to the public free of charge and are televised live on WLCU (Comcast Cable channel 10 and digital channel 23.0) and are streamed live on the internet at wlcutv.com.
For information about chapel, call the Office of Campus Ministries at (270) 789-5227.
Campbellsville University is a widely-acclaimed Kentucky-based Christian university with more than 10,000 students offering over 90 programs of study including 20 master’s degrees, six postgraduate areas and seven pre-professional programs. The university has off-campus centers in Kentucky cities Louisville, Harrodsburg, Somerset, Hodgenville and Liberty with instructional sites in Elizabethtown, Owensboro and Summersville, all in Kentucky, and one in Costa Mesa, Calif., and a full complement of online programs. The website for complete information is campbellsville.edu.