Movements from the Margins: Learning from the Prophetic Witness of John M. Perkins
Chad Thompson, MD, Baylor University, Waco, TX, Waco Family Medicine Institute, Waco, TX
As the U.S. healthcare system continues to fail in serving marginalized communities, the social, political, economic, and spiritual factors that lead to health disparities in such contexts expose the limitations of the biomedical model in promoting health and flourishing at the margins. There is a growing awareness that efforts toward more holistic approaches are needed. By examining the exemplary witness of John M. Perkins—a civil rights leader, Christian minister, and visionary in community development—this paper will explore how his life and work offer a charge to look to the margins as a starting point for orientation, revelation, and imagination.
John Perkins’ life journey is one of faithful truth-telling, bridge-building, and unrelenting concern for poor and marginalized communities. Born into poverty in rural Mississippi and shaped by the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement, Perkins has faced the realities of systemic injustice, racial oppression, and economic deprivation. Yet, the witness of his life has been one which embodies radical hope, transformative friendship, and sacrificial love. Perkins has been a pioneering force in promoting holistic care that addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the marginalized, and his model of leadership has inspired well-known movements that reimagine community development and healthcare, including the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) and Christian Community Health Fellowship (CCHF).
Central to Perkins’ vision is his commitment to justice for the oppressed and the salvation of the privileged. He believes that true reconciliation and flourishing are only possible through relationships built on mutuality that can lead to transformed communities. This paper will discuss examples of holistic health care inspired by Perkins’ three principles of Christian community development-relocation, redistribution, and reconciliation. Finally, this paper will explore reflections on how Perkin’s prophetic witness offers a challenge not just to individuals and churches but institutions and systems in the movement toward pursuing holistic care for marginalized communities.
John Perkins’ life journey is one of faithful truth-telling, bridge-building, and unrelenting concern for poor and marginalized communities. Born into poverty in rural Mississippi and shaped by the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement, Perkins has faced the realities of systemic injustice, racial oppression, and economic deprivation. Yet, the witness of his life has been one which embodies radical hope, transformative friendship, and sacrificial love. Perkins has been a pioneering force in promoting holistic care that addresses the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of the marginalized, and his model of leadership has inspired well-known movements that reimagine community development and healthcare, including the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA) and Christian Community Health Fellowship (CCHF).
Central to Perkins’ vision is his commitment to justice for the oppressed and the salvation of the privileged. He believes that true reconciliation and flourishing are only possible through relationships built on mutuality that can lead to transformed communities. This paper will discuss examples of holistic health care inspired by Perkins’ three principles of Christian community development-relocation, redistribution, and reconciliation. Finally, this paper will explore reflections on how Perkin’s prophetic witness offers a challenge not just to individuals and churches but institutions and systems in the movement toward pursuing holistic care for marginalized communities.