The Perkins Center welcomes V. Elizabeth Perkins, co-president of the , for the 2025 Perkins Lecture. This annual time of community gathering creates space for mutual learning and reflection with students, staff, faculty, and community.
The JPC has become an embodiment of "living into the legacy." The center is part of the legacy of Dr. John Perkins that continues the work of justice, reconciliation, and community development. This is the 21st year of SPU's partnership with the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation.
Tuesday, May 13, 2025
11:10 a.m. | First Free Methodist Church sanctuary, adjacent to SPU campus
V. Elizabeth Perkins is the co-president of the . She lives with a profound sense of calling shaped by her faith in Jesus Christ and a passion for justice, reconciliation, and discipleship. She reflects on how God’s faithful hand has guided her steps, not simply for her journey, but to empower others to walk boldly in their purpose and become instruments of change in a broken world.
With over 25 years of ministry experience, Perkins has poured into the lives of both men and women, mentoring and guiding them in their spiritual, personal, and leadership development. She has a heart for equipping the next generation to rise with courage and conviction. Demonstrating her commitment to nurturing young women with truth, grace, and love, she founded and led She-ciples, a discipleship group for teen girls focused on purity, purpose, and identity in Christ.
Perkins' calling has also led her to serve around the world. She ministered with The Navigators in Africa, where she engaged in cross-cultural mission work, deepening her commitment to God’s vision for global reconciliation and restoration. Her leadership extends into storytelling, where she has served as executive director for three powerful documentaries, using media to shed light on the transformative work of justice and faith.
She aims to help future generations encounter and follow Jesus, becoming agents of hope, healing, and justice. Through her work at the John & Vera Mae Perkins Foundation, Perkins remains steadfast in her pursuit of biblical justice and reconciliation, believing that through Christ, lives — and communities — can be made whole.
Posted: Tuesday, April 29, 2025