John M. Perkins - He Calls Me Friend: The Healing Power of Friendship in a Lonely World

Several of us say about Dr. Perkins, no him, no me! We really mean that! Getting a call from him out of the blue is always a blessing. For someone who has so many people pulling at him, he makes room to build friendships and into the next generation! Its easy to hear him broach this subject because it comes easy for him. I pray this resource will be yet another legacy work of this great legend and all that Jesus has placed in him to call the body to walk in being bound together.

ERIC M. MASON

Author of Woke Church and pastor of Epiphany Fellowship in Philadelphia, PA

At the heart of John and Vera Mae Perkinss ministry of evangelism, witness for justice, and reconciliation has been the uncanny and surprising ability to draw people from all generations, walks of life, and backgrounds into their circle of friendship. Over the years, they have built a global community of friends who have themselves responded to the high calling to be friends of Jesus, living out the principles of relocation, reconciliation, and redistribution that are at the heart of a tough, enduring gospel powerful enough to transform the most desperate human situations in their neighborhoods and cities. Terry and I, as twenty-year-old newlyweds, had the trajectory of our lives changed forever by friendship with the Perkins.

H. SPEES

Senior Associate at Leadership Foundations; Director of Strategic Initiatives for City of Fresno

John Perkins and I met in Vicksburg, in 1973. We each had a burden to bring healing and help to at-risk communities. It did not take long for us to realize that we were kindred spirits. Over these years, many of his friends have become my friends and our relationship has opened doors in surprising ways. As a Dutch Calvinist, I have always been part of a somewhat isolated part of the broader evangelical community, but if I mention that I am a friend of John Perkins, I suddenly become acceptable. It is as though I have a merit badge that announces that I am OK. John Perkins enfleshes the very message of this book. And I am privileged and grateful to be among those he calls friend.

GARY VANDERARK

Professor of Neurosurgery University of Colorado

For years Dr. John Perkins has been an inspiration to me and has helped fuel my passion for racial reconciliation and multicultural ministry. To see his dream and mine realized in the multiracial church I pastor will inspire generations to come. Dr. Perkinss latest book, He Calls Me Friend, challenges us to enter into deep friendship not only with others around us but, most importantly, with the triune God of the Scriptures. In a world that is as divided as ours, we need deep, lasting, and gracist friendships. This book helps us get there!

DAVID ANDERSON

Executive Director of Lydia Home Association and Founder of Safe Families for Children

As a friend of God the Father, John Perkins lets God lead him. As a friend of God, the Son, John Perkins is a foot-washer who is a humble servant of God. As a friend of God the Spirit, John Perkins exemplifies friend-raising rather than fund-raising. As a friend to all of us, John Perkins has written a wonderful book, He Calls Me Friend.

PATRICK MCCASKEY

Chicago Bears Vice President and Chairman of Sports Faith International

John Perkins is my friend, a living legend that every leader should study and seek to imitate because he loves well. I come from a generation that likes to talk about issues of gospel justice and reconciliation. John has lived it, without compromise, for decades. I believe He Calls Me Friend is one of the most important books of our day, from one of the last living prophets of the civil rights era. If we are to see the change we desperately need, understanding friendship (Gods way) might just be the key.

NICK HALL

Founder of Pulse movement, author of Reset: Jesus Changes Everything

Dr. Perkins has now issued a book, He Calls Me Friend, not only about the importance of human friendship in his life, but about the friendship aspect of our relationship with God. Jesus claims the apostles as friends in John 15:1315. You are my friends if you do what I command indicates that a great imbalance of authority need not be a barrier to friendship! And much earlier, Abraham was known as the friend of God. C. S. Lewis said that in his time, friendship was looked down upon compared to Affection and Eros. I hope that this book will help to restore the status of Friendship to where it belongs.

HOWARD AHMANSON

Philanthropist

Not many men move me to tears, but Dr. John Perkins does. This gospel hero was a friend to my dad years ago, and now he is a friend to me, which moves me. When Dr. Perkins writes about friendship, he means it. I believe his new book, He Calls Me Friend, will move you too, especially in these days of anger and division. We need the friendship message of this book, and we need it now.

RAY ORTLUND

Immanuel Church, Nashville

Wow! Its time John Perkins wrote this book about friendship. He is the consummate endearment of a friend. John Perkins is a great friend of thousands! He Calls Me Friend is his written description of friendship. This friendship begins with God and then pours into the lives of other people. I love this book! What a privilege it is to have John Perkins call me a friend. You will be inspired and equipped to be friends with God and other people by this book. I without hesitation highly recommended this book to all.

WAYNE GORDON

Founder of Lawndale Community Church and Chairman of Christian Community Development Association

2019 by
JOHN PERKINS

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.

All emphasis to scriptural quotations has been placed by the author.

Edited by: Pamela J. Pugh

Interior design: Ragont Design

Randy & Joan Nabors photo: Rachel Douglass Photography

Author photo: Will Sterling, Sterling Photography

Cover design: Erik M. Peterson

Cover photo of two friends copyright 2019 by BONNINSTUDIO / Stocksy (2489258). All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Perkins, John, 1930- author. | Waddles, Karen, author.

Title: He calls me friend : the healing power of friendship in a lonely world / John Perkins with Karen Waddles.

Description: Chicago : Moody Publishers, [2019] | Includes bibliographical references. |

Identifiers: LCCN 2019017450 (print) | LCCN 2019020754 (ebook) | ISBN 9780802497963 () | ISBN 9780802419361

Subjects: LCSH: Friendship--Religious aspects--Christianity.

Classification: LCC BV4647.F7 (ebook) | LCC BV4647.F7 P47 2019 (print) | DDC 241/.6762--dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019017450

ISBN: 978-0-8024-1936-1