COLORADO SPRINGS, CO—NavPress author, former NFL player, and Transformation Church lead pastor Derwin L. Gray was honored last week with the 2025 Dr. John M. Perkins Justice Award, presented by the Perkins Foundation. The award celebrates Gray’s extraordinary leadership and lifelong dedication to racial reconciliation—continuing the powerful legacy of civil rights leader Dr. John M. Perkins.
“John Perkins is my hero,” said Gray. “When I think of followers of Jesus over the last 100 years, I can think of no other man who has embodied the gospel of King Jesus more faithfully than Dr. Perkins. With him, there was no separation between the vertical beam of the cross and the horizontal beam of the cross. He lived out the heart of the gospel, which is reconciliation to God and reconciliation to your fellow human being, regardless of their ethnicity, class, or gender. To receive an award bearing his name is one of the great honors of my life—more meaningful than entering any hall of fame.”
Founded by Dr. Perkins, the Perkins Foundation promotes racial reconciliation, community development, and biblical justice in marginalized communities. Perkins’ lifelong mission of love, faith, and social action continues to inspire leaders like Gray, who has championed these same values through his ministry and writing.
Bryan Stevenson (Equal Justice Initiative), inaugural recipient of the award, said, “I’m thrilled that the lives and legacy of Dr. John and Vera Mae Perkins live on through people doing extraordinary work in the world, like Dr. Derwin Gray. We are honored and inspired by the work you do. You have made truth the light that guides us through these dark and difficult times.”
Through his leadership at Transformation Church, located just south of Charlotte, North Carolina, Gray has helped build one of the nation’s leading multiethnic congregations. His recent NavPress book, Lit Up With Love, reflects his personal journey of transformation and his call for unity through the power of Christ’s love.
For more information about Derwin L. Gray and Transformation Church, visit derwinlgray.com. To learn more about the Perkins Foundation, visit johnmperkins.com.
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