Letters To A Birmingham Jail

About the Book

More than fifty years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Much has transpired in the half-century since, and progress has been made in the issues that were close to Dr. King's heart. Thankfully, the burning crosses, biting police dogs, and angry mobs of that day are long gone. But in their place, passivity has emerged. A passivity that must be addressed.

That's the aim of Letters to a Birmingham Jail. A collection of essays written by men of various ethnicities and ages, this book encourages us to pursue Christ exalting diversity. Each contribution recognizes that only the cross and empty tomb of Christ can bring true unity, and each notes that the gospel demands justice in all its forms. This was a truth that Dr. King fought and gave his life for, and this is a truth that these modern day "drum majors for justice" continue to beat.

About the Author :
BRYAN LORITTS is the Lead Pastor of the Abundant Life Christian Fellowship of Silicon Valley, California. He is the privileged husband of Korie, and the graced father of three sons -- Quentin, Myles, and Jaden. He is also an award winning author of six books including Saving the Saved: How Jesus Saves us from Try-harder Christianity into Performance-Free Love which was given the Christianity Today Award of Merit, and his newest release Insider Outsider. Bryan co-founded Fellowship Memphis in 2003, and later founded the Kainos Movement -- an organization committed to seeing the multi-ethnic church become the new normal in our world. He travels extensively throughout the world preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ at conferences and events, as well as serving on the board of trustees for Biola University and PineCove Christian Camps. His messages can be heard daily on the Salem Radio Network's KFAX station. You can follow him on Twitter @bcloritts.

DR. JOHN M. PERKINS was the founder and president emeritus of the John and Vera Mae Perkins Foundation and cofounder of Christian Community Development Association. He served in advisory roles under five U.S. presidents, was one of the leading evangelical voices to come out of the American civil rights movement, and was an author and international speaker on issues of reconciliation, leadership, and community development. For his tireless work he has received 14 honorary doctorates from universities including: Virginia University of Lynchburg, Wheaton College, Gordon College, Huntington College, Geneva College, Spring Arbor University, North Park College, and Belhaven College. In 2004 he partnered with Seattle Pacific University to launch the campus-based John Perkins Center for Reconciliation, Leadership Training, and Community Development.

DR. CRAWFORD LORITTS' ministry has given him the opportunity to travel throughout the United States and much of the world, speaking in churches, evangelistic outreaches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries. He has been a church planter, served for over twenty-seven years on the staff of Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ) and for over fifteen years as Senior Pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, Georgia. He is the author of nine books including Your Marriage Today...and Tomorrow, co-authored with his wife, Karen; and the host of two national radio programs, Living a Legacy and Legacy Moments. As President and Founder of Beyond Our Generation.com, Crawford is committed to encouraging, mentoring, and helping to shape the next generation of Christian leaders.

Soong-Chan Rah is Milton B. Engebretson Associate Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL. He is the author of The Next Evangelicalism (IVP Books, 2009). Prior to coming to North Park, Soong-Chan was the founding and senior pastor of Cambridge Community Fellowship Church, a multi-ethnic, urban church in Cambridge, MA. Soong-Chan has a B.A. from Columbia University, a M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a Th.M. from Harvard University, and a D.Min. from Gordon-Conwell. Soong-Chan serves on the boards of Sojourners, the Christian Community Development Association, World Vision, and the Catalyst Leadership Center. He lives in Chicago with his wife Sue, a special educator and his two children, Annah and Elijah.