Called to Be Friends, Called to Serve

Foreword

(wrote the foreword)

Rick Warren

Afterword

(wrote the afterword)

Priscilla Perkins

“It’s easy to hang out with people who are like us—people who talk like us, eat like us, and vote like us. But at the heart of the Gospel is a call to love bigger than the circles of sameness, to venture beyond the confines of biology and nationality and to be ‘born again.’ This book is the story of a holy, courageous, enduring, full-Gospel friendship. I’ve known Howard and John for decades. I’ve learned from both of them, and I’ve humbly disagreed with each of them at times. But beyond opinions and issues, they have taught me about friendship and sacrificial love. They’ve shown me that there is something more important than being right, and that is being humble, and kind, and Christ-like. They’ve taught me it’s not enough to be right in our heads, but we also have to be compassionate in our hearts. This book is a gift to the church, and to the world—just like John Perkins and Howard Ahmanson.”

Shane Claiborne

“Paul Marshall has masterfully woven the stories of two distinctly different lives into a beautiful tapestry. Is it possible for people from opposing sides of the tracks to bridge the unspoken divide? How can we form meaningful friendships that draw from—and literally transform—the very best that each has to offer? Called to Be Friends: Called to Serve shows us how. It’s a must-read in our fractured, divided world!”

Karen Waddles

“Healing Power of Friendship in a Lonely World, One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race and Love, and Count it All Joy: The Ridiculous Paradox of Suffering “In our age of tribalism, we differentiate ourselves by class, race, education, and communication style. So how does John Perkins (a poor African American Christian with a third-grade education plus eloquence) become for forty years a good friend of Howard Ahmanson, a rich white Christian with a postgraduate linguistics degree plus a Tourette’s syndrome stutter? Paul Marshall’s account displays the shared syllable in their backgrounds: Christ.” ‑Marvin Olasky, chairman, Zenger House, and former editor-in-chief, World “Paul Marshall has brought together the lives of two incredible human beings and their quest to positively serve and impact our communities. I am fortunate to have met Dr. John Perkins and blessed to call Howard Ahmanson a good friend. Both are brilliant men of God who were interested in a renewal movement to draw together people through Christian community development in America. Called to Be Friends: Called to Serve is a book I highly recommend.”

Jim Palmer

“When good friendships occur, they are bright, sparkling wonders. Such is surely the case with the friendship shared between John Perkins and Howard Ahmanson, Jr. The story narrated by Paul Marshall in Called to be Friends, Called to Serve is filled with surprises, blessings, joys, struggles, pain, and sorrow, as two unlikely friends join hands in contending for justice in a world distanced so far from it. It is more than this, though. It is the story of two people—initially so different from one another—learning to be friends, and in the hearing we are all blessed.”

Christopher A. Hall

“As a friend of the Ahmansons and an acquaintance of Mr. Perkins, I was moved and encouraged to read the story of John Perkins and Howard Ahmanson’s unlikely friendship. Their respective stories of Christ’s redemption in their lives are deeply compelling and are made even more so by the way their stories have been woven together by their relationship. The work God has done through Howard and John’s bond is a convicting example and a healing balm in an age of polarization and tribalism. Whether you have known these men for years or have never heard of them, I highly recommend this book: it is a shining example of Christian unity and love that transcends the things that tend to divide us.”

Barry H. Corey

“In a time when our politics and our cultural views could not have us more divided, Paul Marshall tells the story of a friendship between two men, vastly dissimilar in origin. One was born into deathly poverty and the other into a singularly fabulous wealth. In this compelling story, Marshall tells how their friendship and collaboration uniquely prepares us as readers to see across divides, to cross unbridgeable barriers and to bring about real societal change. And it’s a great read! Enjoy!”

Rob Martin

“No one did more than John Perkins to engage churches in the task of racial reconciliation. And no one did more to make it possible than philanthropist Howard Ahmanson, Jr. In the process, the two men forged a warm personal friendship that bridged a challenging racial and economic divide. Paul Marshall skillfully weaves together the story of how these men—and their families—together crafted and lived out a powerful message of Christian unity.”

Nancy Pearcey

“FRIENDSHIP. It is often talked about but rarely lived out, particularly when people come from different backgrounds. In Called to Be Friends, Called to Serve we see boundaries broken that often limit friendships. John Perkins, a third grade educated African American man who grew up in poverty, developing a deep friendship with Howard Ahmanson, a wealthy, privileged, white man. I have had the pleasure of knowing both of these wonderful men for forty years and observed their friendship up close. I highly recommend this book. It is exciting to read!”

Wayne “Coach” Gordon

“Dr. Perkins and Howard Ahmanson are men of tremendous character and it’s a grace for us to have their unusual friendship and exemplary lives documented for our tutelage. I recommend this book for inspiration and wisdom for a how we can bring a little more heaven on earth.”

David M. Bailey

“Marshall captures the complexity of the relationship between Ahmanson and Perkins: their shared commitments and differing understandings. Their agreement on surprising issues fostered a deep friendship and promoted reciprocal learning where they disagreed. At this time when polarization in the U.S. is so pervasive this story stimulates hope in the power of faith to promote friendship and reconciliation across lines of race and class.”

Jacqueline C. Rivers