WS Chronicle

By Felecia Piggott-Long, Ph.D.

The Rev. Dr. Joseph E. Perkins, 86, founder and president of Apex School of Theology (ASOT), passed away at Duke Hospital in Durham on Saturday, Oct. 12. A wake was held Thursday evening from 6-9 p.m. at Apex School of Theology. His service was held at 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 18 at Peace Missionary Baptist Church. Interment followed in Beechwood Cemetery. The family also received friends at the church on Friday from 12-1 p.m. prior to the service. Burthey Funeral Service was in charge of all services.

Dr. Perkins founded ASOT in 1995 as Apex Academy School of Religion at the historic Apex First Baptist Church in Apex, NC, where he served as pastor. His wife, Dr. Carrie Perkins, retired Durham educator, served as First Lady. ASOT outgrew the church facilities and was relocated to Durham in 2002, then to the Research Triangle Park area in 2006, and finally to the current location in Durham in 2012. The Doctor of Ministry was established at ASOT in 2008. The motto of the university is “Training Church Leaders for the 21st Century.” ASOT is in 23 different cities in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Two books that Dr. Perkins wrote include “What’s in Your Spirit?” and “The Being of God.” In the first text, a scholar can learn how a person’s spirit, which is his or her life force, can never die and came into existence out of the Spirit of God in heaven, that all spirit beings were created or taken out of God at the same time, and they together comprise the Host of Heaven. The host of heaven is an extension of God at its core, all people are a part of who He is and He is a part of all the people He created. “The Being of God” is a text that will take the reader deeper into his or her spiritual journey. This information will take the scholar from “drinking milk” to “eating the meat of the Word.”

Bishop Sir Walter Mack, Jr., pastor of Union Baptist Church, started a consortium at Union Baptist Church and has partnered with the Apex School of Theology for several years. “Dr. Perkins has been a great blessing to so many ministers and clergy who were unable to leave their jobs to study for their degrees,” said Bishop Mack. “Because of the way the program was set up, many ministers were able to maintain their jobs and still earn their degrees for ministry. The Rev. Dr. Perkins will be greatly missed.”

Katrina Byrd, the editor of the Apex School of Theology newsletter said, “I am so sad to hear about the passing of The Rev. Dr. Joseph Perkins, but I am also at peace. God is great!”