Rev. Robert W. Perry, a longtime pastor of Union Baptist Church in Stamford is being remembered as a pillar in the community for his ministry and civil rights advocacy, after dying Saturday at the age of 93.
In 2018 Perry wrote the book "Living the Text: Memoirs from My Life & Times." Perry’s book is a how-to on being a transformative preacher.
His successor, Senior Pastor Andre Bradley, said Perry embodied those values.
“Dr. Perry was a person that seemingly never met a stranger, and he allowed you to be made to feel that you were number one,” Bradley said.
The book, according to an online seller, laid out a fundamental principle: a preacher cannot preach with integrity if they don't believe in the power of God.
Many may consider writing a book a key personal milestone. But according to Bradley and Rev. Thomas L. Nins of First Baptist Church Greenwich, Perry’s integrity extended far from the pulpit, from civil rights activism to the personal connections he made in Stamford and beyond.
Nins said Perry exhibited the same characteristics of other civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King Jr.
“Whether it was the janitor's strike in Stamford a few years ago or families just struggling to make it, people knew that if they reached out to Rev. Perry, he would reach back, “Nins said.
Such was Perry’s impact, Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut quickly issued a statement when reached by Connecticut Public Wednesday.
“Rev. Robert Perry’s passing marks the end of a magnificent life & wonderful man, touching countless lives with faith, caring, & wisdom,” Blumenthal said. “His humble greatness & soaring humanity are an inspiring model. My heart is with his beautiful family.”
Perry was once named one of the state’s most influential Black leaders by the Connecticut NAACP. According to previous reporting by the Stamford Advocate, Perry advocated for stronger gun control laws, and led rallies on civil rights causes.
Bradley said Perry’s concern for his fellow man extended to the personal.
Bradley, who is originally from Kentucky, said he felt emotional during a Sunday service. He moved his family far from his home and had no connections to Stamford, all of which weighed on him soon after he became Union Baptist's senior pastor.
Bradley said Perry met with him in his office and looked him in the eyes.
“He said, ‘You're in the right place. This is where God wants you,’” Bradley said.
Perry was born in 1932. According to the Union Baptist Church website, Perry ministered at the Mount Carmel Baptist Church in Portsmouth, Virginia, before he was called to Connecticut in 1972.
He presided over a period of growth for the church. It moved to a larger location on Newfield Avenue in 1978. By 2018, the church owned the building outright, celebrating with a ceremonial burning of a 20 year mortgage.
Along the way, Perry recounted his recollections of meeting civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. He would also meet former South African president and human rights activist Nelson Mandela.
His church helped finance the construction of the Union Baptist Church in Whitlesea, South Africa, during the 1990s.
Perry retired in 2021, and Bradley took over in 2022.
Bradley said the last words he heard from Perry, reflected his lifelong trust in his faith.
“I had the privilege of eavesdropping into a conversation that seemingly he was having with God, and the last thing that I remember him saying was, ‘thank you, Lord,'” Bradley said.
Bradley said Perry’s last words had meaning, not only in the literal sense, but in the connections he made to countless people.
When the church held a private memorial ceremony for him on Wednesday, the pews were filled to the back of the sanctuary.
A funeral service is being held for Perry Saturday at 11 a.m. at Union Baptist Church.
