I have said many times that one of the great blessings of being in ministry is to have been able to have my life cross paths with so many folks. Some I remember for being “characters;” others I remember for their character. Leroy “T-Pop” Derouen is remembered for both. T-Pop is now with the Lord.

I met T-Pop while I was a pastor in New Iberia, LA. In fact, T-Pop was on the Pastor Search Committee. Linett and I first met the committee in a restaurant in Baton Rouge. It was intended to be more of an informal meet and greet than an interview. I don’t remember much about what I said or they said, but I remember what T-Pop whispered in my ear as we were leaving. He said, “Y’all start packing. This won’t take long. We are going to want you to come to New Iberia.”

T-Pop committed his life to Jesus as an adult on an Easter Sunday, as I recall his testimony. From that night forward, he totally committed himself to Christ. Another big remembrance I have of T-Pop occurred only a few years ago. I was invited back to that church to give the message for the Annual National Day of Prayer Breakfast. My talk was titled, “The Crisis in America.” I said all the things you can imagine that I said. When my message was over, T-Pop, now a man in his 80’s, approached me with tears in his eyes and said, “The real crisis in America is that I’ve got friends and family members that don’t know Jesus, and because of that, if any of them die today, they will spend eternity in Hell.”

I don’t want to ever forget the wisdom of that statement.

So, as the 2020 Presidential Race heats up and we are barraged with incessant commentary from the right and the left as to the crisis in America, remember the wisdom of T-Pop Derouen. And, remember that unlike most other crises in America, this is one that we can actually do something about.