Perrin Powell

My old friend, Perrin Powell, Jr., better known as P-Rine -- sorry -- The Reverend Lewis Perrin Powell, Jr., pastor of New Hope Baptist Church, was spotted in the South Carolina Baptist Courier. I have always thought so much of Perrin Powell. He was a great friend.

He arrived as a freshman at Presbyterian College in 1993 when I was still hanging around the campus doing a lot of one-on-one discipleship with some young men. Perrin and I began to meet together for prayer and Bible study, and he prayed the most beautiful, heart-felt prayers I have ever heard out of a young man. 

Perrin was a Spartanburg Episcopalian. I worshiped with him and his family a time or two at his home church. Great folks. His Mama is sweet as tea. 

At PC, Perrin grew deep in the Word and in his love and fellowship with Christ Jesus. And he never lost his sense of humor as long as I was privileged to know and be friends with him.

The one thing he swore he'd never do is become a Baptist. For communion, we compromised on Welch's Cran-Grape -- which he sometimes left opened on top of his dorm refrigerator in the sun instead of inside it!

A few years after his college and my time in California at Fuller, I found Perrin as a youth pastor in Sparkle City, and the next thing I know is he's married to a fine young woman named Stephanie who now keeps him in line and headed toward the pearly gates.

One of the things you might not know about Perrin is that he used to be a big Jerry Clower fan. "Haawww! Shoot that thang! Have mercy! This thang killin' me!""

I sure do appreciate Perrin and miss those days of Bible study and growth at PC.