An 82-year-old Louisiana pastor is seeing his unique ministry reap “great dividends” as he has single-handedly reached more than 400 people with the gospel of Jesus Christ by ministering to them at a busy intersection.

He told Baptist Press that his church had struggled to reach people and recruit new members, but he recently came up with an idea to share the hope of the gospel with the small congregation.

“I’ve done a lot of door-to-door praying over the years,” Fogleman said. “One day I was standing on the corner of the church that I now attend, and it’s probably on the two or three busiest intersections in our community.”

He decided to set up a prayer station at the intersection.

He set about creating signs and even built a cross to attract people.

Fogleman faithfully sat or walked near the road for a few hours a day, three days a week.

“It’s just something the Lord gave me,” Fogleman said. “It’s the best service I’ve ever had in my life.”

So far he has had 440 people stop and ask for prayers, and last June he baptized eleven people.

“I have people honking at me and waving at me,” he said. “I meet people all the time who tell me they saw me out there. For many people it is a solid testimony.”

Now a small pavilion with benches houses people waiting to hear the street priest's encouragement.

The preacher told the outlet he prayed for people who are going through extremely difficult times, such as homelessness or drug addiction.

“I never know what I’m going to pray for when someone comes forward,” Fogleman said. “I think it’s a great privilege to be able to do it.”

The 82-year-old has also had the privilege of leading people to Christ, including two teenagers on their way to prom and a couple who responded to Fogleman's presentation of the gospel and were subsequently baptized.

Sarah Biggs was saved at the Cross at the Crossroads and met Fogleman at a nearby river to be baptized on a boat ramp.

“A boat pulled up and I asked them to wait so we could baptize them,” Fogleman said. “When I did that, the people on the boat started screaming and saying, 'Praise the Lord!'”

Biggs now attends his church.

“At my age, it is an immense blessing that the Lord still gives me the strength to do what I do,” Fogleman said. “I'm a third-generation Baptist minister, and my grandfather, I think, planted nine churches and he was dual-career. My father also worked two jobs and led smaller churches.”

He believes the prayer stations can be used as an evangelism tool for any church. Fogleman even told the North American Mission Board (NAMB) National Director of Personal Evangelism, JJ Washington, about the idea.

“Churches need to engage their communities, and Les' unconventional thinking has brought great benefits,” Washington responded. “I think his story is a great encouragement to pastors and churches in similar situations to find ways to step out of their comfort zone and engage in gospel conversations.”

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