A Tribute to Dean Nelson

By Dr. Eric M. Wallace

On Saturday, December 16th, our nation lost a titan in the fight for life, freedom, justice reform, and a biblical worldview.  Dean Nelson was a man of God among pretenders. He was the real deal. He loved his family, church, and friends, but most of all, he loved the Lord, and it showed.

As I recalled with Lonnie Poindexter, Dean would work with anyone who was moving in the same direction he was going. I referred to him as “Barnabas,” whose name means “word of encouragement” (Acts 4:36). Barnabas was one of the first Apostles to accept Paul (Acts 9:27) and to reclaim John Mark (Act 15:39) after a fallout with Paul. Barnabas and Paul were ministers of the gospel together.

Dean was a word of encouragement.  Looking back over the years, I saw that Dean had been an encourager when Freedom’s Journal Institute was planning a Black Conservative Summit (BCS). When we held our first one in 2013, he was an emcee. Over the next few years, he would attend every BCS we had. He spoke. He interviewed special guests. He sat on a pastor's panel. He even introduced presidential candidate Mike Huckabee in 2015. He planned to attend the BCS in May 2024 to discuss Frederick Douglass’s opinion of the Constitution. I was looking forward to hearing him speak about his hero.

I remember interviewing him on our TV program Kingdoms in Konflict and watching his face light up when he talked about his fondness for Frederick Douglass. It was a great interview, and  I understood the great things this visionary was doing to advance the kingdom of God. (see below)

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to spend a lot of time together. He lived in Maryland, and I live in Illinois. Most of our interaction, in person, was because of an event the Douglass Leadership Institute was hosting, a BCS event, or some other group that Dean was associated with, and I was invited—usually by him.

So, as godly fortune would have it, this past September, we were in Washington, D.C., to inspect the venue for the BCS 2024. Dean made it possible for Jennifer and me to attend the Pray Vote Stand Summit and invited us to attend church with him and Julia and then to dinner.  That was September 17th. It was the first time we could sit at the same table with our wives and enjoy a conversation. Little did I know it would be the last time.  Almost to the day, two months later, he went home to be with the Lord.

I had a chance to attend the DLI in South Carolina and see him again, but like most events where you are the host, there is little quality time with others outside your team.  And I could tell Julia was monitoring his time, ensuring Dean got the rest he needed.  Again, I didn’t know he only had a month to live. The Summit was in November. Six weeks later, my friend would be with Jesus.

I miss my friend. He was ten years my junior but stood head and shoulders above me as he did among others. He worked with people I would shun. He accomplished a lot in his short time on earth.  Again, he was a man among men and a disciple amongst mere followers.

I am praying about some way to honor his memory at the Black Conservative Summit on May 2-4, 2024, in Arlington, VA. He would have been speaking at the BCS. So, it seems appropriate to recognize him. Lastly, we recently added him to the list of people on our advisory board. I’ll keep his name and picture on our website for a while. I’m still taking advice from him even in his absence. May God continue to comfort his wife, Julia, and their children during their significant loss.