Rev. D.D. Meighen honored for career of ecumenical service by West Virginia Council of Churches

Nov. 4—CHARLESTON — Although he grew up worshiping in the Methodist tradition and has served as pastor at a number of Methodist churches in West Virginia, Rev. D.D. Meighen does not tie himself down to any one specific denominational dogma.

For example, in the past five years, he has served as interim pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Fairmont, and is currently serving his fourth stint as interim pastor at Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Fairmont. During his 42 years of ministry, he has been interim pastor at five churches representing three different Christian denominations in Marion, Monongalia and Preston counties.

Meighen's life work and spirit of inclusivity recently caught the attention of the West Virginia Council of Churches, which on Oct. 30, honored Meighen for living a life of ecumenism, the principle of promoting unity among the world's Christian churches. He was presented the Mary Virginia DeRoo Ecumenical Service Award during the Council's 142nd Annual Assembly held at the St. John XXIII Pastoral Center in Charleston.

Before the award was presented, Rev. Thaddaeus Allen, regional minister and president of The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, spoke from the podium and said there was no doubting that Meighen's name deserved to be on the list of previous DeRoo Award winners. The award was first presented in 2003 to its namesake.

"Some of the people on this list are some of the best Christian unity proponents that the world has ever seen," Allen said. "And I don't think that's overstated."

Allen went on to praise the overall religious climate in West Virginia as being one that offers great consideration for the promotion of ecumenism.

"The Church in West Virginia is unique because of the economical climate that exists," Allen said. "When God was putting together these hills and these streams, something got into the water that we drink and that we were baptized in and that reminds us that we must never do our work alone. We are able to be faithful because of the servants of the servant church."

After Allen's remarks, the 78-year-old Meighen addressed the gathering and thanked a list of people he has worked with either in ministry or his days operating a cable access news channel in Fairmont.

"You know I've worked hard for this award. I've done all these things just so I could get this award today," Meighen said, smiling as attendees laughed in unison.

A total of 25 guests attended the awards luncheon to show support to Meighen for receiving the award. Some drove from different parts of North Central West Virginia, while others boarded a bus provided by the Fairmont-Marion Transit Authority.

"It means a lot to me to win this award. It's a culmination of serving God in a unified and ecumenical way for all of the community. It's not just for one denomination's glory but for the glory of God's entire community of faith so that we should all serve one another more fully and faithfully," Meighen said.

When asked how a life of ecumenism is developed, Meighen's friend and colleague, Rev. Richard "Dick" Bowyer, of Fairmont, attempted to provide an answer.

Bowyer first met Meighen at a Sub-District Methodist Youth Fellowship event when Meighen was an eighth grader serving as MYF president. Meighen credits Bowyer for setting him on a path of ecumenism despite them both being Methodists.

"He started this as a kid I mean, I've known him since about the eighth grade and then he came to Fairmont State where I was campus minister," Bowyer said after the award ceremony. "He was active there and that's why he gives me some credit or blame for getting stuck on this track.

"But he's just got such a caring and open spirit and he's very inclusive in every way. He's a class act for what this award represents," Bowyer continued.

During his ministry and career, Meighen recorded hundreds of video interviews with different newsmakers from all over the region, ranging from pastors to coal miners to veterans to athletes. He sought to help document not only others' perspectives on faith, but also culture, family history and politics.

Galen Hansen, of Fairmont, also attended the Oct. 30 event. He said he has appreciated Meighen's work during the 30-plus years he and his family have lived in Fairmont.

"I've watched over the years that we've been here, and how much he wants people to understand the legacy that people have provided us now, from the history from people that immigrated here, people that have worked hard or have left behind so much for us, you know, for their families and future generations," Hansen said after the luncheon.

And although they often disagree, Hansen is grateful for Meighen welcoming his church into the fold of the Greater Fairmont Council of Churches despite objections from some of its members.

"His invitation allowing us, my church, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, for me as the bishop at the time to, to participate with the Council of Churches and to work with them in some of the projects that are dear to us, such as, general service and being prepared and self reliance, things like this and our church has special talents for them to contribute," Hansen said. "Just the fact that he was ecumenical enough to allow us to participate even though there were many who quit coming because of our participation. Yet D.D. didn't budge, so it's been about 11 years since we've been working with the Council."

One of the leaders from Central Christian Church in Fairmont was at the luncheon to show Meighen support for getting the award. Jan Parker acknowledge Meighen's authenticity and said he is rather deserving of the award.

"The best thing about D.D. is his huge heart. He has a huge heart for people and he's never met a stranger," Parker said. "If you read it in the Bible, he lives it. He's lived with the homeless. And he cares about everybody. If there's somebody that needs help, he's right there. That's D.D."

Larry Buckland, former pastor of LIFE United Methodist Church, now serves as pastor at Suncrest UMC in Morgantown, made the trip to Charleston to see Meighen receive the award. When Buckland began his time at LIFE UMC, Meighen mentored him in multiple ways.

"When I first came to Fairmont I did not know what I was doing when I met D.D. Meighen. He is gonna get you active in the community or else and I'm so glad he did — he changed my outlook on ministry," Buckland said.

Buckland said Meighen is driven by passion to include everyone.

"Most of us find something we're good at — one thing. D.D. has a wide plethora of gifts, and compassion and passions. And the list is just a plethora of things that he has had his fingerprints on, and because his fingerprints have been there, Fairmont and beyond is a better place."

Reach Eric Cravey at 304-367-2523.