This year Pastor David Meriwether of the First Presbyterian Church of Paulding is marking many milestones—turning 60, celebrating his 35th wedding anniversary, and commemorating the 25th year of continuing service to the church.
The congregation is honoring him on his birthday, Sunday, June 12, by inviting the public to an informal open house from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. at the church, outside, weather permitting. The celebration is being co-hosted by the Cecil Presbyterian Church, where Meriwether has been the part-time stated supply minister since 1999.
Pastor Meriwether preached his first sermon at the Paulding church on June 16, 1991. The son of a pastor, Meriwether moved to Paulding from California with his wife Patty and his young daughter Allie to answer the call. Their sons Jack and Matthew were both born in Paulding.
A graduate of Fuller Seminary, Meriwether says that he never thought about preaching when he was growing up because of a fear of public speaking. A serious Christian since the age of 17, Meriwether surprised those who knew him when he decided to become a preacher at the age of 23. “God just changed me instantly,” he explains.
Meriwether recalls some of the memorable events in his more than two decades at the church—hosting TGIF, a marriage conference, and the Ice Cream Tent during John Paulding Days; participating in the community Choir Festivals; sharing VBS with other churches; starting praise singing and the Thursday night prayer group; hosting a small group ministry in his home with his wife, the building of the church’s Fellowship Hall in 1994, and celebrating the church’s 125th anniversary in 2000.
Meriwether says that over the years he has emphasized the importance of prayer, openness to the Holy Spirit and the identity of the believer as a member of the Kingdom of God and a representative of Jesus in the community.
An active member of the Paulding Kiwanis Club and the Ministerial Association, Meriwether also takes a turn hosting a Bible Study at the Senior Center and holding an afternoon service at the Gardens of Paulding every fifth Sunday. He has also served as Community Spiritual Director for both the Great Banquet and Awakening ministries in Bryan and been in involved with the MERGE program with other pastors and leaders from Northwest Ohio.
