Today we’d like to introduce you to Doug Meacham.
Hi Doug, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in the Westerville area in the 1980s. I went to Big Walnut high school and then to Otterbein University. My major was music and business, and that led me to an internship in Nashville, Tennessee. I had wanted to be a professional musician ever since I was a kid. So, I felt like I needed to move to Music City USA to get my career started. Ultimately, I ended up heeding the call that was placed on my life when I was 13 years old at a revival. I knew I was to be a pastor. I met my wife, Emily, in Nashville, and we married after one month. We moved to Ohio in 1996, and I have been a pastor here ever since. During many of the years of being a pastor, I did have the opportunity to perform with a band who played over 150 Faith and family night concert tour dates at arenas and stadiums across the country. We also performed at Universal Studios and Disney World. But, I have had the most fulfillment in playing music for our congregation at our church each Sunday. I help lead the worship, as one part of my overall duties as senior pastor.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Our church has gone through some struggles over the years. It seems like there is a cycle of time when incidents can happen, and you can have some disruptions in the congregation. We also felt the impact during the pandemic, when people started to become more comfortable staying at home and watching services online. It’s been a challenge to encourage people to come back out and worship in person. We have seen an uptick in that area here recently though.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Even though our church is a smaller church, we keep very active with community events. We often present a patriotic pageant show that honors our veterans, and celebrates God and country. We put on a fall festival that has become a big hit in our neighborhood. And, throughout the summer we have a classic car cruise-in that draws a lot of the community in to see the cars and get to know our church. I have always been inspired to use creativity to reach our community in various ways.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?
One of my favorite childhood memories is when I would get to go on vacation in an RV with my parents, my mom‘s parents, and my dad‘s parents (both sets of grandparents) all together for a week! I’m sure it was stressful for the adults to try and manage that dynamic, but as the kid and grandkid, it was blissful! I have so many memories of visiting tourist attractions, and eating out with them on those trips. And, I really got to know the various generations of our family through stories they would tell on the road. It was amazing!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gracechapel.us
- Instagram: @gracechapel.us
- Twitter: @gcwesterville
- Youtube: @gracechapelohio4787
