By Courtney Smith
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Kevin Meredith had been thinking about quitting his job at an ice cream shop for several years, but he had always hesitated because he know it would put the financial burden on his wife to support his family of nine children.
That changed in late August, though, when the 46-year-old minister from Frederick took the plunge and left his job of 20 years as the catering and operations manager of Paradise Ice Cream so that he could begin teaching the Bible to college students throughout the region.
“Kevin has always had this desire to teach,” said his wife, Marsha Meredith. “Whether it be through basketball coaching or other sports, that was his way of helping him reach young people.”
Helping young people is something that has always been close to Kevin Meredith’s heart. Since he wasn’t happy with his job, he knew it was the right time to chase a dream he had put off for so long.
“I had wanted to do this for years and it seemed like the opportunity just built up,” Meredith said. “I had wanted to do it for 15 years, but it just cultivated over the past year, and the Bible studies I was having at my house were going so well that I thought this might be the direction God wants me to go.”
Meredith’s children range in age from 11 to 22, with three of them in college. He sat down with all of them last summer and explained why he had to follow his passion.
“We sat down and I shared with them what God said in my heart, and when I asked their opinion, everyone said they could see the impact this can have on young people,” Meredith said.
Having supportive family members made the decision that much easier for Meredith.
“My dad is a man that knows what he is talking about,” Meredith’s 20-year-old-son Jonah said. “I had concerns about the family, but I was confident. I knew he would do a good job of getting people to Christ.”
Meredith travels to Towson University, Penn State, Frederick Community College, the University of Maryland – College Park, York College, the University of Maryland – Baltimore County, and Messiah College every week to share the message and his faith with the students at these schools. And he does it without compensation.
“My first reaction to Kevin deciding to quit his job was excitement, but fear,” said Marsha Meredith, who is an administrative secretary. “It was an overwhelming thought because how are we going to make it financially.”
The Meredith’s currently have three children in college: Christian, 22, Jonah, 20, and Micah, 18. For Micah and Jonah, having their family going through this change without them being home has given them a different perspective.
“I immediately thought about how we were going to get things paid for, but Micah and I solved our own problem,” Jonah Meredith said. “We picked up work study jobs at school knowing that we could help the family.”
Kevin Meredith holds his Bible study on Towson’s campus on Tuesday’s at 7:45 p.m. in the Liberal Arts Building. The group usually has about 15 to 20 students.
Junior Monique Easley has been attending the Bible study for a little over a month and feels like it is important to have on campus.
“I enjoy going to Mr. Meredith’s Bible study because of the way he delivers the message to us,” Easley said. “He delivers it in a way that is relatable for young people and our issues and that was something I was looking for.”
Each campus he ministers has someone in it that was part of his Saturday night Bible study at his family’s home in Frederick.
Meredith hopes his Bible studies will turn into something where students are leading it and coming to him as just a resource.
“A year from now my ideal vision for this is to have two campuses that have vibrant, student-filled, student-led ministries that [are] impacting students by God’s power,” Meredith said.
Meredith said the experience is continuing to bring his family closer to God and each other.
“I haven’t had a paycheck in two months, but we have everything we need,” Meredith said. “There has been no diminish in the quality of life. God has been faithful. My family is seeing God in a whole new way.”
Meredith has not only impacted students on the individual campuses but even his children are appreciating their father in a new way.
“These days, not everyone loves and appreciates their dads and my family really does,” Jonah Meredith said.
1 Comment
Beautiful