Rev. R. Tim Meadows, the new Senior Pastor at the Protestant Community Church (“PCC”) of Medford Lakes, also known as “Cathedral of the Woods,” hails from south of the Mason Dixon Line. He took over the helm at PCC earlier this year after Rev. Steven Winkler, the former Senior Pastor who had served the church for over 11 years, retired.
Rev. Meadows was born and raised in Western Tennessee, the oldest of four children in a blue collar, working class family. His father was a long haul truck driver and his mother was a career employee of the Kroger Company, a grocery chain with stores throughout the United States. He spent much of his childhood with his maternal grandparents who instilled in him respect for others and hard work. They also introduced him to church where he learned to love God’s people and to know God’s love. He experienced a sense of conversion and commitment to the way of God in Christ.
He attended Union University in Jackson, Tenn., and was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion and Psychology. He later attended New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary where he received a Master of Divinity degree and a Ph. D. in Christian History and Theology. Rev. Meadows initially believed that God’s plan for him was in the academic world, and he served as Registrar, Director of Admissions, Director of Academic Services, and Associate Professor of Religion at William Carey College in New Orleans, Louisiana, from 1993 to 1998. It was at this time that he received a call to parish work and full-time pastoral duties.
He first served as Minister of Pastoral Care at First Baptist Church in Covington, Louisiana, from 1998 to 2005. He then became Associate Pastor of Tellico Village Community Church in Loudon, Tennessee, and served from 2005 to 2016. It was there that he was contacted by the PCC Search Committee and accepted the call.
He attributes to Shannon, his wife of 29 years, the guidance that he has required in his Christian journey. Together they have sought knowledge of God’s will for their lives, and they consider each other as a gift from God. They have not been blessed with children but neither can imagine life without the other.
He believes in God as the creator and sustainer of the world as we know and experience it and in Jesus Christ as the clearest expression of God and how God acts. He believes in the Holy Spirit as the continuing presence of God in the world and in humanity as the highest order of God’s creation. Finally, he believes in the Church as the place where followers of Christ gather and where all are welcome to be strengthened for a mission to make the world a better place.
His goal for PCC is to continue to serve the community as a source of hope and resource, a place where all feel comfortable to encounter and inquire about God. Although he previously resided in Southern states all of his life, Rev. Meadows has had no difficulty in adjusting to the climate and customs of Medford Lakes and in forming a bond with PCC and its members. He finds that people are basically the same and have the same concerns, regardless of where they were born or where they reside.
All are welcome at the Protestant Community Church. For more information, access: www.protestantcommunitychurch.org.
