Prentice Meador remembered: A message from President Lowry

L. Randolph Lowry | 

As we seek to absorb and understand the death of Dr. Prentice Meador, I wanted to take this opportunity to personally communicate with the Lipscomb community.  Prentice, who suddenly became ill last Thursday and fought a valiant battle with a raging infection, died early this morning at Centennial Medical Center.  He was surrounded by his family, as his family was surrounded by a host of university and church friends who had faithfully ministered to them since he entered the hospital. 

Prentice was a passionate teacher, telling our students the Story of Jesus.  This semester he was working with his wife Barbara to help our nursing students place their challenging work in the context of faith.  He was a gifted communicator who saw teaching as an avenue through which lives of young people could be touched and transformed.  He did it well.

He was an influential preaching minister serving large churches in California, Illinois, Missouri, Washington, Tennessee and Texas for more than 40 years. But his ministry was not always in churches; sometimes it was on the campus of a major state university, on a nationally syndicated television show or in the hostile environment of Rostov-on-Don, Russia.  Wherever God called him, he took the message of Christ and ministered to those who were there.

Prentice was a wise member of the Lipscomb University and Abilene Christian University Boards of Trustees.  He cared deeply about the work of Christian education.  He was perceptive about the unique work of each school, was enthusiastic about each school’s potential and provided wisdom as he brought counsel to them both. 

Finally, he was a great friend.  I believe it was God’s hand that led us into a working relationship more than a decade ago to co-moderate a lively session at the Pepperdine Bible Lectureship each year.  He was responsible for my father being reacquainted with the church.  He was the only person on the search committee for Lipscomb’s new president four years ago who actually knew me.  He has been my confidant and friend as God allowed both of us to serve this wonderful university community.

We will have the opportunity to visit with the Meador family in the Swang Chapel in the Ezell Center Friday from 3:00 until 6:00 p.m.  We will celebrate his life at a service in Collins Alumni Auditorium on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.  I hope you will join us as we again surround his family with the presence of friends and thank God for the gift of Prentice Meador.

--L. Randolph Lowry
President, Lipscomb University