Rev. Donald David “D.D.” Meighen has been involved in ecumenical work since high school. As a Fairmont Senior High student, he took classes taught by GFCC. In college, he surveyed public housing units, worked with students on probation, and did after-school creative dramatics classes with grade school children.
Following seminary, 1968-2024, he would continue his ecumenism of 56 Years as he served 17 churches in four denominations, plus being campus minister at West Virginia University for both the Presbyterian and United Methodist Church. He also pastored as interim minister at First Presbyterian and is presently serving as interim at Central Christian (Disciples of Christ) in Fairmont.
He became the media representative of the Greater Fairmont Council of Churches. He wrote a weekly music column, “Today’s Sounds,” in the local paper; he produced seven shows on three radio stations from 1971-1979. He founded 24-hour Marion County Public Access Television from 2006-2018 on the Time Warner Cable, writing, filming, and editing over 3,000 programs. He began Tv561 and Tv19 Facebook pages to continue live streaming events, particularly County Commission meetings. He started a VIMEO Channel in 2019 for Marion County Heroes of Faith and Justice. He is responsible for weekly Faith Journey articles in the local paper utilizing local clergy from various faith groups and assigning prayers for City and County Commissions.
In education, he started the first after-school program in WV in 1971 at Meadowdale’s East Dale School, extending that to Monongalia County with students, WVU faculty and students. In Harrison County, he developed a state model program with Vincent Memorial Church and Nutter Fort Intermediate and Primary School. For his work, he ran and was elected to the Harrison County Board of Education. Coming to Fairmont, he led a successful Bond Call to build a new West Fairmont Middle School in 2002 and developed a 200-plus student after-school program at Central United Methodist Church. For these efforts, The West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service and the Governor’s Office awarded Vincent Memorial Church in Nutter Fort in 1998 and Central United Methodist Church in 2002 as the State Church of the Year.
In Public Service, he formerly served as Chair of Mission West Virginia, Scott’s Run Settlement House, United Way Fund Drive Campaign, and the Fairmont Coalition for Homelessness.
As a minister, he served Central UMC, where he portrayed Fletcher Golden, the Father who inspired Father’s Day. He helped commemorate the first Miners Day Service in America with Creed Holden following Congressional & State & Proclamations of 2006, setting aside Dec. 6th as the yearly event to honor all miners of WV & America
As a sports fan, he was play by play announcer for high school and college sports on religious TV station WLYJ (now Fox in Clarksburg), assisted in coaching AAU WV teams, and started church basketball in Morgantown while continuing the Fairmont Council of Churches Basketball League.
He has been recognized with the first Donal Jack Squires Lifetime Achievement Award from Marion County Chamber of Commerce in 2008; Rotarian of the Fairmont Club in 2021; Senior of the Year by Fairmont Times West Virginian in 2015; 1996 Harrison County Parks & Recreation Person of the Year; 2016 Family Resource Network Hero; Emeritus Mission WV Board Member in 2021; 2017 Communication Citation by WV United Methodist Conference and a Distinguished West Virginian in 2021,
He has been married to Dr. Mary Miller Gwinn for 53 years. They have 3 children and 9 grandchildren.