Charles Meade

For the mountaineer, see Charles Francis Meade.

Charles Meade (December 24, 1916 – April 10, 2010) was the leader of an end-of-times Christian church based in Lake City, Florida.^[1]

Meade was born to a farming family in Oil Springs, Kentucky (west of Paintsville), the ninth child of his mother.^[2] According to church literature he was the twelfth of fifteen children.

As a young man, Meade served in the United States armed forces on the front lines in World War II, and earned eight Bronze Stars.^[2] According to church literature he was seriously injured more than once, but there is no indication of this in his service record.^[2] In 1948, Meade was charged with stabbing a man in Indiana, but he received a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to assault with intent to commit murder.^[2]

During the early 1970s Meade began to carry the gospel of Jesus Christ to various groups of young people in their late teens and early twenties. They met in living rooms, garages and various meeting places throughout the United States.

He founded End Time Ministries (now Meade Ministries, Inc.) In 1984, he relocated his ministry from South Dakota and Indiana to Lake City, Florida. According to the church, God told Charles Meade that Lake City, Florida, would be the only place that believers could survive Armageddon.^[3]

Meade was married twice, first to Marie Meade who died of breast cancer on 24 October 1985, and then in November 1985 to Marlene Helen Malthesen.^[4]

Notes

1. ^ Barnard, Jackelyn (12 May 2005) "Former Endtimer Speaks Out" First Coast News (Jacksonville, Florida)
2. ^ ^{a b c d} Lewan, Todd (2005) "Meade, the self-styled prophet: a man cloaked in lore and mystery" Associated Press, reproduced from the Daytona Beach News-Journal of 17 April 2005 at this website by The International Cultic Studies Association; requires Microsoft's Internet Explorer
3. ^ Heard, Alex and Klebnikov, Petere (27 December 1998) "Apocalypse Now. No, Really. Now!" The New York Times section 6, p. 41, column 1
4. ^ "Charles Meade" NNDB

References

• Hughes, John (1991) "A Town Possessed - Endtimes Ministries" South Florida Sun Sentinel of 19 May 1991, reproduced at Cult Awareness and Information Center
• Leithauser, Tom (1988) "Who is Rev. Charles Meade? Leader of religious sect moving to Lake City" Lake City Reporter of 21 November 1988, reproduced by The Ross Institute Internet Archives for the Study of Destructive Cults, Controversial Groups and Movements
• Four part series by AP writer Todd Lewan (5 April 2005) Associated Press, accessed via commercial service Lexis/Nexis

"Part I: A self-styled prophet, a legion of followers, and a 'Promised Land' in Florida" reproduced at website The Times and Democrat and as "In Lake City, an apocalyptic Promised Land" in the Gainsville Sun

"Part II: The End Timers thrive in Lake City, but what goes on behind their walls and fences is not always so pretty" reproduced at website The Times and Democrat

"Part III: An unassailable house of worship - and incessant demands for money" reproduced from the Daytona Beach News-Journal of 18 April 2005 at website International Cultic Studies Association; requires Microsoft's Internet Explorer

"Part IV: A 'promised land' made prosperous - yet suspicious and divided" reproduced at website Tampa Bay Online, from Internet Archives

"How this series was reported" from International Cultic Studies Association Web Site (formerly American Family Foundation); requires Microsoft's Internet Explorer

External links

• Charles Meade's obituary

Persondata
Name	Meade, Charles
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	24 December 1916
Place of birth
Date of death	10 April 2010
Place of death