Travelstead extolls value of faith in practice during second Latimer Lunch presentation

Dr. Meredith Travelstead, president of the Woman’s Clinic’s Executive Board, explains how a family tragedy led to her podcasting career during the Latimer Lunch at Mississippi College on March 21.

Dr. Meredith Travelstead, a board-certified Ob-Gyn physician and president of the Woman’s Clinic’s Executive Board, told Mississippi College students how she shares her faith in the medical community during the second Latimer Lunch presentation on March 21 at the Latimer House on the Clinton campus.

“I humbly recognize that there is one great physician, and that is Jesus Christ,” said Travelstead, a champion for women’s health and producer of the popular “Divine Appointments” podcast. “We cannot be ashamed to call Jesus Christ our Lord and that we act in faith in the whole body, mind and soul of a person, because it absolutely makes a difference in their health.

“In our day-to-day lives, we should have spiritual eyes to disciple (people) along the way. Medicine is just like any other area of life. Like Matthew said, God gave you talent to use. Don’t bury it and wait for the Master to come back . . . Multiply it.”

Hosted by the Mississippi College Women’s Council, the Latimer Lunch series offers MC students the opportunity to hear from accomplished industry leaders and network with Council members. Students can engage with professionals across a variety of fields, gain valuable insights and build relationships that can serve as a pipeline to career opportunities.

The Council’s primary focus is growing MC’s endowment for scholarships for all MC students. An additional purpose is to provide leadership and mentorship programs for students. The combination of financial support, leadership training and mentor programming adds a new and necessary dimension to the student experience at Mississippi College.

The Council also oversees the Jean Pittman Williams Scholarship, named in honor of 1955 graduate Jean Pittman Williams, a decades-long leader and board member at MC who currently serves on the MC Foundation Board.

Williams was in attendance as Travelstead explained how a family tragedy – her husband’s devastating cranial injury from a rooftop fall – eventually led to her podcasting career. When she found out about the accident, Travelstead realized she didn’t know who to call.

“It was only the Lord that I could call on because my family was too far away,” she said. “I don’t know why it came to mind, but the only thing that kept playing in my head was Psalm 23.”

Her husband recovered, but a few years later, when the pandemic prevented people from gathering together, the women’s ministry leader at her church asked Travelstead to do a video. The topic: her version of the 23rd Psalm.

“I literally felt like God was saying, ‘It’s time.’” She said. “’I brought you through this. This is your faith test. It’s time for you to share.’”

Travelstead donned her protective pandemic garb and, while reciting Psalm 23, peeled off her medical mask, hat and shield. She talked about what had happened to her husband and explained that, although we can put on items on to protect ourselves from COVID-19, the one whom we actually should rely on for protection is Jesus Christ.

Shortly after the video was uploaded to social media, it went viral. “I didn’t even know what that meant,” Travelstead said. “I mean, I knew what it meant in medicine, but . . .”

Coworkers told her they had seen the video. Patients told her they had seen it. Strangers told her they had seen it. She began to understand the power of social media.

So, when she wanted to show the power of the ministry occurring at City Church, an inner-city church in South Jackson, she started podcasting.

“God has given me great connections to a lot of different people in the ministry that have led me to many other (opportunities) I could not even imagine,” she said. “(I’m) taking the next step in obedience to whatever He opens the door to.”

For more information about how to support the MC Women’s Council, visit https://www.mc.edu/offices/giving/womens-council.