- April 16, 2024
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A Palm Coast minister celebrated the 25th anniversary of his ordination this week.
The Rev. Dr. D. Ronald Watson Jr., 51, has been the senior pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church for five years. He said his experience in Palm Coast has been very rewarding.
“I have never had a more loving, caring congregation, nor a more committed one to the mission,” he said of the 600-member church. “There is something for everybody here.”
Watson’s spiritual calling was rooted in his upbringing. Watson, who was born and raised in Columbus, Ga., grew up in a faithful Presbyterian household. He said his family made it a point to always attend church on Sunday and participate in weekly religious education.
Watson said that when he felt a calling to become a minister, he pursued ordination. After earning a bachelor’s degree in English from The Citadel, in Charleston, S.C., he went on to earn a master’s degree from the Union Presbyterian Seminary, in Richmond, Va. He also holds a doctor of ministry degree from the Columbia Theological Seminary, in Decatur, Ga.
Watson was ordained a minister on July 10, 1988. His first church as a minister was the Church in the Pines, in Laurel Hill, N.C. He also served as a new church development pastor for 10 years.
He emphasized that his ministry came from a natural inclination and feeling of desire to serve. “It is a calling,” he said. “It is not a job choice.”
He said his mission involves sermons, offering sacraments, giving pastoral guidance and teaching. Baptisms and weddings are the most fulfilling events for him, but he said even deep conversations with churchgoers give him gratification.
“Those are life’s unscripted moments,” he said. “It’s a real privilege to share those highs and lows in life. Those are satisfying moments.”
Watson said his ministry is far from over.
“You can’t put a season to it,” he said. “It’s a lifetime commitment. I hope to do this as long as I can.”
The church will hold a reception for its senior pastor at 11 a.m. Sunday, July 14, in Mehaffey Hall on the church grounds, to officially recognize his 25 years as a minister.
