At age 8, David Wayne Watkins III accepted Christ and was baptized by the Rev. Dr. A. Lincoln James Sr., then-pastor of Greater Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church, 5301 S. Michigan Ave., in the historic Washington Park community.
At age 8, David Wayne Watkins III accepted Christ and was baptized by the Rev. Dr. A. Lincoln James Sr., then-pastor of Greater Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church, 5301 S. Michigan Ave., in the historic Washington Park community.
Years later, on March 8, 2009, the Rev. Watkins was installed as the fifth pastor of the church during a moving and inspirational service, officiated by his longtime spiritual mentor and friend, the Rev. James. James is now Greater Bethesda’s pastor emeritus. In attendance as witnesses of the special occasion were members of the Rev. Watkins’ congregation, his family, friends and fellow clergy.
The Rev. Watkins is a product of the Chicago Public Schools by way of James E. McDade Magnet Elementary School and Whitney M. Young Magnet High School. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and a Master of Divinity degree from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in west suburban Lombard.
As project manager of Integrated Project Management Co., Watkins managed numerous facilities and infrastructure projects from concept through implementation, including mechanical systems installations, fire protection modifications and general facilities upgrades. While enjoying a myriad of successes at IPM, Watkins answered God’s call to preach and in March 2003 was licensed by Greater Bethesda under the spiritual leadership of James, who affectionately calls Watkins “the engineering preacher.”
______
To read the rest of this article, subscribe to our digital or paper edition. For previous editions, contact us for details.
Copyright 2009 Chicago Defender. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
About Post Author
