Our Pastor

After serving diligently in various capacities in the Princeton Avenue Baptist Church, including Deacon Ministry Chairman, Sunday School Superintendent, and Director of Christian Education, Dr. Roosevelt Watson, Jr. acknowledged his calling to the preaching ministry in October 1991, under the leadership of Pastor Russell U. Bailey, Sr.  Since then, Dr. Watson has emerged to become an anointed, abled, and animated preacher, teacher, author, professor, and pastor.  

Dr. Watson is a three-time graduate of the Memphis Theological Seminary, receiving a Master of Arts in Religion degree (Cum Laude) in July 2003, a Master of Divinity degree (Magna Cum Laude) in May 2006, and a Doctorate of Ministry degree in May 2012. 

Dr. Watson is an author, whose publications include a booklet entitled Anointed for the Palace, but Placed in the Pasture (2000), and an article in the Memphis Theological Seminary Journal entitled, A Baptist Denominational Response to Stem Cell Research (2005), as well as his doctoral project, The Transformative Ministry of Whooping in the Sermonic Event (2012).

Dr. Watson became the proud pastor of West Canaan in August of 2022. He previously served as the senior shepherd at the New Fellowship Baptist Church of Memphis, TN  (1993 - 1997), Co-Pastor of the Princeton Avenue Baptist Church (1997 -2005) and senior pastor of the Mt. Sinai Baptist Church of Mason, TN (2005 - 2017). Dr. Watson’s assignments as an adjunct professor include the Memphis Theological Seminary (Formation for Ministry class) in 2012, Victory University (New Testament) in 2014, and MCUTS (Creation and Covenant) in 2015.

Dr. Watson is both a native and resident of Memphis, married to Brenda C. Watson, father of four, and grandfather of three.  He diligently seeks to fulfill his mission to redeem the unsaved and unchurched, transform church-goers into God-lovers, and equip saints for service, refusing to let what's wrong with us keep us from what God would have of us and for us!