Article
Sallie Sampsell Watson, missional presbyter/stated clerk for the Presbytery of Santa Fe, New Mexico, and a 1978 graduate of Austin College, will present the Austin College Baccalaureate sermon Saturday, May 17, at 7 p.m. in Sid Richardson Center of the Robert T. Mason Athletic/Recreation Complex on campus. She will take part in Commencement exercises the next morning and receive an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Austin College.
A lifelong Presbyterian and native of Dallas, Watson earned her Austin College degree with a major in English and a minor in music. After a brief stint in advertising, she entered Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, where she earned a Master of Divinity degree in 1987.
Watson served a number of churches in called and interim positions of one to two years, including service as pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Portland, Texas; associate pastor at Pines Presbyterian Church in Houston, Texas; associate pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Upland, California; interim pastor at Community Presbyterian in American Fork, Utah; interim associate pastor at Wasatch Presbyterian in Salt Lake City, Utah; associate pastor at Central Presbyterian in Austin, Texas; and parish associate at University Presbyterian in Austin, Texas. She spent six years as pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Bonham, Texas, before taking over as interim general presbyter for the Presbytery of Arkansas. In 2010, she began service as regional presbyter/stated clerk of Sierra Blanca and Santa Fe Presbyteries. She took on her current role in the Presbytery of Santa Fe in January 2013, working with 42 churches in the northern half of New Mexico.
She also has held positions of leadership at all levels of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and been involved in various planning and ministry committees. While living in Austin, she served as adjunct professor at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, working with a number of student interns.
Watson serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and a trustee of The Menaul School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Since 2002, she has been involved in planning and leadership for two Mo-Ranch Women’s Reading groups. She also has been a contributing editor for Presbyterian Outlook magazine
Watson earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in 2007 from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, where she studied preaching with the Association of Chicago Theological Schools. Her thesis is titled "Preaching in Fallow Time: Nurturing Deep-Rooted Growth Through Word and Sacrament."
Watson is a former president of the Austin College Alumni Association.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 36 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of 1,250 students and a faculty of more than 100 allows a 12:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.
Gallery