Brandon Watson, associate pastor of discipleship and outreach at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Knightdale, will be nominated for president of the 2025 N.C. Baptist Pastors’ Conference during this year’s event.
Chris Autry, senior pastor of Temple Baptist Church in Fayetteville, plans to make the nomination during this year’s pastors’ conference, which is scheduled for Nov. 5-6 at the Joseph S. Koury Convention Center in Greensboro prior to the N.C. Baptist annual meeting.
Autry said he plans to nominate Watson as a way to highlight the role that associate pastors play in local churches and because of Watson’s heart for missions.
“It’s time that we recognize associate pastors as being invaluable to the ministry of the local church,” Autry said. “Brandon also has a unique ministry calling. He was called to missions, but not to an agency or to a particular city, but through the local church.”
Watson has served in his current role at Bethlehem Baptist since January 2018. Throughout his more than 20 years in ministry, Watson has served in a variety of pastoral staff positions at six churches in North Carolina and one in Kentucky. Watson’s ministry assignments include serving as an associate pastor, executive pastor, family pastor, youth pastor, children’s pastor and other roles.
If elected, Watson said he would plan a conference that seeks to encourage both senior pastors and staff pastors.
“While I’ve always been encouraged by the pastors’ conference, one of the things I’ve noticed is that it primarily focuses on senior pastors,” Watson said. “I believe God calls pastors to be pastors, and we’re all there to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. There are other pastors on staff who need to be encouraged, as well. I want to encourage those staff members and also help them see their senior pastors not just as their bosses, but also as their brothers and co-laborers in Christ.”
Watson added that staff pastors can be advocates, allies and encouragers to their senior pastor.
“One of the things I’ve always tried to do is help the church remember that their pastor is a sheep, and he needs a shepherd, as well,” Watson said. “I desire for churches to know that, but I also desire for other staff members to know that. They’re there to help minister and care for the sheep, even for their senior pastors.”
Autry said pastoral staff members like Watson are vital to local churches.
“Without guys like Brandon, our churches could not be on mission because the lead pastor cannot do it all,” Autry said. We need guys like Brandon to come along and serve and help advance the church and the mission of the church in ways the senior pastor often can’t because there’s too much to do.”
Autry added that wherever Watson has served, he’s led that congregation to be active in missions on a local, regional, national and global level. Autry called Watson a “high-octane leader” who possesses an ability to develop strategic partnerships with ministries and missions organizations, as well as with other churches.
Watson has led mission trips to nine different countries and numerous other states. While at Bethlehem Baptist, Watson has also cultivated partnerships with a variety of local ministries. Some of those missions efforts have included coordinating events, camps and conferences.
“We want to take the gospel wherever we can,” Watson said.
In addition to his pastoral responsibilities, Watson currently serves on the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina’s board of directors. He’s also actively involved with the disaster relief and mobile dental bus ministries of N.C. Baptists on Mission.
Watson’s wife, Krissy, serves as Baptists on Mission’s dental ministry coordinator. The couple has one daughter.
A native of Brunswick County, Watson holds a bachelor’s degree in communications studies from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a Master of Divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Watson is the first announced candidate for the 2025 N.C. Baptist Pastors’ Conference president. Officers are typically elected two years in advance.
