Area Representatives

Marshall, TX & others

Area Representatives are the boots on the ground for Texas Baptists. They spend the majority of their time on the road, driving to various churches in their regions, and responding to needs each day.

Tim Watson, area representative director, focuses on the Longview area where he has 550 churches in his region.

“Just recently I was in Port Caddo Baptist Church in Marshall,” he said. “Their pastor had served there 11 years, and he was leaving. They had never done any kind of pastor search and the people were nervous. They asked questions like, ‘How do we get a pastor? Do we put an ad in the paper? Is it by word of mouth?’ So we told them that we have a process in place and were able to share our best practices.”

The nine area representatives have over 250 years of combined pastoral experience. They often serve as interim pastors at various churches. They also offer pastors informal counseling and guidance and connect them with Texas Baptists training events, specialists and resources.

“Every pastor needs a pastor,” Watson said. “We’re kind of like pastors to the ministers in our areas. They know we have integrity and if they have a problem, they know they can call us, and we will be a listening ear.”

Area Representatives are supported by our church’s gifts through the Cooperative Program. Let’s pray for our nine area representatives as they meet the needs of churches around the state.