What is a pastor?
'Pastor' just means shepherd. It is one of the words that the Bible uses for those who are to lead and care for local churches. They are also called elders and overseers. Ivan Watson has been a pastor in Cavan Baptist Church since September 2008. At present he is the only pastor in this church. The following questions will help you get to know him and his family.
Can you tell us about your life before becoming a pastor?
I grew up as a County Tyrone boy in the county town of Omagh. After leaving school I studied medicine in Belfast and worked for five years as a doctor eventually ending up in General Practice.
Why did you become a pastor?
It's a long story but the short of it is that God's call for me to do this work was confirmed when a church in Dunstable (England) asked me to be their pastor.
As a child I had heard the good news message from the Bible and I had come to trust in Jesus as my personal Saviour. As I grew up I had a desire to tell others about him. Through my medical work I had a longing to help other people and I also thought that this might be used by God in a third world country. In GP work I saw how often people's problems had a spiritual dimension and I also knew from the Bible that the deepest need of human beings is to know and enjoy God. On the recommendation of my local church, my wife and I went to study at a Bible College in England. Following on from this I was asked to work as a student pastor with a church in Dunstable, Bedfordshire which later on called me to be their pastor.
What family do you have?
I have been married to Carol since 1995 and God has blessed us with three children, Peter (born 1997), Daniel (born 1999) and Anna (born 2002). Carol also trained as medical doctor before becoming a full time mum. She also has a personal faith in Jesus and is a great support to me in the work of being a pastor. The children are great fun and fill up most of my 'free time'.
Why did you come to Cavan?
During 2007 I received an invitation to speak in Cavan Baptist Church for the first time. Carol and I really enjoyed our visit to the church and I was asked to come back in February 2008 to speak at a meeting. Letters and questions followed and the church then gave me a call to be their pastor. After thinking and praying for God's guidance I accepted the call and was inducted to the pastorate in Cavan in September 2008. As a family we have been made to feel very welcome both in the church and in the community as a whole. It was hard to leave the friends we had made in England but we are glad to be back in Ireland again.
What does a pastor do?
As the name implies he is to be a shepherd. The main way in which I can shepherd people is through feeding them with the spiritual food of the Bible. This means that a large part of my week is taken up with studying the Bible for myself and preparing 'meals' or messages for meetings and one to one encounters with people. I pray regularly for the people and try to visit members of the church and other people who would like to receive a visit. I see myself as kind of a team coach whose role is to encourage other Christians as we follow Jesus together. I am available for counselling either in my study at the church premises or at an agreed location. You do not have to attend our church to benefit from this. I also conduct weddings and funerals when the need arises and try to do what I can to spread the good news about Jesus in our local area and beyond. If you think I can be of any assistance to you then please do not hesitate to contact me.
