When the Rev. Dennis Watson

graduated from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1979, it probably

never crossed his mind that in 2002 he would be given a five-day, four-night

Caribbean cruise.

The occasion was his 20th anniversary

with Harp's Crossing Baptist Church.

When he joined the congregation

as senior minister in 1982, the church was in a small wooden building

a mile south of the current facility, called "Water's Chapel."

In 1987 the congregation walked

the mile north to its current location at Ga. Highway 92 south and Harp

Road.

Watson has been busy seeing

his flock grow from in the hundreds to more than 2,000 members. From its

1987 sanctuary it has built larger ones and is about to build its third

sanctuary.

A recent Sunday morning service

began like any other, except that he suddenly noticed his sisters in the

congregation. This might not be too unusual, except that two of them live

in North Carolina.

The service was then taken

over by church leaders who reminded him that the date was the 20 th

anniversary of his serving the church.

Among those offering congratulations

was the Rev. Dr. Jerry Rankin, president of the International Mission

Board, and the Rev. Dr. Robert White, executive director of the Georgia

Baptist Convention.

Among the many gifts of appreciation

was siding for his house and a Caribbean cruise on a new luxury ocean

liner.

A reception was given in the

evening with many former employees and former members attending. Also

coming in for the occasion was Judge Paul Pressler from Texas. A former

Texas legislator and a former judge of the 14 th Texas Court

of Appeals, Pressler was a key figure in the conservative resurgence in

the Southern Baptist Convention and was instrumental in helping to return

the denomination to a position of standing upon the complete trustworthiness

of God's Word. Watson had the privilege to meet Pressler and the meeting

had a profound influence on his life and ministry.

"My family and I were

overwhelmed," Watson said. "I was totally surprised and the

surprises just kept coming. At times, as I listened to the accolades,

I wondered who we were talking about.

"As I have reflected back

on these 20 years, I can honestly say it has all been a blessing that

just shows the goodness of God," he said.

He added that he is looking

forward to the next 20 years.

The pastor has kept a diary

for a number of years, and this was his entry for Sept. 6, 1982: "I

have a heavy conviction of late concerning outreach and missions. I felt

as though the Lord told me that if I lead a church to be mission minded

... then He would keep us here for a while. This church can be a mission-oriented

church. We should see young people become missionaries and strong supporters

of missions."

This has come to pass.

He was joined in the festivities

The church is at 1183 Ga. Highway

92 south and can be reached at 770-461-5318.

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