September 19, 2024
AUBURN – Tim Watson, pastor of Center of Hope Christian Ministries in the Roswell Baptist Association, was sworn in as chaplain for the city of Auburn on April 4.
Watson has been described as "an innovative community leader that is interested in leadership for the next generation."
His church, which recently purchased some land in Auburn and will begin building on it this year, has already established a heart and a footprint in the community with ministries that include a food pantry, English as a Second Language program, and even a marriage conference they offered to the public.
It was this community vision that Auburn Mayor Linda Blechinger saw when she met Watson as he was surveying the land one day. After that encounter, she asked the chief of police to induct Watson as a chaplain.
His duties include ride-alongs with police, being available for emergencies that involve sever grief, performing weddings, attending meetings, etc. But besides being a general liaison for the community, Watson's most important duty as chaplain is praying for the community — its police department, its workers, its county, and state, he says.
And with Auburn's varied demographic, his church is "running on parallel tracks with this position," he added.
He doesn't consider his appointment "an accident," Watson said. "We’re staying before God, helping us, guiding us, because without Him, I’m impotent to perform."
