David Watson (evangelist)
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David Christopher Knight Watson (7 March 1933 – 18 February 1984) was an English
Anglican Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
priest, evangelist and author.


Early life and education

David Watson was born on 7 March 1933 at Catterick Camp, Scotton, Yorkshire to Godfrey Charles Knight Watson, a captain in the
Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
, and his wife Margaret Sara Winifred. He was educated at
Bedford School Bedford School is a 7–18 Single-sex education, boys Public school (United Kingdom), public school in the county town of Bedford in England. Founded in 1552, it is the oldest of four independent schools in Bedford run by the Harpur Trust. Bed ...
(1940-1946) and Wellington College (1946-1951). He was
head boy The two Senior Prefects, individually called Head Boy (for the male), and Head Girl (for the female) are students who carry leadership roles and are responsible for representing the school's entire student body. Although mostly out of use, in some ...
of Wellington College. Watson studied the Moral Sciences
Tripos TRIPOS (''TRIvial Portable Operating System'') is a computer operating system. Development started in 1976 at the Computer Laboratory of Cambridge University and it was headed by Dr. Martin Richards. The first version appeared in January 1978 a ...
(i.e.
philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
) at
St John's College, Cambridge St John's College, formally the College of St John the Evangelist in the University of Cambridge, is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge, founded by the House of Tudor, Tudor matriarch L ...
, graduating with a
Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...
(BA) degree in 1957. While at Cambridge, he converted to
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
and attended the Cambridge Inter-Collegiate Christian Union. He became involved with the Iwerne camps ministry of the Revd E. J. H. Nash by the invitation of David Sheppard, later to become Bishop of Liverpool. Watson noted: "Undoubtedly the most formative influence on my faith during the five years at Cambridge was my involvement with the boys' houseparties, or 'Bash camps.' It was the best possible training I could receive.": 'Bash' was a nickname of Revd E. J. H. Nash. From 1957 to 1959, he studied theology and trained for ordination at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, an evangelical Anglican theological college.


Ordained ministry

Watson was
ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...
in the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
as a
deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...
in 1959 and as a
priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...
in 1960. He started his ordained ministry among dock workers in the parish of St Marks, Gillingham, Kent. Watson's second curacy took him to the Round Church in Cambridge where the vicar was Mark Ruston. Around the same time, encouraged by Martyn Lloyd Jones, Watson sought the religious experience known as
baptism in the Holy Spirit In Christian theology, baptism with the Holy Spirit, also called baptism in the Holy Spirit or baptism in the Holy Ghost, has been interpreted by different Christian denominations and traditions in a variety of ways due to differences in the doctr ...
and began to speak in tongues. Watson became curate-in-charge of St Cuthbert's Church, York in 1965, which was attended by no more than twelve at any service and was twelve months away from redundancy. Eight years later the congregation had out-grown St Cuthbert's and an array of annexes resulting in a move to St Michael le Belfrey, York. Subsequently, the congregation grew to many hundreds in only a few years. As his ministry progressed, Watson was involved with missionary enterprises throughout the world and was a high-profile advocate of reconciliation and ecumenism in Northern Ireland. He met the
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Leader John Wimber in 1980, and was one of the first people to welcome him to the UK. This encouraged the connection between Wimber and Terry Virgo of Newfrontiers that ensued. He left St Michael le Belfrey in 1982 for London. Watson was a regular contributor to '' Renewal'' magazine, a publication of the interdenominational charismatic movement which started in the 1960s. Watson was diagnosed with cancer in April 1983, and believed he was being healed through prayer. He died of cancer on 18 February 1984 after recording his fight with the disease in a book, ''Fear No Evil''. "Born c. 1934; died of cancer, February 18, 1984, in London, England. Clergyman and author. One of the best known evangelists of the Church of England, Watson was a leading figure in Britain's Charismatic Renewal movement. He was also an advocate of Christian unity, leading numerous ecumenical missions throughout the world. Among Watson's many books are ''Discipleship'', an autobiography entitled ''You Are My Lord'', and an account of his struggle against cancer entitled ''Fear No Evil''." Obituary Notice, ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'', 21 February 1984
John Gunstone remarked of Watson that "It is doubtful whether any other English Christian leader has had greater influence on this side of the Atlantic since the Second World War." J. I. Packer called him "one of the best-known clergymen in England". J. I. Packer in the foreword to David Watson's ''Discipleship'' (London: Hodder, 1981) p. 6.


Views

David Watson originally questioned aspects of Catholicism. However, he was later involved in ecumenical promotion of charismatic renewal via the Fountain Trust, and marched alongside Catholic leaders in peace marches in Northern Ireland during
The Troubles The Troubles () were an ethno-nationalist conflict in Northern Ireland that lasted for about 30 years from the late 1960s to 1998. Also known internationally as the Northern Ireland conflict, it began in the late 1960s and is usually deemed t ...
. He championed charismatic evangelicalism within the Church of England, and, unlike some other evangelicals of the time, was convinced of remaining in mainstream denominations.


Works


Bibliography

*''Christian Myth and Spiritual Reality'' (1967) *''My God Is Real'' (1971) *''God's Freedom Fighters'' (US ''How to Win the War'') (1972) *''One in the Spirit'' (1973) *''I Believe in Evangelism'' (1976) *''In Search of God'' (1974) *''Live a New Life'' (1978) *''I Believe in the Church'' (1978) *''Is Anyone There?'' (1979) *''Discipleship'' (in US ''Called and Committed'') (1981) *''Jesus, Then and Now'' (1983) *''You Are My God : An Autobiography'' (1983) *''Fear No Evil - A Personal Struggle with Cancer'' (1984) *''Hidden Warfare'' (1987)


Video works

*''Jesus Then and Now - V. 1 - Beginnings and Temptation'' (1983) *''Jesus Then and Now - V. 2 - Disciples and Miracles'' (1983) *''Jesus Then and Now - V. 3 - Lifestyle and Prayer'' (1983) *''Jesus Then and Now - V. 4 - The Man and Opposition'' (1983) *''Jesus Then and Now - V. 5 - Crucifixion and Resurrection'' (1983) *''Jesus Then and Now - V. 6 - The Spirit and the New Age'' (1983)


Biographical

*Teddy Saunders and Hugh Sansom ''David Watson, A Biography'' (Sevenoaks: Hodder, 1992) *Edward England (Ed) ''A Portrait by his Friends'' (Godalming: Highland, 1985) *Porter, Matthew. ''David Watson: Evangelism, Renewal, Reconciliation'' (Cambridge: Grove Books, 2003)


Footnotes


External links


David Watson: A Legacy by Thomas Marshall

David Watson: A Legacy by Thomas Marshall - alternative link
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, David C K 1933 births 1984 deaths English Charismatics English evangelists People educated at Bedford School People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire 20th-century English Anglican priests Alumni of Ridley Hall, Cambridge Alumni of St John's College, Cambridge Evangelical Anglican clergy