James Ollin Watson Sr., 96, of Columbia, a long-serving Southern Baptist missionary and pastor, died Sept. 17, 2010.
Born May 16, 1914, in Berrien County, Ga., Watson was a graduate of Bob Jones University and Southern Seminary. From 1937-1938, he served as a freelance evangelist and singer in South Georgia, during which time he baptized more than 500 people. In 1943, Watson was called to pastor Calvary Baptist Church in Clinton. While there, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He completed military chaplain school in 1944. He served in the 100th Infantry Division of the Army as a chaplain in the European theater during World War II. Watson, a captain, received two bronze stars for his military service. After the war ended, he returned to Calvary Baptist Church.
In 1950, Watson was appointed by the Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board) of the Southern Baptist Convention as a foreign missionary. In 1952-53, he served as a church planter in Rosario, Argentina. From 1953-62, he served as district missionary in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
While on furlough to the United States, Watson earned his Th.M. degree from Southern Seminary. Watson and his wife were assigned to Paraguay from 1962-1978, where he served as chaplain of the Asuncion Baptist Hospital and taught at the Baptist Theological Institute and Nursing School. Watson pioneered pastoral clinical education in Latin America by instituting a chaplain’s program at the hospital.
In 1979, Watson transferred to Bagio City, Philippines, where he helped inaugurate the department of pastoral care at the Philippine Baptist Theological Seminary. In 1980, Watson attained his D. Min. degree from Southern Seminary. He returned to the Philippines and taught in the pastoral care program until retirement in 1981. After retiring from his foreign mission career, Dr. Watson pastored an Hispanic congregation in Atlanta.
Watson taught Sunday school and served as a deacon at Kilbourne Park Baptist Church in Columbia as long as his health permitted.
He was predeceased by his first wife, Frances Elizabeth Scott Watson, his second wife, Lois Pridmore Emfinger Watson, and a son.
Survivors include two sons, 10 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.