Watson Jones III is the Senior Pastor of Compassion Baptist Church on Chicago’s Southside. He served as the Lead and Founding Pastor of Restoration Church of Philadelphia. Watson’s church planting experience was chronicled by This American Life and The StartUp Podcast. Before starting his church, Watson served in a dual two-year church-planting residency with Epiphany Fellowship in North Philadelphia and Fellowship Associates in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Before moving to Philadelphia, Watson served as a staff pastor at his home church, Salem Baptist Church of Chicago, where he served as Children’s Pastor and eventually Youth Pastor while leading a group of 1,000 members in various church-wide activities.
Watson has a Bachelor’s of Art in Business from Trinity International University, a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in African American Preaching and Sacred Rhetoric.
Watson is married to his wife Kelli, and together they have three children, Yeshaya, Watson IV, and Ellison.