Elder Calvin L. Watkins was elected in 2021 as a vice president of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventist.
Elder Watkins has served as Pastor and Departmental Director for more than 42 years and is one of the longest serving and productive Departmental Directors in the North American Division.
In 1982 he was asked to serve as the Ministerial Secretary and Conference Evangelist where he baptized thousands and established several new churches throughout South Atlantic Conference.
In the last 40 years, he has baptized over 8,000 souls into the church and established over 19 new churches. He has conducted campaigns and training schools throughout the Caribbean, Africa, Europe and Cuba. In 2010 he lead out in the Good News Atlanta Campaign, where over 1,000 souls where baptized. He is affectionately called “Wild Fire” by many because of his many campaigns of setting churches and cities on fire.
Elder Watkins conducts seminars for Adventists and non-Adventists alike on the “Science of Soul Winning,” “Church Planting,” and “Church Organization and Management.”
In 1987, he was asked to serve as the Personal Ministries, Community Services, Inner City, Church Growth and Evangelism Director for the South Atlantic Conference. In 1990 he was elected as chairman of the North American Division Regional Personal Ministries Caucus. In 2010 he was elected as the Ministerial/Church Growth Director, and a member of the Administration Council, and in 2015 he was elected as President of the Southwest Region Conference, covering the states of Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. He currently chairs a $380 million retirement program committee.
Elder Watkins is regarded in the denomination and out of the denomination as a lecturer in the fields of church growth and ministerial training. He is also the author of the following books, One Hundred and One Ways to Witness and Evangelism for the New Millennium.