Bishop Raymond E. Watts, PhD, is a gospel preacher, church leader, dedicated pastor, Bible teacher, conference speaker, author, real estate professional, accomplished businessman, electronic design engineer holding two US patents, college engineering and mathematics professor, husband, father and grandfather. 

Bishop Watts is the Senior Pastor of New Direction Church of God in Christ, of Upland CA, serving the Lord for as a senior pastor for 44 years. Under his leadership, the Pomona church developed citywide humanitarian ministries that resulted in the under privileged being housed, job placement, and the systematic feeding of up to 300 people per day, five days a week.

The Pomona CA church, when located at 177 W. Monterey Street, Pomona CA, acquired seven properties. The membership grew to approximately 1800 members and developed a successful C H Mason Bible College. In 2007 the church purchased an abandoned tortilla factory property at 1100 E Holt Avenue, Pomona CA, and refurbished it into a beautiful 28,000 square foot church, which served Pomona as one of the largest churches in the city, offering many humanitarian services.

In the year 2012, New Direction Church relocated to the City of Rancho Cucamonga CA, where Bishop Watts and the Church served as a light to the city for seven years. In the year 2019, Bishop Watts led the church in the purchase of the Historical Downtown Grove Theater of Upland California. The Historical Building was renovated into a beautiful church facility that lends itself to the ministry of dynamic in-person and live stream worship, drama, gospel music concerts, Christian education for children, Downtown Upland city evangelism, and family friendly movies for the kids and community.

Bishop Watts at the age of 36, was the founder and Superintendent of the Southern California First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction’s Inland Empire District, where he led and served 7 churches. During those years, he was elevated to serve as an Administrative Assistant to Bishop Charles E. Blake, who appointed him, Director of Southern California First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction’s Department of Conference and Institutes. He developed successful strategies for church growth through effective Sunday School and proved his theories by developing one of the largest Sunday School Churches in the Inland Empire of Southern California. On November 14, 2006, Bishop Watts was inducted into the College of Bishops of the Church of God in Christ, and consecrated by the late Bishop Gilbert E. Patterson, as Jurisdictional Prelate of California Southern Third Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ, where he served for 10 years. Upon retiring from that position, he continues to serve the National Church of God in Christ as an Auxiliary Bishop, and Resident Bishop of Southern California First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction.

Bishop Watts has a great passion to teach the Lord’s people God’s word.  His “through the Bible, book-by-book”, style of teaching  is carefully outlined to help spiritually hungry Christians draw close to God. He is a church organizer and mentor for many ministries and start-up churches, guiding them to develop church growth and community evangelism procedures. He is the author of 3 books; “Does the Plan Still Work”, “Back When People Prayed”, and “The Plot to Sabotage My Friend’s Faith in God”. Bishop Watts holds a B.S. degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering with emphasis in Bio-Medical/Respiratory Electronics, from California State Polytechnic University Pomona CA; M.A. in Business Management from the University of Redlands CA; M.A. in Religion, and PhD in Church Administration from California Graduate School of Theology Glendale, CA.;  Honorary D.D. and Th.D. from Next Dimension University, Ontario, CA. 

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His two US Patents are in the area of biomedical engineering. He worked for many years in the Aerospace Industry, Respiratory Industry, Research and Development of Respiratory products, and the design of electronic consumer products. He managed a top-secret engineering design department of 32 engineers in Ontario CA, that pioneered military drone technology, developing some of the first anti-radar detectable military drones. He has been active as a business owner, owning several businesses; three Daycare Centers of more than two hundred children, Chapel of Peace Funeral Home, a “Big Rig” trucking Company, Watts Electronics (design and development of hospital medical products), High Desert Real Estate Group, as well as several nonprofit companies. He is a Real Estate Professional working with developers, buying and selling real estate throughout Southern California.

He is the loving husband to his charming wife, Dr. Anita Y. Watts for 48 years, the father of four children and the grandfather of three wonderful grandchildren.