N E W S D E S K
Mahalo Nui Loa, Hawaii RALPH WATTS REFLECTS ON 16 YEARS OF SERVICE AS PRESIDENT OF THE HAWAII CONFERENCE
R
ather than running off to Hawaii upon retirement, Ralph S. Watts III left the islands he had called home since 2006 to settle down in California after serving 16 years as president of the Hawaii Conference. For Watts, who grew up in Korea and Singapore in a pastoral and missionary family, Hawaii truly was “home” for him, not just simply a place to work. “Having grown up in Korea and Singapore developed in me firsthand a deep appreciation of the ethnic diversity and cultures and the vast scope and mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church around the world,” Watts said. “It gave me the opportunity to experience living life in another culture.” Growing up in the 60s in Korea, Watts experienced what it’s like to be the minority, though he didn’t realize it at the time. To him, his experience, as it was happening, was the norm. His formative years prepared him not just for a life of ministry and service but for building meaningful connection and understanding with people from backgrounds and cultures other than his own, which in turn opened many doors for sharing the gospel both in his professional roles and simply as a follower of Christ. He first sensed his call to ministry when flying with the bush pilot in Borneo and assisting in evangelistic meetings the summer of his junior year at Far Eastern Academy. Watts posts on Facebook: "First time in 16 years to leave Hawaii without a return ticket. That’s the bad news. The good news is we’ve got the time to return someday."
June 2022 21
