Rev. Rex E. Watt was ordained into the Office of Holy Ministry on January 23, 2022, here at Redeemer Lutheran Church.  A “son of this congregation” he has been a lay member since 1998 coming to the Lutheran faith after decades with a variety of American Evangelical church affiliations.  Growing up Presbyterian, he connected with "The Navigators" in his early college days and developed a love for God’s Word, Christian fellowship, and outreach.  After a stint in the U.S. Air Force he returned to college, attending Biola College, La Mirada, CA with the intention of going into the ministry.  Due to a variety of circumstances, he ended up graduating from San Francisco State University with a BA in Classical Archaeology and began graduate studies in theology. Upon completion of his coursework, he moved to Washington State in 1983 to be involved in a home missions project with a small evangelical denomination, which did not pan out. Life circumstances led to a 31-year career as a funeral director from which he retired to enter the Specific Ministry Pastor (SMP) program with Concordia Seminary, Saint Louis, MO.  It was during his funeral service career that he met and married his “most marvelous Bride” Deanna (Waschke) Ingram, who also happened to be the church organist at Redeemer. Between them they have eight children (one deceased), and twenty-six (yes, you read that right...26) grandchildren!

Pastor Watt’s journey to the church of the Augsburg Confession (the Lutheran Church) happened over many years, beginning back in his college days at Biola.  Over the years, his love for God’s Word (thanks to The Navigators!), and more life circumstances, led him to darken the door at Redeemer, and the rest is, as they say, history.  Pastor Watt loves God’s Word and the Lutheran perspective on the Christian faith.  It is his earnest desire and prayer that all people hear the Gospel clearly proclaimed and receive God’s gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation.  “While that can happen in a variety of places” Pastor Watt likes to say, “It happens best in church.”  Which is probably why he often closes his correspondence with “see you in church!”