Pastor Myeskia C. Watson
Catering to Moms in a Special Way for Mother’s Day
By Ursula V. Battle
In honor of Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10, 2020, the senior mothers of Mt. Ararat Baptist Church could choose a dinner of their choice. They listened as the dinner choices were recited. They included Crab Cakes, Lamb Chops, Fried Chicken, or a Pasta dish with shrimp, salmon, or chicken. A vegetarian dish was also an option. Side choices included vegetable medley and crème of crab soup, while dessert offerings were comprised of peach cobbler, banana pudding and strawberry crunch cake.
The person running down the menu options to the moms was not a waiter or waitress, it was the Rev. Myeskia C. Watson, Pastor of Mt. Ararat Baptist Church located at the corner of Longwood Street and Gywnns Falls Parkway in Baltimore City.
Pastor Watson called each of the women personally to inform them they would all be receiving a catered dinner for Mother’s Day, called them all back to go over the dinner offerings, and took down their choices. She will also be among a team of people who will be delivering the meals to the mothers, who are all approaching 70, or over the age of 70. The women also include a member who is in an assisted living facility. The pastor said someone will come out to retrieve her dinner.
Pastor Watson’s efforts are all a part of actively ensuring the coronavirus pandemic does not stop the women from all receiving a Mother’s Day dinner. But she said first and foremost, it was all about obeying the will of God.
“In this season during these unprecedented times, our church has been constantly praying,” said Pastor Watson. “As we are praying as a church family, I asked God to keep me sensitive to the needs of the people. He called me to bless the senior mother figures in our congregation. We have a lot of seniors, and I felt this would give me an opportunity to bless church mothers and mother figures, and at same time be a blessing to the business.”
Pastor Watson says the meals are being prepared by Chef Demi’s Family Meals of Diamondz Events and Catering on Liberty Road in Randallstown.
“One of the greatest joys of my life is motherhood,” said Pastor Watson, who is married and has two children. “We will be delivering the meals on Saturday. It will be a family-style meal, and packaged for the mothers to warm up on Sunday. When I saw Chef Demi’s Family Meals was offering Mother’s Day meals, I thought it would be a wonderful way to express our love to the senior mothers at our church. The Bible says faith without works is dead. I am constantly praying God will keep me sensitive to the needs of His people, meeting their needs, and showing the love of God.
“This endeavor provides us with a way to stay connected with our seniors, and show them we care. When God gives you something, He doesn’t show us the full magnitude. It’s for you to say ‘yes’ and walk in it. He does the rest.”
Pastor Watson is the daughter of Pastor Emeritus Charles Coger and the Reverend Sandra Coger. She is the first female pastor in the 135-year history of the church. Her father was the fifth pastor of the church, and she is the sixth.
“I feel privileged and blessed to be called the pastor of this church with its history, and being able to follow my dad’s legacy,” she said.
Pastor Watson says she called about 40 women over the course of two days.
“It was a joy,” she said. “The women were so blessed by the phone calls, and they haven’t even gotten the good food yet. They could choose whatever my wanted. We wanted to be a be a blessing to the mothers, and show them how much they are valued, loved and appreciated.”
Longtime church member Beverly Woolford was among those who received a call from Pastor Watson.
“When Pastor Watson called, it bought tears to my eyes,” said Woolford who is 72 and a retired educator. “She is a pastor, a wife, a mother of two kids, and does Bible Study and so many other things. She tied up hours of her day to make all those phone calls. She did not ask for help, she just did it. I thought it was a true act of love and concern. Pastor Watson doesn’t do things to be celebrated, it is really from her heart.”
Woolford who said she chose the chicken dinner added, “Having catered dinners delivered to us for Mother’s Day was a very creative idea. Pastor Watson gave us dinner choices without limits. With all that is going on in the world, I wasn’t even thinking about Mother’s Day. It was such a good thing to do. I thought it was just tremendous.”
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