Gwendolyn LaVern (Arnold) Watkins was born in Washington, DC to the late Johnny Arthur
and Patricia Joann Ross (Turner) Arnold. She is the fourth of six children. She was born again of the water and of the Spirit according to Acts 2:38 at Morgan Park Apostolic
Church in Chicago, IL in 1982.
Sister Watkins married Elder Philip Steven Watkins on March 29, 1997 and to this blessed union was born
Emily Ross Watkins on April 11, 2008. Sister Watkins enjoys her family, friends,
reading, writing, history, cooking and travelling. She has a growing interest
in piano, crochet and knitting.
Since Elder Watkins established Greater Morning Star Apostolic Church of Alexandria, VA in June 2000, Sister
Watkins has been active at GMSAC in the Sunday School, as an Usher, with the Music Department and on several other auxiliaries. She also supports the P.A.W.’s DC, Delaware
and Maryland District Council Ministers’ Wives Auxiliary (of which she is
a former Treasurer) in addition to the Council Usher Board (of which she is a former Ways and Means Chairperson). Additionally, she hopes to complete the Council’s “Ministers and Christian
Workers” curriculum in the near future.
Sister Watkins is a graduate of the DC Public School System. She
received her Bachelor of Psychology from The American University and her Masters of Art in Teaching from Trinity University. With her knowledge of sign language, she has worked at Thomas
Claggett Elementary School’s Deaf and Hearing Impaired Program as well as at Gallaudet
University. More recently,
she taught in the Prince Georges County Public Schools.
Sister Watkins rejoices in the Lord’s mercies and in all the good and perfect gifts with which God
has showered her life. Having obtained help of God, she continues unto this day. “Rejoice evermore.” I Thessalonians 5:16
