Jen Tyler
Senior Pastor
Welcome to First Church!
I have had the privilege of being the Senior Pastor of First Church since July 2020. Before coming to Watertown I served churches in Wahpeton, ND and Clark and Garden City, SD.
For me, the joy of ministry is rooted in my love of missions, heart for people, and passion for understanding and engaging contextual ministry. As the Senior Pastor at First United Methodist Church, I do that by overseeing the spiritual care and growth of our congregation and community. Specifically, that means I get to work alongside and support all of our other staff, serve as the primary speaker in worship, work with our Leadership Team to set and implement our congregation’s vision, and help our congregation be good stewards of all of our resources including time, talent, and finances.
While I grew up in southeast South Dakota in a large family (I have 3 sisters and 2 brothers), my work and studies have also taken me all over the world. I have a Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (Evanston, IL), an MBA from Dakota Wesleyan University (Mitchell, SD), and a BA in Sociology from Simpson College (Indianola, IA). Prior to ordination, I also served as a United Methodist missionary in South Africa and Washington, DC.
I live in Watertown with my dog Shaggy who loves to join me on long walks, adventurous hikes, or a day out snow shoeing. When I’m not busy in the local church or cuddling with my dog, I also love sharing stories over cups of (good, strong!) coffee, traveling, or riding my bike.