Pastor William Edward Yaeger

ILLNESS CLAIMS MODESTO PASTOR FIRST BAPTIST'S YAEGER WAS RESPECTED AS LEADER, BUILDER

Pastor William Edward Yaeger, credited with leading membership as well as spiritual growth at First Baptist Church in Modesto, died Thursday after a brief illness. He was 79.

He was senior pastor from 1967 until his retirement in 1991, during which time the downtown church grew from 500 members to 3,800 -- becoming one of the first megachurches in the area.

First Baptist members described Yaeger as a strong and innovative leader -- spiritually, motivationally and organizationally. Because of this reputation, he became well-known nationwide.

Yaeger was known for recruiting business people and nonprofessionals, sometimes with no formal theological training, for ministry roles, based on their talents and personal commitment to Christ.

Under his leadership, First Baptist developed ministries for the congregation's changing needs, with programs and support groups for seniors, college and career singles, married couples of all ages, divorced parents, youths and others.

Yaeger also was integral to keeping First Baptist at 12th and Needham streets, where the church added to its space by acquiring other buildings -- at a time when other churches were building bigger facilities at the city's outskirts.

Former City Councilman Frank T. Muratore, a member of First Baptist, praised the pastor for his determination to be part of downtown's redevelopment and create a church that served populations that were sometimes overlooked.

Paul Zeek, executive pastor at First Baptist Church, said he decided to come to the church partly because of Yaeger and his reputation for training people in ministry. Zeek served as an intern under Yaeger before becoming a pastor.

"As a brand-new pastor, it was wonderful to have someone of his wisdom and experience to be my boss in that sense," Zeek said. "But also, whatever I went through ... he supported me and helped me and gave me advice, and that was just tremendous for me."

Yaeger trained more than 100 men and women for ministry, some coming from other countries and many now serving around the world.

Yaeger wrote a book, "Who's Holding the Umbrella?" -- about how ministers can lead and grow their churches and nourish their flocks. Most of the pastors now on staff at First Baptist -- and some others throughout the area -- trained under Yaeger.

YAEGER 'SET THE SCENE'

"The training and leadership development, and just the focus on the word of God being the basis for our life and for our faith ... that's the legacy that he left," Zeek said.

The church would have been unable to grow to where it is today without the foundation -- both physically and spiritually -- established by Yaeger, he said.

Church member Eleanor Currie of Modesto said Yaeger "spoke with an unabashed fervor about the Lord and the truth of the word."

"He showed us areas of our life where we could make the most of what we had, serving the Lord and finding joy," she said.

She said she began attending First Baptist in 1970 and became good friends with Yaeger and his family. Because of Yaeger's guidance, she said, her three children and their families continue to be involved in churches and ministries -- many at First Baptist.

"Because of him and his ministry, the greatest blessing I can think of is that my children have chosen to follow in the Christian way, all of them, and are serving the Lord," Currie said. "Pastor Yaeger set the scene for all of that."

Yaeger's favorite hymn was "Great is Thy Faithfulness," Currie said. "(That) was something he instilled in all of us. Faithfulness and commitment and being good stewards of what God has given us."

Yaeger was known for his sense of humor, ability to enjoy life and love for fishing.

"I would say that his first love was the Fisher of Men, and catching striped bass on the delta was something that made his heart leap also," Currie said.

Muratore described Yaeger as a dynamic speaker and educated man who kept up on international, national, state and local issues -- and as a good friend.

"He was a person where you could say, 'I wish I could be like him,'" Muratore said. "I admired him."

Yaeger was born in Los Angeles. At age 17, he left school to join the Navy after Pearl Harbor. He served as an aerial gunner and radioman, flying missions off aircraft carriers in support of ground troops in the South Pacific.

He attained the rank of petty officer second class and received the Navy Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross for his 25 combat missions.

He married his wife, Barbara, after the war and went on to earn history and divinity degrees.

Yaeger came to Modesto from a church in Sepulveda, outside Los Angeles. He had started that church in the 1950s and quickly turned it into the fastest-growing church in the area, family members said.

SERVED AS AN INTERIM PASTOR

When he retired, Yaeger served as an interim pastor in several California churches. Last year, he and his wife moved to Oakdale.

Besides his wife, he is survived by their children, Lin Sexton and Mark Yaeger; and three grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son Timothy and daughter Robin.

A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. Friday at First Baptist Church. Burial is private.

Remembrances may be made to the First Baptist Church of Modesto's World Outreach Department, P.O. Box 4309, Modesto 95352.