| Homer Edwin Young | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 August 1936 Laurel, Mississippi, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Pastor |
| Religion | Christian |
| Denomination | Southern Baptist Convention |
| Spouse | Jo Beth Landrum |
| Children | Edwin Barry Young Ben Young Cliff Young |
| Website | |
| http://www.winningwalk.org | |
Homer Edwin Young (born 11 August 1936), often called Ed Young, is the senior pastor of the Second Baptist Church Houston.[1] He is the father of three sons, Edwin Barry Young (also often called Ed Young), pastor of Fellowship Church in Grapevine, Texas,[2] Ben Young, associate pastor at Second Baptist,[3] and Cliff Young, former lead singer of the Christian folk/pop group Caedmon's Call.[4]
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Dr. H. Edwin Young was born on 11 August 1936 in Laurel, Mississippi.[5] His family was poor, and he did not have shoes until he was in third grade.[6] He entered the University of Alabama as an engineering major. Half way through his freshman year he decided to become a preacher and enrolled at Mississippi College to continue his education. He went on to the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He was a pastor in North and South Carolina until 1978, when he moved to Houston, Texas and became the pastor at Second Baptist Church.[5] Under his leadership the church grew from an average weekend attendance of 500 in 1978 to over 24,000 today.[7]
Young was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) in June 1992 and again in June, 1993.[5] In February 2008 president Bill Clinton recalled a visit that Young made to the White House in 1993 as SBC president. Clinton related that Young asked him "Do you believe the Bible is literally true?" Young said Clinton's remarks were completely inaccurate.[8] Young has a broadcast ministry, the Winning Walk, that provides content across North America and other parts of the world.[5] In January 2010 he caused some controversy by a series of sermons titled "Healing Broken America", dealing with what a broken Washington and broken Wall Street can learn from the story of the Prodigal Son, which were recorded and are available on DVD. Young denied that the sermons were political in nature.[6]
Young has suffered from heart problems, and methods of reducing their risk are the subject of his 2005 book Total Heart Health for Men Workbook. In 1988, he had angioplasty to open a clogged heart artery, and in May 2010 he underwent triple coronary bypass surgery.[9] The operation was apparently successful.[10]