William Wagner Biography

He graduated from the University of New Mexico in Civil engineering and worked as a licensed engineer for five years.  He then graduated from Southwestern Baptist Seminary with a Master of Theology degree and became a pastor.  This led him and his family to go to Austria with the Southern Baptists and begin thirty-five years as missionaries to Eastern and Western Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.  During that time, he completed two earned Doctor’s degrees, one from The University of South Africa and one from Fuller Theological Seminary. Upon his retirement from the Mission Board, he was invited to serve as the Professor of Evangelism and Missions at Golden Gate Baptist Seminary in California.  After serving there for ten years, he retired for a second time, and  began working with Olivet University where he was also President for three years. During his ministry he has started nine churches in four countries, help start two Seminaries in Europe, and one International University. He has written seven books and served as the second vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention for one year.  At the present time he is the Chairman of the Global Strategy Forum.   He and his wife Sally live in the San Francisco area in California.