Maurice E. Wagner, Th.M., Ph.D.

1914-2005
was a pioneer Christian counselor. His work began while a pastor in 1940. He continued his education, receiving a Th.B. degree from Western Baptist Theological Seminary in 1943 and a B.S. degree from Lewis and Clark College in 1947, Portland, Oregon. He moved his family to Chicago to pursue more studies. He received the degrees of B.D. and Th.M. from the Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1949 and 1950. He next pastored a church for eleven years in a densely populated area on the North side where he worked with many emotionally hurting people.

In 1956, Dr. Wagner became part-time chaplain at the Downey V.A. Mental Hospital where he served for over four years. He took special notice of how the Bible speaks to the emotional needs of people. His experience as a pastor-counselor and chaplain stimulated him to pursue research in the field of Biblical truth which addresses the emotional needs of people. He left his Chicago pastorate in 1961 to accept the challenge of being the first counselor at the Narramore Christian Foundation, then in Pasadena, now in Rosemead, California.

Coincident with his full-time counseling position, Dr. Wagner studied and received the degree of Ph.D. in 1969 from the Southern California Institute of Psychology in Beverly Hills. In 1979, Dr. Wagner moved to Atascadero where he began the Mid-Coast Counseling Service. In 1989, he retired from counseling. He is devoting his time to writing, preparing practical studies which apply biblical truth to the emotional needs of people

His published works include Put It All Together (Zondervan, 1974); The Sensation of Being Somebody (Zondervan, 1975, also in Spanish and German; since 1991 in Mass Market edition). In 1980, Dr. Wagner self-published a Self-Teaching Study Guide and Workbook for “The Sensation of Being Somebody,” as many growth groups use his material. This book is now available from Christian Growth Publishers.

Dr. Wagner is also the author of Become The Person God Meant You to Be, a five volume course of study. Each volume contains thirteen lessons with discussion questions. This fits into the quarterly curriculum of most churches and Bible study groups. Each volume also contains helps for teachers and growth group leaders and suggestions for churches who wish to incorporate this program into their curriculum.

His life here ended on July 16, 2005 at 3:20 PM PST. He was probably surprised that the Lord ushered him into eternal rest, because he had more books to write. He was alert until the final episode that suddenly ended his suffering.

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