Rev. Edgar Nelson, Mission Society founder, passes away at 94

Rev. Edgar Nelson, one of The Mission Society’s founders, passed away at his home in Yuba City, California on January 23, 2010. Nelson was among the original 34 people who met in St. Louis to form what was then called The Mission Society for United Methodists in 1984.

Nelson had a long history of mission involvement throughout his career. He was a founding member of a church camp known as California Redwood Christian Association Redwood Camp in Santa Cruz, California. He also started a missions conference and brought missionaries from around the world to speak at church services. Nelson served as the pastor of First United Methodist Church of Yuba City for many years, which is where his memorial service was held.

Nelson attended Asbury College, Asbury Theological Seminary, and Berkeley Baptist Divinity School. He was an ordained elder in the California-Nevada Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.