A Youngstown church is mourning the passing of their beloved leader.
Bishop Norman Wagner died Saturday night from complications following heart surgery. On Sunday, members of Mount Calvary Pentecostal Church gathered to grieve the loss of their longtime pastor.
Bishop Wagner had been at the helm of Mount Calvary since the early 1970s and clearly left a big impression on the lives he touched.
"This is a great loss, not just to this church, but to the world," said church member Debra Kennedy.
Church members went on to say that Bishop Wagner was a man who practiced what he preached.
"The key to living was to find your purpose and your destiny, and he exemplified that through the life that he lived," said Assistant Pastor, Jason Whitehead.
Wagner grew up in Youngstown. He graduated from South High School and attended Youngstown State University. He went on to receive a bachelors and masters degree from Aenon Bible College in Indiana.
In 1971, he returned to his roots and took over the church he went to as a child.
"In a community that had many challenges over the years, Bishop Wagner emphasized education," added Whitehead, as well as, "advancing yourself and proving yourself as a person."
Jerome Jones, executive director of Mount Calvary, says because of Bishop Wagner, he went from high school dropout to recent Ph.D. graduate.
"So, Bishop Wagner has been a preacher and an inspiration for excellence. And his investment in our lives and investment in the community is so we can make the world a better place to live in," said Jones.
In this time of mourning for Mount Calvary, church members insist it's also a time to rejoice.
"God doesn't make a mistake, so we will be thanking and glorifying God today," Kennedy said.
Bishop Wagner was 68 years old. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and one granddaughter.
