William Pope Yeaman was an American Baptist minister. He was long pastor of one of the great churches of St. Louis, and for twenty years was moderator of the Missouri Baptist Association.
Background
Yeaman was born on May 28, 1832 in Hardin County, Kentucky. His great-grandfather, Moses Yeaman, about the middle of the eighteenth century moved with his family from New Jersey to the "Red Stone" country of southwestern Pennsylvania. A few years later he removed to Kentucky, and finally settled in Ohio. Moses' grandson, Stephen Minor Yeaman, born on a farm near Lebanon, Ohio, married Lucretia Helm, sister of John L. Helm who became governor of Kentucky. Six sons of this marriage chose the profession of law, though two subsequently entered the Baptist ministry. George Helm Yeaman, the second son, served two terms in Congress, was minister resident at Copenhagen for five years, and in 1872-1876 was lecturer in the law school of Columbia College, now Columbia University, New York City.
Education
Yeaman studied law in the office of his uncle, Gov. John L. Helm, and at the age of nineteen was admitted to the Kentucky bar.
Career
For nine years, first in Elizabethtown and later in Calhoun, Yeaman devoted himself to the practice of the law. He was an elector on the Bell and Everett presidential ticket in 1860. Reared in the Methodist Episcopal communion, he severed his relation with that body to become a Baptist. In 1860 he was ordained and assumed the pastorate of the Baptist Church of Nicholasville, Kentucky. Two years later, he became pastor of the First Baptist Church, Covington, Kentucky, and subsequently served the Central Baptist Church, New York City (December 1867-1870) and the Third Baptist Church, St. Louis, Missouri (1870-1876).
In 1877 he led in the organization of the Garrison Avenue Baptist Church (later the Delmar Avenue Baptist Church), St. Louis, and for two years was its pastor. In St. Louis he was for a time one of the editors of the Central Baptist, the denominational organ for Missouri. From 1884 to 1886 he was secretary of the Board of State Missions for the General Association of Missouri Baptists, and it has been said that the tremendous amount of labor which he performed in this field, his convincing arguments and his stirring appeals did more to arouse Missouri Baptists to the great cause of missions than anything else in our history. For twenty years, from 1877 to 1897, he was the moderator of the General Association of Missouri Baptists and for a number of years held also the extremely important office of corresponding secretary.
In 1875-1876 he served as chancellor of William Jewell College, Liberty, Missouri, and from 1893 to 1897 he was president of Grand River College, Gallatin, Missouri. He was president of the board of curators of Stevens College and of the board of curators of the state university. In 1880 he was chosen a vice-president of the Southern Baptist Convention. He wrote A History of the Missouri Baptist General Association which was published by authority of the Association in 1899. His friends twice proposed him for the Democratic nomination for political office - once as congressman, once as governor - but neither time was he nominated. He spent his declining years on a farm near Columbia, Missouri, serving the Baptist Church at Walnut Grove in Boone County. He died in his seventy-second year, three weeks after the death of his wife.
Achievements
Yeaman was a Baptist minister, known as probably the ablest leader of Missouri Baptists during the most critical period of their history.
Personality
Yeaman was the product of an age and an environment in which the Christian minister was the recognized leader in all realms of social life. Of commanding presence, eloquent in the pulpit and on the platform, independent in thought and utterance, he was probably the ablest leader of Missouri Baptists during the most critical period of their history.
Connections
Yeaman married before reaching his majority Eliza Shackelford of Hardin County, Kentucky, and three sons and five daughters were born of the union.
