The Rev. Otis Young, who led one of the UCC's largest congregations for 35 years, died  Dec. 10 of a heart attack after shoveling snow.  He was 78.

Young, minister emeritus of First-Plymouth Congregational UCC in Lincoln, Neb., since his retirement as senior minister in 2006, was considered one of the denomination's leading thinkers and practitioners on evangelism and church growth, and was a longstanding pioneer in innovative multimedia ministry.

During his tenure at First-Plymouth, the congregation grew from 1,200 members to more than 3,200, making it one of the five largest churches in the denomination.

Before moving to Lincoln in 1972, Young was the elected general secretary of the division of church extension for the former United Church Board for Homeland Ministries, then based in New York. Prior to that, he served congregations in Illinois and his native Missouri.

In 1987, Young started a television ministry "Reach Out and Live" at a time when most mainline Protestant churches were wary of TV broadcasting.  Today, the program reaches more than 30,000 viewers each week and is broadcast on three commercial stations.

In 2007, as part of the denomination's 50th anniversary celebration, Young was recognized in "UCC@50," a commemorative book, as one of 50 persons who contributed greatly to the shaping of the UCC. That same year, he was honored by Yale Divinity School for his outstanding contributions to congregational ministry.

"The amount of lives he has touched with his unique blend of common sense, compassion, faith and humor is beyond counting," read a tribute to Young on the homepage of First-Plymouth's website. "As we embrace his family with our prayers, we thank God for such a life."

According to the Lincoln's Journal Star newspaper, many people in the region knew Young as co-host of "All About Books," a popular weekly public TV-turned-radio program he founded and co-hosted for 38 years. Listen to the program's tribute to Young.

He was also a trustee for UCC-related Doane College in Crete, Neb., for 35 years, and a member of the University of Nebraska President's Advisory Board. "He was entitled to be termed a great man for his time," said former University of Nebraska President Ronald Roskens, speaking to the Journal Star.

One year ago, Young published a book based on his more than 40 years of preaching ministry. Its title is the same as his television ministry, "Reach Out and Live."

While services are pending, the church was opening its sanctuary from 4 to 8 p.m. today for members and friends to offer private prayers in honor of Young.

"He had this solid down-home quality of caring for and loving people and tending them as human beings," recalled the Rev. Jim Keck, who succeeded Young as senior minister, speaking to the Journal Star.  "He had a common-sense wisdom blended with high ethical, theological and philosophical thought."

In 1981, Young triggered controversy by inviting the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus to perform in the church, the Journal Star recalled.

"It was never political," Keck told the newspaper. "It was all about love and being fair to people. He had a constitutional sense of what was fair and doing what was fair."

Young is survived by Rowena Young, his wife of 55 years; their children, Krista Rickman, Caris Kenny and Joel Young; and nine grandchildren.