Rev. John Arch Warren

View Funeral Webcast John “Arch” Warren, died peacefully at Alive Hospice in Nashville, Tennessee, early Wednesday morning, December 16, 2020. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 64 years, 9 months and 5 days, Joyce Carpenter Warren. He grieved her passing every day for the next 4 years, 10 months and 8 days. He was also preceded by his granddaughter, Ellie Ferrell. He is survived by his 7 children, 23 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. Arch was born in the depths of the Great Depression, on December 2, 1933 in Paris, Texas, the middle of three sons born to John D. and Maime Jewel Warren. He was the only one in his family to be born in a hospital. His older brother, Bill Ray, and his younger brother, Jimmy Lewis, both preceded him in death. Arch often said of his family that they were poor but didn’t know it. His early years were spent in a house without electricity or indoor plumbing. His father was a barber with only three years of formal education. His mother died of rheumatic heart disease at the age of 33 when he was only 8 years old. At the age of ten, in the middle of World War II, he got his first paying job selling newspapers to the soldiers stationed in Paris at Camp Maxey. He often recalled interacting with German Prisoners of War that worked at the sawmill in Paris because most of the local men were away fighting in the war. After the war, the family moved to Amarillo, Texas. No one in his family had ever attended college and the thought of pursuing higher education never occurred to him. He grew up not attending church and there was no Bible reading or prayer in his home. But a few months before his graduation from high school, with no plans for afterwards, he described being inexplicably drawn to attend a Wednesday evening prayer service at a local church. At the end of the service there was an invitation to come forward and obey the gospel. He would later describe that moment, “I found myself at the front of the church. I didn’t know what was happening but later realized that without seeking or searching, I had met Christ ‘up close and personal’.” There was an old bachelor in the church, a retired postal worker, James Hoghland, who offered to pay for Arch to go to college if he wanted to study for the ministry. A few months later, he was on a bus to Abilene Christian College. He would take classes year-round and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in three years. It was during his freshman year that he met and married the love of his life, Joyce Carpenter. After his graduation, they moved to Three Rivers, Texas and entered full time ministry. In 1954 they welcomed their first child, Brenda Joyce. Feeling a call to the mission field, Arch took his young family from Texas to Longview, Washington where he ministered at the 11th and Michigan St. Church of Christ, a church he described as having “been split and put back together so many times they were more like the Hatfields and McCoys than the Lord Jesus.” While in Longview, the family welcomed their first son, John Andrew. A number of career opportunities followed that led them first, back to Texas where, in 1961, they added another son, James Paul. From there they moved to Lincoln, Nebraska where their daughter Rebecca Ruth was born in 1964. It was during this time that Arch left the ministry and went to work in the “business world”. After short tenures in Kansas City, Kansas, and St. Louis, Missouri, Arch landed what would be one of his favorite jobs as a market and motivational researcher on Madison Ave. in New York City. Some of the clients he worked with included Sara Lee, American Motors, General Foods, Alka-Seltzer, IBM and finally, The Krystal Restaurant Company. His work with Krystal led to a job offer and in 1971 the family moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee where Arch would eventually advance to the position of Executive Vice President responsible for operations at over 200 Krystal and 100 Wendy’s Restaurants. The family lived on the outskirts of Burning Bush, Georgia at Dog Trot Ranch. Arch embraced country life by becoming a cattleman, and with the help of his oldest son, Andy, developed a new breed known locally as Registered Boney Brownies. They had hoped to successfully breed Holsteins with Dachshunds in order to develop a breed of cattle that could be pastured with only one strand of barbed wire. That venture, unfortunately, never succeeded. It was during the years at Dog Trot Ranch that the family grew exponentially with the addition of David Beau, Barbara Ann (Vreeland) and Rosebud (Prater). Over the years, Arch & Joyce made Dog Trot Ranch into a home, not only for their family, but for anyone and everyone looking for a place to be loved and welcomed and fed a good meal. There was always room around the large dining room table and enough food for whoever happened to show up. Arch frequently encountered people in need – some struggling financially, with family problems, or addiction, and he would bring them to the house to stay while they recovered. And whoever was at the house was always welcomed to the table. Dinner table conversations would frequently go on for so long that they would be interrupted by the one non-negotiable daily event on the family schedule - evening devotions. Whoever happened to be home would gather in the master bedroom where Arch would read a chapter from a Christian classic, a missionary biography and a chapter from the Bible. During the years that the children were at home they read through the entire Bible countless times. After reading, everyone would kneel around the bed and end the day in prayer. The next day would begin around the breakfast table where a chapter from the book of Proverbs would be read as well. After almost 30 years in the business world, Arch began to feel a call back to full-time ministry. By this time he was an elder in a congregation in the Presbyterian Church in America. But ordination to the pastorate required seminary and he wasn’t going to do that as a 54 year-old. However, the leadership of his church felt strongly that he should pursue ordination through the “extraordinary provision clause” and after strenuous examinations covering Bible knowledge, theology, sacraments, church history and church government – all of which he passed with flying colors – he was ordained to the pastoral ministry again in 1988. After serving a PCA congregation in Sweetwater, Tennessee for three years, Arch was called to be the pastor of the historic Zion Presbyterian Church, where he served for 18 years until his retirement in 2010. But he didn’t slow down in retirement. He soon accepted a call to be the “Pastor to Seniors” at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville where he was a beloved Bible teacher and Sunday School leader for seniors. His final years of ministry were at spent at Stephens Valley Church, where he served along side his close friend, Rev. Jim Bachman. Arch was a long-time member of “The Picnic Coffee Group”. We, his children and grandchildren, and great grandchildren give thanks for his life and legacy. Brenda & Bobby Ferrell; Maj. Peter & Maj. Jenna and Deanna Ferrell, Zach & Rachel, Peyton and Lily Ferrell. Andy & Bev Warren: Dr. Hannah & Amit, Ada and Tabitha Bansil, Dr. Cooper & Dr. Mollie and Clare Warren, Asher & Rachel, Vivian and Sunny Warren, Dr. Kit & Mollie, Huck and Meadow Warren. Paul & Phyllis Warren: LT Arny & Clarine, Blakely, Andrew and Maggie Warren, LT Archie & Samantha Warren, Zoe & Russell and Abbott Harrison, LT Carpenter & Amanda and Lena Warren, LTJG Shepherd Warren and Glory Warren. Becky & Ron Carter; Patricia & D.J., Skyler and Sydney Howard, Warren Carter, John Paul Carter, Grace Carter, Becca & Austin, Jessie Joy and Nash Stringer. Beau & Kristie, Brittany, Lexie, David and Alan Warren Barbara Ann, Heidi and Robbie Vreeland. Rose & Greg, Kareena and Natalie Ann Prater. Because of COVID there will be a private internment. A public memorial service is being planned for later next year. Oakes & Nichols Funeral Directors are assisitng the family with arrangements and condolences may be extended online at www.oakesandnichols.com. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts be made to one of the following organizations that are meaningful to our family: Alive Hospice of Nashville https://www.alivehospice.org/support-us/ways-to-give Ethiopia ACT https://ethiopiaact.org/donate/ Stop Soldier Suicide https://stopsoldiersuicide.org/ New Hope Academy, Franklin, TN https://nhafranklin.myschoolapp.com/page/support/donate?siteId=1412&ss1=1