John Glover Warden

May 14, 1955

June 28, 2014

John Glover Warden, 59, and founding minister of Grace Baptist Church of Salado, died June 28, 2014.

A service celebrating his life was held 10 a.m. July 2 at Crest View Baptist Church in Georgetown with interment following at Berry’s Creek Cemetery. A visition was held July 1 at The Gabriels Funeral Chapel.

John Glover Warden was born May 14, 1955 in Burnet, Texas to the late Douglas Amon and Mary Nell Glover Warden. He spent his childhood years in Austin, TX, and graduated from Lanier High School. He and his family were active at Ridge Top Baptist and later Crestview Baptist Church in Austin. 

He attended Baylor University where he met his future wife, Paula Knight. The two were married in Waco on May 29, 1976. Upon graduation, he joined his family’s wholesale heating and air conditioning business, DA Warden Company, in Austin. He subsequently started a branch office in Georgetown. 

In 1994 John was called into the ministry and started Grace Baptist Church of Salado with 18 members. He served as pastor of Grace for 14 years and saw tremendous growth in the congregation of the church including the construction of a new worship hall. 

Feeling the call to plant a church in his hometown of Jarrell, John started New Hope Baptist Church (known in the community as “The Barn Church”) where he served for the past six years.

John touched many lives throughout Williamson and Bell Counties with his ministry, which included volunteer chaplaincy at St. David’s Georgetown Hospital. 

He is preceded in death by his parents Douglas and Mary Warden and his mother-in-law, Jean Knight.

He is suvived by his wife of 28 years Paula Knight Warden; his children, Douglas Wade Warden and his wife Julie of San Antonio, Melanie Warden Pell and her husband Andy of Dallas and Marissa Warden Priddy and her husband Jared of Euless; his sister, Annette Hill and husband Robert of Jarrell. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Asher Warden, Jude Warden, Ethan Pell, and Macy Pell; his father-in-law, Wade Knight and his wife Jo; along with a host of family and friends.

In lieu of flowers the Warden family requests memorial donations to be made to New Hope Baptist Church, P. O. Box 377, Jarrell, TX 76537.