The Reverend Gordon Denver Warren, 76, of Morrilton, Arkansas, died June 16, 2024. He was a member without charge of Arkansas Presbytery. Gordon’s wife, the Reverend Jo M. Warren, has been a pastor of the Trinity Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Morrilton since 2001.

Gordon was born on July 1, 1947, in Fort Smith, Arkansas, but grew up in Oklahoma and Kansas. He married Jo in 1972. Gordon attended Wichita State University in Kansas where he earned an Administration of Justice degree. From 1976 to 1980, he served Great Bend, Kansas, as assistant police chief. From 1980 to 1986, Gordon and Jo owned and operated Kansas Seismic Supply in Great Bend dealing in oil field equipment. In 1986, Gordon moved to Arkansas and was safety director for Marine Specialty, Inc., a defense contractor in East Camden.

Gordon was a member of Camp Ground Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Hampton, Arkansas, when he was received by Bartholomew Presbytery as a candidate for the ministry, March 26, 1988. He was enrolled in the Program of Alternate Studies which, at that time, was under the direction of the Reverend Norlan Scrudder. Satisfied with his progress in PAS, Bartholomew Presbytery licensed Gordon October 1, 1988, at their final meeting. He became a licentiate of Arkansas Presbytery when that body was formed, October 14, 1988. Meanwhile, Gordon served as stated supply for Progress Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Trinity Presbytery) in Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, which indicated they would issue a call pending his completion of PAS.

Arkansas Presbytery, September 14, 1991, appointed a commission comprised of the Reverends Garland Skidmore, Leo Smith, Hugh Hannah, and elder Shirley Strickland (Camp Ground CPC) in preparation for Gordon’s ordination as soon as Scrudder gave the word. On February 7, 1992, the commission of Arkansas Presbytery, led by Garland Skidmore, ordained Gordon at Progress Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Trinity Presbytery. The Reverend Skidmore preached the ordination sermon, the Reverend Smith posed the ordination questions, the Reverend Charles Faith prayed and conducted the laying on of hands, and elder James Rhodes delivered the charge.

Gordon first attended a meeting of Trinity Presbytery February 21-22, 1992, in which he was seated as a guest from Arkansas Presbytery. He was officially received by Trinity Presbytery September 25, 1992. Gordon’s service to Progress CPC was limited because the church desired to remain a tent making ministry but he felt the call to a full-time pastorate.

Trinity Cumberland Presbyterian Church (Arkansas Presbytery) in Morrilton, Arkansas, called Gordon in 1993. There he served many years as pastor and then as co-pastor with Jo after her ordination in 2001.

Gordon described himself as traditionally conservative but flexible toward the social issues of the day, “in the eyes of God sin does not have magnitude as man would like to assign.” He continued, “the church should be willing to look at it’s own motives when dealing with issues; sometimes our own man-made traditions get in the way of clear Biblical thinking.”