Jim Warren, for many years the host and producer of ‘Prime Time America’ on the Moody Broadcasting Network, has passed away

By Dan Wooding

Founder of ASSIST Ministries

CHICAGO, IL (ANS) -- James (Jim) W. Warren, age 73, who was one of Christian radio’s great “Prime Time” players, died on May 23, 2011, after a long illness.

He was born on June 21, 1937, in Gary, Indiana, to H. Katherine and Woodrow Warren. He was raised in East Gary and Hammond, Indiana, and spent three years in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. He graduated from East Gary High School in 1955. Jim was a music major, graduating from Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music in 1960, and furthering his education at Grand Rapids Junior College.

On August 15, 1959 he married Jean (Berggren) Warren and lived the first five years of their marriage in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1964 they moved to the Chicago area where they lived for the next forty years.

Jim’s love of choral music led him to direct six choirs in four different churches in Grand Rapids at the same time, arranging much of the music himself. After moving to the Chicago area, he was the choir director and youth director at River Grove Bible Church, and then became the Minister of Music at Calvary Memorial Church in Oak Park, Illinois for thirteen years.

In addition to his music ministry, Jim held a wide variety of jobs: assembly line worker, salesman, carpenter, railroad switchman and rate clerk, department store management trainee, etc., all of which served as a broad background for his real “calling” when he went to work in 1971 for Moody Bible Institute in their radio division.

Jim began in their music library, but was soon promoted to “on-air” programming. When Moody Bible Institute began broadcasting by satellite, Jim was asked to create a “drive-time” program to be heard nationwide, “Prime Time America.” Jim was innovative, wanting the program to bring the presence of the Lord into everyday life and to showcase God at work around the world. Jim was the host and executive producer of “Prime Time America” for eighteen years, and even after Jim’s retirement due to health reasons, the program continued with another host through April 2010.

Jim’s broad spectrum of interests included world events, science, sports, recipes, self-help, adoption, pet-care, Biblical archaeology, missions, and a wide variety of musicians and their music, but above all his keen desire was to help listeners know God in a deeper way and equip them to impact the world for Christ. A constant learner, Jim brought his audience along with him on location as he visited Israel, the Ukraine, South Africa and India.

His love of music included many different styles of music from jazz to classical, gospel to opera. He was a member of C.A.T.O.E. (Chicago Area Theatre Organ Enthusiasts). He also loved to be outside in God’s creation, which led him to become a bicycle enthusiast, a motorcyclist, and owned a 1962 MGB roadster convertible. He was a member of the Chicagoland MG Club in Illinois and the Old Speckled Hens MG Club in Michigan. In 2004 he and Jean moved back to western Michigan, settling near Whitehall.

Jim leaves behind his wife, Jean; his children, Carol Joy (Scott) Green of Prince George, British Columbia; David (Sue Tait) Warren of Mauston, Wisconsin; Gary (Dawna) Warren of Normal, Illinois; and Randy (Heather) Warren of Elgin, Illinois and seven grandchildren, Micah and Anika Green, Sarah, Arielle, Joseph, Olivia and Lily Warren.

He was preceded in death by his parents. He also leaves one brother, Rev. Charles (Gerri) Warren of Portage, Indiana, and one sister-in-law, Beth (Ron) Fortier, of Franklin, Indiana, many nieces, nephews, and cousins, and four aunts, Sue Koziol of Englewood, FL, Margaret (Ray) Bales of Las Vegas, NV, Jeanne McClintock and Martha Warren (widow of Wendell Warren) of Mt. Vernon, IL.

In lieu of flowers, his family requests that donations be made in his name to Nuru International (www.nuruinternational.org), Moody Bible Institute/Broadcasting Network (www.mbn.org) or The Salvation Army Chicago Staff Band (www.salvationarmy.org/csb).

A memorial service will be held on Thursday, May 26th, at 11:00 AM at Forest Park Covenant Church, 3815 Henry Street in Muskegon, MI. Visitation with the family will begin at 9:30 AM prior to the service.

A message sent to friends and family by Jean said, “Jim's long-term suffering has come to an end, as this afternoon (Monday) he went peacefully in his sleep to be with the Lord. Thank your all for your prayers for both of us.”

Broadcaster Chris Fabry, wrote on his blog (http://chrisfabry.blogspot.com), “A phone to his ear, a newspaper in his hand, a big calendar behind him, and his Bible open. Jim knew that just covering news wasn't enough. Other outlets could do that well and had more staff. What they weren't airing was a Christian perspective of news events. So every day he took us to places and into people's lives who were on the front lines--and around the world.

“Jim had a heart for people going through difficulty. He had a heart for people who were struggling. He loved music. He loved to laugh. In fact, he actually played ME singing a song I had written specifically for April 15th called, ‘When My Taxes Are All Done’. I sang as ‘Johnny OutaCash’ and Jim howled.

“Now Jim has entered heaven. No more radio programs, no more pain. I'm sure he's already seen many friends he interviewed over the years. Francis Schaeffer. Jerry Falwell. He and Brandt Gustavson are probably telling some Moody stories. In fact, he's probably met D.L. [Moody] already.

“We mourn with Jean and the rest of the family. But we also rejoice in his home going. He's been promoted. While we still look through the glass darkly, Jim now sees his Savior face to face. That is our blessed hope.”

I first met Jim Warren in a most unusual way. I was in Chicago and a charismatic friend took me into the Moody Broadcasting Network’s studios after hearing me speak about my work with the persecuted Church.

In those days, Moody had a strong anti-charismatic stance and so my friend took me to the studios and announced to the surprised receptionist, “I want to speak to Jim Warren right now, and if you don’t get him, I’ll speak in tongues.”

That did the trick and Jim came out to meet me and before I knew it I was on the air with him for the first scores of interviews with him.

When John Wimber, a charismatic pastor and one of the founding leaders of the Vineyard Movement, passed away on November 17, 1997, Jim called me to do an interview about Wimber.

“Please don’t mention that he was a charismatic,” he asked, and so I somehow skirted around Wimber’s theological background.

Jim Warren was a brilliant interviewer who always asked insightful questions, but we did have a most unusual of relationship. Often, he would call me after we had just done a piece together, and critique my performance.

“I don’t know whether I want you as a guest anymore,” he would tell me and I never knew if he was joking or not. (I now think it was the latter.)

Then the following week, wherever I was in the world, he would call me and we would continue as if nothing had happened.

After his retirement, Jim sent me a whole series of wonderfully encouraging e-mails about my stories and I came to appreciate his loving persona.

Jim Warren was certainly one of America's great Christian broadcastersand will be sorely missed by all those who loved him. Jim, thank you for your long friendship!

Dan Wooding, 70, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma, to whom he has been married for 47 years. They have two sons, Andrew and Peter, and six grandchildren who all live in the UK. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS) and was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. He now hosts the weekly “Front Page Radio” show on KWVE in Southern California which is also carried on the Calvary Radio Network throughout the United States. The program is also aired in Great Britain on Calvary Chapel Radio UK. Besides this, Wooding is a host for His Channel Live, which is carried via the Internet to some 200 countries. You can follow Dan on Facebook under his name there or at ASSIST News Service. He is the author of some 44 books. Two of the latest include his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, press this link. Wooding, who was born in Nigeria of British missionary parents, has also recently released his first novel “Red Dagger” which is available this link.

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