Bennie Warner

Sunrise: April 30, 1935 – Sunset: October 27, 2024

Bishop Bennie D. Warner, will be remembered as a son, husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, pastor, counselor, student, teacher, friend and confidant to many. He transitioned to eternal life to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on October 27, 2024 at the age of 89, passing away peacefully in his sleep.

Bishop Warner was born, April 30, 1935 to Chief Charlie Zeonbartaye (member of the Bassa tribe) and Eli Nboramba (Namibian) in Yamahan Town, Careysburg District, Montserrado County, Liberia. He was raised in a well-known Americo-Liberian family, the Warner family (descendants of Liberia’s third president, Daniel B. Warner. Later adopted by Missionaries Ulysses and Vivienne Gray.

Bishop Warner was a man who believed in the importance of education. In an interview with Front Page Africa, it was asked “If you had one chance to give some advice to the former president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. What would you tell her? “He states, I will tell her three things for Liberia, Education, Education, Education. Build more schools, establish more compulsory and let the education laws be implemented to the fullest”.

He became the first family member of his generation to attend formal education at the age of fifteen. Bennie started school in the fifth grade under the guardianship of Reverend Ulysses and Vivienne Gray in 1950. He graduated in 1956 at the top of his class (Valedictorian) from Booker T Washington Institute in Kakata, Liberia. In 1960, Bennie received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education at Cuttington University College in Suakoko, Liberia. On a Crusade Scholarship from the United Methodist Church, he attended Syracuse University School of Education in 1961 and received a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration.

From 1962 to 1968 he served on the Gbarnga Methodist Mission as teacher, then principal at V.S. Tubman Elementary and Pastor of St. John Methodist Church. In between this time, he married the love of his life Anna Harmon on August 3, 1963. They married in Gbarnga, Liberia and for more than 58 years, they supported and loved each other every step of the way until her passing on April 8, 2022.

In 1968 the family left Gbarnga for Boston, Massachusetts. Where Bishop Warner continued his education at Boston University School of Theology and received his Master’s Degree in Theology, majoring in Christian Social Ethics. Bennie returned to Liberia in 1971 and was assigned to religion classes, school counselor and chaplain of the College of West Africa in Monrovia. From 1973–1980 Elected Bishop of The Liberian Central Conference of the United Methodist Church and Chair of the Board of Trustees of the College of West Africa in Monrovia, Liberia. During the November 13-18, 1977 council meeting, it was announced that Bishop Warner had been elected to be the 25th Vice-President of the Republic of Liberia.

After the coup that overthrew the Liberian government on April 12, 1980, Bishop Warner and family settled down in Marshall, Texas. January 1, 1981 he established residency in Oklahoma City, where he taught at Oklahoma City University and pastored at Quayle United Methodist Church. He then served in Syracuse, NY from 1987-1989 where he pastored at Faith United Methodist Church. Bishop Warner restarted their lives in Little Rock, Arkansas pastoring at St. Paul and Mark’s Chapel United Methodist Church. He was appointed District Superintendent of the Camden District of the United Methodist Church in Arkansas (2000-2004), and in 2005 retired.

Black Marks on White Paper, a documentary produced in 2013 by Bob Hager. This documentary chronicles the life of Bishop Bennie D. Warner from his early years as a native Liberian, his education, his rise to leadership in the church and nation and his nomination and election to the vice-presidency of the Republic in 1977.

Bishop Warner was preceded in death by his parents, Charlie Zeonbartaye and Eli Nboramba; wife: Anna Warner; daughters: Kaymah H. Warner and Mardea M. Warner; son: Phillip Warner.

Bishop Warner is survived by his son, Bennie D. Warner Jr. (Cheri); Foster-Brother: Duret Gray (Cece); Foster-Sister: Lady Gray-Else; Grandchildren: Kaymah, Shamondre, Katelynn, Treshawn, Jeremiah, Aubriana, Bennie III and Torrance; nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of other relatives and friends.

A visitation for Bennie will be held Friday, November 22, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper, 6600 Broadway Extension, Oklahoma City, OK 731161298. A funeral service will occur Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Wesley Church OKC: A United Methodist Community, 1401 NW 25th St, Oklahoma City, OK 73106.