John Edward Witte, former pastor, church planter, and associational leader, died May 5 in Texarkana. He was 94. He was born Feb. 23, 1932, in Athens to Benjamin and Vallie Mae Witte. As a young man in Yoakum, he became a follower of Jesus Christ and sensed a call to ministry. At age 18, he became pastor of Hope Baptist Church in Hope. In 1953, he married Mary Jean Foxell. He received degrees from Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Together, the Witte’s served Southern Baptist churches and associations across Texas. His ministry also included church planting work with Texas Baptists and the Southern Baptist Convention Home Mission Board in Ohio, service as executive director of Union Baptist Association in Houston, and participation in international mission trips. In later years, he taught New Testament and religion at University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and served as an interim pastor. Witte was known for his dedication to ministry, evangelism, and church leadership. Throughout decades of service, he devoted long hours to preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and organizing churches for missions and outreach. He was preceded in death by a brother and two sisters. He is survived by his wife of nearly 73 years, Mary Jean Witte; daughter, Pamela Brown and her husband Stephen; son, John Byron Witte and his wife Linda; eight grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts be made to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, The Voice of the Martyrs, or Jews for Jesus. A private memorial service is planned for a later date.
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