Michael Alfred Warnke (born November 19, 1946) is an American Christian evangelist and comedian who was exposed in 1992 for inventing stories of his past as a Satanist. Before being debunked by the Christian magazine ''

Cornerstone The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure. Over tim ...

'', he was viewed as an "expert" on Satanism in the 1980s.

Early life

Mike Warnke was born in 1946 to parents Alfred "Al" Warnke and Louise Warnke of

Evansville Evansville is a city in, and the county seat of, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States. The population was 118,414 at the 2020 census, making it the state's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the largest city in ...

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

. When he was five years old, the Warnke family moved to

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

, where his father opened a

truck stop A truck stop, known as a service station in the United Kingdom, and a travel center by major chains in the United States, is a commercial facility which provides refueling, rest ( parking), and often ready-made food and other services to motor ...

. In 1955, Warnke's mother was killed in a car accident. In 1958 his father died, leaving Warnke an

orphan An orphan (from the el, ορφανός, orphanós) is a child whose parents have died. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usuall ...

. After the death of his father, Warnke was taken to live with two of his aunts in

Sparta Sparta ( Doric Greek: Σπάρτα, ''Spártā''; Attic Greek: Σπάρτη, ''Spártē'') was a prominent city-state in Laconia, in ancient Greece. In antiquity, the city-state was known as Lacedaemon (, ), while the name Sparta referre ...

, and from there to Mike's half-sister and her husband in

San Bernardino San Bernardino (; Spanish for "Saint Bernardino") is a city and county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States. Located in the Inland Empire region of Southern California, the city had a population of 222,101 in the 2020 cen ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

. In June 1965, he graduated from Rim of the World High School in Lake Arrowhead. That September, Warnke enrolled at

San Bernardino Valley College San Bernardino Valley College is a public community college in San Bernardino, California. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The college has an enrollment of 17,044 students and covers . Valley College is also a ...

but withdrew after one semester, whereupon by his account, he began his tenure as a Satanist. On June 2, 1966, Warnke enlisted in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. After graduating from boot camp on August 22, 1966, his assigned

military occupational specialty A United States military occupation code, or a military occupational specialty code (MOS code), is a nine-character code used in the United States Army and United States Marine Corps to identify a specific job. In the United States Air Force, a sy ...

was as a hospital

corpsman A hospital corpsman (HM r corpsman is an enlisted medical specialist of the United States Navy, who may also serve in a U.S. Marine Corps unit. The corresponding rating within the United States Coast Guard is health services technician ( ...

. According to the account of his life in ''The Satan Seller'', Warnke converted to Christianity during boot camp. However, high-school acquaintance Charlotte Tweeten has stated she recalls Warnke proclaiming faith in

Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

in the year prior to his navy enlistment in 1966. He also wrote that he began dating fellow Rim of the World High School alumna, Sue Studer, during this time period. This has been disproven, however, and Warnke was actually engaged to Lois Eckenrod at this time. In 1967, he completed naval corpsman training, returned to

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United State ...

, and married Studer. Together, they had two children. In 1969, Warnke was deployed to

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

for a six-month tour of duty.''Cornerstone'', issue 98: "Records show Warnke was in Vietnam for only six months" Having been wounded in battle during those six months, he was awarded the

Purple Heart The Purple Heart (PH) is a United States military decoration awarded in the name of the President to those wounded or killed while serving, on or after 5 April 1917, with the U.S. military. With its forerunner, the Badge of Military Merit, ...

. Warnke's own written accounts differ on the number of times he sustained injuries during his time in Vietnam. In ''The Satan Seller'', Warnke says he was wounded twice, while in his second book, ''Hitchhiking on Hope Street'', he states he was wounded five times. Despite these wounds received during his tour of duty as a hospital corpsman, second class, Warnke's various accounts have him spending much time detained, allegedly killing a man in battle, and surviving being shot several times, including once by an arrow. Warnke says it was the latter wound for which he was awarded the Purple Heart.''Hey Doc'' recording. Word Records Warnke returned to the United States in 1970. While still serving in the navy, Warnke teamed up with San Diego evangelist Morris Cerullo and was touted for his "Satanist experience". Warnke and Cerullo toured the country participating in charismatic

revival meeting A revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services held to inspire active members of a church body to gain new converts and to call sinners to repent. Nineteenth-century Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon said, "Many blessings may come t ...

s. Cerullo wanted to write a book about youth occultism, and assigned the writing task to David Balsiger with help from Warnke. In early 1972, Warnke requested and received an early discharge from the navy as a conscientious objector so that he could work full-time in the ministry. Warnke then left Cerullo's ministry to start his own, forbidding Cerullo to use any of his material. It was at this time that Warnke and Balsiger went on to write the book that would make Warnke famous.

Rise to fame

''The Satan Seller''

In 1972, Warnke's book ''The Satan Seller'' was released. Written by Warnke, with help from Balsiger and Les Jones, the book tells of Warnke being orphaned as a child and his introduction into Satanism. Further detailed is Warnke's participation in sexual orgies, alcoholism, and drug dealing; his rise in the ranks of Satanism to the level of "high priest"; presiding over Satanic rituals including magical spells, summoning demons, ritual sex including a

kidnap In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...

and

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ...

; the attempt on his life—a heroin

overdose A drug overdose (overdose or OD) is the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities much greater than are recommended.

—that left him angry and disillusioned; his heroism in Vietnam; and how he found Jesus and came home as an evangelist. The story ends with Warnke living happily in California with wife Sue Studer. In fewer than three months after the release, ''The Satan Seller'' had become a religious best-seller. The book launched Warnke into stardom within evangelical Christian communities. He became a popular speaker at Christian meeting places such as Melodyland in Anaheim,

. In 1974, Warnke moved his family to attend Trinity Bible College in

Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

, Oklahoma, as a nine-month preparation for ministry. It was here, while among other charismatic Christians and recent converts preparing for a life of ministry, that Warnke met Carolyn Alberty and the two began an extramarital affair. Warnke also met Elijah Coady, an independent, schismatic bishop of the Syro-Chaldean Church, also known as the Assyrian Church of the East. Coady ordained Warnke as a

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...

. Upon graduation, Warnke was again ordained, and he moved with his family to

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

Recordings and wives

In November 1975 at an Indiana coffeehouse, Warnke's talk about his conversion from Satanism to Christianity was incidentally recorded. This recording became his first

album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...

, ''Alive'', which was soon widely played on Christian radio. Later that same year, despite interventions from pastors and other acclaimed ministers, Warnke left his wife for Alberty and filed for divorce. The divorce was finalized in December 1975 and four months later, Warnke married Alberty. Warnke's popularity earned him the cover of the September 1976 issue of the Christian magazine ''Harmony''. In 1977, he released his second album, ''Jester In The King's Court''. In 1978, he recounted his Vietnam experiences on his third album, ''Hey, Doc!''. Warnke's albums became "the most popular

Christian comedy Christian comedy is a subgenre of comedy where the material presented is aimed towards a Christian audience. The performances are typically held on church grounds or at off-site, church-sponsored venues. The material often contains Christian ref ...

albums ever produced".As quoted in ''Cornerstone'' issue 98: During a tour to Hazard,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

, Warnke met Rose Hall, a thrice-divorced mother of three children, and began courting her while still married to his second wife. His second marriage came to an end when, as Alberty stated in an interview, " arnkethrew me into a wall and split my head open. He said, 'If you go to a local hospital and tell them what your name is, I'll kill you.'" Alberty fled to

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. By November 1979, their divorce was finalized, and Warnke moved to Hall's farm in Kentucky. On January 2, 1980, Warnke and Hall were married. Warnke and his label,

Word Records Word Records is a Christian faith-based entertainment company based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is owned by Curb Records, and is a part of Word Entertainment. It is distributed by Warner Records (the former Warner Bros. Records). History In 1 ...

, feuded over an album which he eventually produced and distributed on his own, ''A Christian's Perspective on Halloween'' (1979). Word Records and Warnke reconciled by 1981, resulting in ''Coming Home'' (1981), and now including wife Rose, ''Higher Education'' (1982) and ''Growing Up'' (1983). Under Word's Dayspring label, Warnke then released (solo) ''Stuff Happens'' (1985), ''Good News Tonight'' (1986), ''One In A Million'' (1988), ''Live ... Totally Weird'' (1989).The Exhaustive Christian Music Discography: W
Warnke also made a VHS home video, ''Do You Hear Me?'' (1989). During the 1980s, Warnke's ministry prospered as he and his new wife toured and performed together, raising millions of dollars for their ministry. Contributions to the ministry were over $1 million in 1985, and over $2 million each year from 1987 through 1990. As their popularity waxed, their personal relationship waned. In 1984, Warnke's third wife wrote, "Satan provided a woman to fill the gap in Michael's life."As cited by ''Cornerstone'' expose: The Warnkes separated in 1989 and later divorced in 1991. Six weeks after the divorce was finalized, Warnke married Rim of the World High School alumna Susan Patton.

Extravagant claims

In 1982, Warnke began to exaggerate his achievements. During the 1980s, his claims of academic degrees increased from two

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

s to two

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

s to a

Doctorate of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...

. In ''The Satan Seller'', Warnke says he was wounded twice while in Vietnam. In ''Hitchhiking on Hope Street'', he said he had been wounded five times. He followed up his interest in the Syro-Chaldean tradition and his 1970s ordination as a deacon with a 1983 ordination by independent bishop Richard Morrill, lately of the Byzantine Catholic Church, Inc. This ordination allowed Warnke to call himself bishop.

National exposure

On May 16, 1985, Warnke appeared in a prime-time news report about Satanism on ABC's '' 20/20''. In the show's episode titled "The Devil Worshippers", Warnke was included in a number of segments where he discussed the implements and clothing used in Satanic ceremonies, a scar allegedly indicating where he was repeatedly cut so that his blood could be used in Satanic ceremonies, and what drew him to Satanism. After Warnke's appearance on ''20/20'', he was frequently cited as an expert on the occult by Christian radio host Bob Larson and the

Chick Publications Chick tracts are short evangelical gospel tracts, originally created by American publisher and religious cartoonist Jack Chick in the 1960s. His company Chick Publications has continued to print these tracts, in addition to those by new write ...

stable of authors.

Investigation and debunking

In 1991, ''

'' magazine launched an investigation into Warnke's life and testimony. The previous year, the magazine had debunked Lauren Stratford's story that had been recounted in her book '' Satan's Underground''. Stratford claimed her deep involvement in Satanism led her to partake in a ritual in which her own child was sacrificed. After the exposé showed Stratford's alleged child had never existed, ''Cornerstone'' journalists Mike Hertenstein and Jon Trott investigated Warnke and his claims. The ''Cornerstone'' investigation spanned from interviews with over 100 of Warnke's personal friends and acquaintances to his ministry's tax receipts. It revealed a number of inaccuracies and evidence of fraud and

deceit Deception or falsehood is an act or statement that misleads, hides the truth, or promotes a belief, concept, or idea that is not true. It is often done for personal gain or advantage. Deception can involve dissimulation, propaganda and sleight o ...

in Warnke's accounts. During the course of ''Cornerstones investigation, pictures of Warnke taken during the time he was alleged to be a Satanist priest were discovered. Rather than showing an emaciated drug-addict sporting long fingernails and waist-length hair, the pictures showed Warnke as a typical "square" of the mid-1960s. The investigation also revealed Warnke's claims that he and Charles Manson had attended a Satanic ritual to be false; Manson was in federal prison at the time, having no known ties to Satanic churches. The investigation further uncovered that before joining the navy, Warnke had been involved with the college Christian ministry

Campus Crusade for Christ Cru (until 2011 known as Campus Crusade for Christ—informally "Campus Crusade" or simply "crusade"—or CCC) is an interdenominational Christian parachurch organization. It was founded in 1951 at the University of California, Los Angeles by ...

. The investigation also revealed the unflattering circumstances surrounding Warnke's multiple marriages, affairs, and divorces. Regarding one Christian intervention attempt, the ''Cornerstone'' article states, " onRiling, Mike Johnson, Wes Yoder, and Mike and Carolyn were there. 'You’d have never guessed that this was a meeting of Christians,' says Riling. 'Mike and Carolyn were swearing the whole time, and they must have gone through a whole pack of cigarettes.'" Most critically, the investigation showed how Warnke could not have done the many things he claimed to have taken part in throughout the nine months he claimed to be a Satanist—including his claims to be a drug-addicted dealer or a Satanic high priest. Before publishing, ''Cornerstone'' contacted Warnke for an interview, but he and the magazine could not agree to terms for such an interview. ''Cornerstone'' revealed its story at the annual Christian Booksellers Association convention in June 1992.

Aftermath

Warnke sent a response to ''Cornerstone'', published in July, insisting he told the truth, stating: Despite these assertions, Warnke did not provide the name of a single Satanist but used invectives against ex-wife Carolyn. In the ensuing months, he conceded parts of the allegations, telling '' Christianity Today'' that there had been only thirteen members of his coven, not 1,500 as originally claimed, and that of those thirteen, the whereabouts of five were unknown to him, while the other eight had since died.Jay Grelen. "Christian comedian says he lied about coven", '' Lexington Herald-Leader'', November 3, 1992, page B1. Public response was varied but was nevertheless overwhelmingly against Warnke. Initially, Word Records stated that they would stand by their artist. However, further investigations by local Kentucky reporters at the '' Lexington Herald-Leader'' revealed that Warnke's ministry had engaged in financial misdeeds and that, "Mike, his ex-wife Rose, and her brother Neale

all All or ALL may refer to: Language * All, an indefinite pronoun in English * All, one of the English determiners * Allar language (ISO 639-3 code) * Allative case (abbreviated ALL) Music * All (band), an American punk rock band * ''All'' (All al ...

received a total of $809,680 in salary at a time when the ministry newsletter claimed donations were down and more funds were needed." One week later, Word Records dropped Warnke from its label. Finally, on September 30, 1992, fewer than 100 days after the investigation was made public, Warnke's ministry closed its doors.Jay Grelen. "Christian comedian set to close doors of troubled ministry", '' Lexington Herald-Leader'' (KY), September 30, 1992, page C13. In the spring of 1993, Warnke submitted to the authority of an assembly of ministers "acting as elders", acknowledging his "ungodliness", his "multiple divorces", his "failure as husband, father, and friend", and of "embellishment and exaggeration ... in an attempt ... to entertain", and offering to pay

back taxes Back taxes is a term for taxes that were not completely paid when due. Typically, these are taxes that are owed from a previous year. Causes for back taxes include failure to pay taxes by the deadline, failure to correctly report one's income, or ...

to the federal government. The group recommended specific changes to the ministry, including a

salary cap In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Sever ...

and accountability reports.Tamie Ross. "Laughs stopped for Christian comic: Mike Warnke offers fans new outlook after ministry's crash", ''The Daily Oklahoman'', September 30, 2000, page 1B Nonetheless, he continued to "stand by istestimony of former Satanic involvement",Warnke'
1993 statement of apology and repentance
stating in a 2000 interview with the ''

Daily Oklahoman ''The Oklahoman'' is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma, United States, and is the only regional daily that covers the Greater Oklahoma City area. The Alliance for Audited Media (formerly Audit Bureau Circulation) lists it as the 59th large ...

'', "Exaggeration did creep into some of my stories, but my testimony is still my testimony.""Local notes - Controversial comedian", ''

The Modesto Bee ''The Modesto Bee'' is a California newspaper, founded in 1884 as the ''Daily Evening News'' and published continuously as a daily under a variety of names. Before its purchase by Charles K. McClatchy and McClatchy Newspapers in 1924, it merged ...

'' (CA), February 2, 2002, page G1: ''"Mike Warnke, a popular 1970s Christian comedian later accused of fabricating claims about his Satanist past, will speak at Pentecostal Church of God Friday through February 10. ... It is unlikely he will talk about his colorful past, said Hughson Pastor Roy Little. Warnke speaks these days about his current Christian faith."'' As of 2006, a letter posted on Warnke's web site indicated the group had released him as having met their accountability requirements.Monique H. Henderson. "Spotlight: Christian comedian Mike Warnke comes to Rancho Mirage: his humor is in the past", ''

The Press-Enterprise ''The Press-Enterprise'' is a paid daily newspaper published by Digital First Media that serves the Inland Empire in Southern California. Headquartered in downtown Riverside, California, it is the primary newspaper for Riverside County, with ...

'' ( Riverside, CA), October 3, 2007, page B2. In 1997, Warnke suffered a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

. In 2000, he began attempting a comeback, limited to small churches in Kentucky. In 2002, he published ''Friendly Fire: A Recovery Guide for Believers Battered by Religion'' (), an account of what he perceived as his unfair treatment by fellow Christians in the wake of the ''Cornerstone'' exposé. By 2004, he was making occasional performing appearances at churches around the country, often referred to simply as "Christian comedian Mike Warnke","This week" (local events column), ''Springfield News-Leader'' (MO), September 15, 2007, page 2C: ''"Shoal Creek Revival Church ... Christian comedian Mike Warnke 7 p.m. today and 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday."''Carol Reiter. "Around Town: Walk for health care" (local events column), ''The Merced Sun-Star'' (CA), April 14, 2007: ''"Calvary Temple Worship Center, ... will present Mike Warnke ... . Warnke will share his life experiences from more than 35 years in World Wide Ministry."''"Access religion" (local events column), ''

The Oklahoman ''The Oklahoman'' is the largest daily newspaper in Oklahoma, United States, and is the only regional daily that covers the Greater Oklahoma City area. The Alliance for Audited Media (formerly Audit Bureau Circulation) lists it as the 59th large ...

'' (

Oklahoma City, OK Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...

), August 19, 2006, page 2E: "First Assembly of God of Guthrie, Christian comedian Mike Warnke ... . " and sometimes as a former Satanic priestStaff reports. "Ex-hippie employs comedy to spread God's word", ''

El Paso Times The ''El Paso Times'' is the newspaper for the US city of El Paso, Texas. The newspaper has an approximate daily circulation of 65,000 and 125,000 on Sundays. The paper is the only English-language daily in El Paso (when the ''El Paso Herald-Pos ...

'' (TX), October 15, 2004, page 1D: ''"According to his Web site, Warnke was a satanic high priest ... "..."Religion calendar", '' St. Petersburg Times'' (FL), October 21, 2006, PASCO TIMES section, page 5.Barbara Hale. "Around town: Mike Warnke entertains", ''The Merced Sun-Star'' (CA), August 3, 2006, page 2: ''"A man who has spent 34 years ministering to the lost and brokenhearted is coming to Merced to share his comedic style that gains the attention of listeners. The speaker is Mike Warnke, an ex-satanist high priest, hippie, drug addict, pusher and Naval hospital corpsman attached to a U.S. Marine Corps unit in Vietnam. ..."'' although some mentions in the news referred to the ''Cornerstone'' exposé.

References

External links

Mike Warnke and Celebrations of Hope
official website * by Mike Hertenstein and Jon Trott {{DEFAULTSORT:Warnke, Mike 1946 births 20th-century hoaxes American autobiographers American evangelicals American male comedians United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War Comedians from California Hoaxes in the United States Impostors Living people Nestorians People from Kentucky People from Manchester, Tennessee People from San Bernardino, California Religious scandals Satanic ritual abuse hysteria in the United States United States Navy sailors Writers from Evansville, Indiana