Christian comedian Mike Warnke exposed in Cornerstone Magazine.

AMERICA'S biggest selling Christian comedian, evangelist Mike Warnke, made up his testimony concerning his life as a former satanic high priest - according to a leading Christian magazine. Further allegations were subsequently made about the financial affairs of Mike Warnke Ministries by an American newspaper which has resulted in the IRS revoking Warnke's charitable status. Promoters across the country have cancelled Warnke's concert appearances, while his record company, Word have announced a "suspension" in the sale of Warnke's albums and videos.

The American magazine Cornerstone published a 20,000-word feature which exposed Warnke as a spiritual fraud. The article, "Selling Satan: The Tragic Story Of Mike Warnke" alleged that Warnke fabricated his life as a Satanic high priest and that his personal life since conversion has been a long catalogue of moral disasters.

The article, took two years to research, exposes numerous discrepancies in Warnke's testimony. Amongst the Cornerstone allegations was that Warnke's claim to have met Charles Manson in January 1966 could not have been true, because at the time, Mason was in jail at McNeil Island. Cornerstone documents their article with photographs, one of which features a normal-looking short-haired Warnke which Cornerstone claims "was taken April 30, 1966 - right at the time Mike Warnke says he had waist length white hair, six-inch fingernails, and fifteen hundred followers." Cornerstone also documented Warnke's four divorces and discrepancies in his account of getting wounded in Vietnam.

Further accusations were subsequently made in the Kentucky newspaper Lexington Herald-Leader. Their 29th July edition carried a 4-page article "IRS targets finances of Mercer comedian's ministry" According to the Lexington Herald, the IRS (the US income tax body) has revoked Warnke Ministries' tax-exempt status it enjoyed as a charity because of financial irregularities over the way the organisation has been run. It claims that in 1991 Warnke received $303,840; ex-wife Rose Warnke received $291,840 and Ministry president Neale Hall (Rose's brother) received $214,000, totalling $809,680 - just about half of the 2 million dollars brought in by the organisation. The article claims that over the last seven years, the three have "received $3.5 million on top of royalties, housing and cars" and an annual pay rise of $30-40 thousand each.

Despite the ministry's claim to help a lot of people only $900 was given to charities last year, claims the article which also states that "while taking nearly $300,000 in salary and driving a luxury car, Rose Warnke says the ministry cannot afford to hire enough people to staff its national free-phone crisis line more than eight hours a day, Monday through Friday." A second article in the same edition quotes former employees alleging that Warnke used to take cash from offerings and that "often when they counted money from the shows, they found envelopes that had been torn open and emptied of money."

The allegations surrounding Warnke have resulted in bookings being cancelled amongst these are the Icthus Festival, Jesus Northwest and Creation Festival. Word Inc have issued two statements; the first issued soon after the Cornerstone allegations stated that "in response to recent allegations of the integrity of Mike Warnke's ministry, Word Inc met with Mike and conducted follow-up on the areas in question. Information the company received reinforces our confidence in his ministry." A second statement, issued on 6th August - after the Lexington Herald-Leader article, stated: "in light of recent accusations concerning the business ethics and financial integrity of Warnke Ministries, Word Inc again met with Warnke. After reviewing the reported information, Mike Warnke and Word Inc have jointly determined to suspend the sale and promotion of Warnke products pending the resolution of questions surrounding this matter. "Word Inc is grieved by the initial and ongoing allegations directed towards Mike Warnke. We are concerned for our friend and brother in Christ. However, there are many questions yet to be answered. At this juncture, we trust and believe Mike Warnke will respond comprehensively to these media allegations" the statement read.

As we went to press. Cross Rhythms received a 40-page package from Warnke which contains a statement and various documents from Warnke associates, allegedly interviewed by Cornerstone. Warnke's statement denies any allegations made by Cornerstone, but does not provide any satisfactory reasons for the differences between his testimony and the Cornerstone research.

Word (UK) have confirmed that Mike Warnke product has been "suspended". Jerry Johnson, International Manager for Word (UK) told Cross Rhythms that "Word Inc have requested that we suspend the sale of Warnke product" he said. "However, we are not recalling stock from our retailers, but if any retailer feels unhappy with this product we will accept returns."

N.B. The American magazine Cornerstone has no connection with Cornerstone House, publishers of Cross Rhythms.