nyone who has been in the evangelical mainstream in the last twenty years has heard of Mike Warnke's testimony. In his autobiography called The Satan Seller, he tells of his rise through the ranks of Satanism to become a high priest over a coven of fifteen hundred people. He had unlimited wealth at his disposal provided by the Illuminati, gorgeous live-in female love-slaves, six-inch fingernails and hair below his waist. Out of this awful background he was wonderfully saved. A generation of Christians learned about occult from Warnke; his book has sold three million copies over the past twenty years. Since The Satan Seller, he has put out a number of Christian comedy albums and has become (and still is) one of evangelicaldom's most sought-after speakers. But this last summer, Cornerstone magazine blew the whistle on Mike Warnke, showing that his million-dollar testimony is a pack of lies.
Cornerstone's two year investigation was quite thorough. His college buddies, his former fiancee, and other witnesses report that the Mike Warnke with whom they had been in daily contact could not have possibly been living the life we read about in The Satan Seller. Besides, as Cornerstone ably points out, Warnke's testimony is rife with contradictions. The Lexington Herald-Leader followed with a story about the Warnke ministry's fraudulent financial practices. Finally, in August, Word, Inc. suspended its business relationship with Mike Warnke despite their recent release of Warnke's album Full Speed Ahead.
In response to this barrage of criticism, Warnke answered with a lengthy press release. He writes (contra Proverbs ) that "my normal policy is to ignore negative opinions and criticisms and simply concentrate on my work and ministry." He discredits the testimony of his second ex-wife by complaining that she "was instrumental in the break-up of my marriage to Sue, and . . . used her skill as a cold-hearted and calculated temptress to involve me in an ill-fated second marriage." Now, whose guilt is revealed in this remark? The truth is that Warnke committed adultery in each of his first three marriages (all of which ended in divorce), and all this during his years of public ministry.
In its September issue, CCM magazine asks, "Why hasn't anyone asked for verification of [Warnke's] testimony before now? Is the Christian public (including the Christian press . . .) so uncritical and gullible that apparent deceptions such as this are possible?" These are good questions, and they deserve a thoughtful answer.
What we too often fail to realize is that publicized problems such as these are truly representative of the evangelical church as a whole. We are disgusted with news of such scandalous sin in public ministry -- but do we do the same? Do you remember, for example, Jimmy Swaggart's confession that he hired prostitutes to pose for him? How many of the faithful were appalled by this, yet remain quite willing themselves to pay to see R-rated films and cable television (or even network television) in order to watch the same thing? Swaggart was different only because he didn't bother with camera crews and film; his women and the women on your screen are all prostitutes who have been hired to entice and seduce.
In the same way, Mike Warnke's story doesn't speak only of Mike Warnke; it serves as a reminder that false testimony, adultery, and divorce are rampant in the church. And what about him getting away with it for twenty years? This shouldn't surprise us, in view of how rebuke and godly discipline are so largely ignored. Could the commands given to us be any more clear? If a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one (Gal. 6:1). If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault (Matt. 18:15). There were many people in Mike Warnke's life who could have confronted him. Those few who even made an attempt were unwilling to insist upon a biblical standard of morality. How true this is all through the church!
Be sure to consider yourself: have you been diligent in your study and faithful practice of sound doctrine? Do you recognize and confront error when you see it? Do you instruct your wife and children in the truth, and teach them to discern sound doctrine from false? Are they learning to apply God's Word to all areas of life? Do you model this to them in your own practice? If you are an elder, are you guarding and instructing those you oversee? As a little leaven leavens the whole lump, so spiritual sloth leads to damnable heresies and rank immorality. The church has not been on its guard, which is why she is duped by charlatans like Mike Warnke.
Part of the church's sin is our failure to hold accountable those in public ministry. Do you know how your favorite author treats his wife? Is that guy on the radio qualified to teach? I work at a Christian bookstore which tries to keep abreast of such things. We have had to remove many books from our shelves because of the personal lives of the authors. It is a very common problem. We have found authors whose marriages have failed, and have not yet demonstrated any change in their ability to manage their households. They are unqualified to write books of doctrinal or practical instruction, for life and doctrine must not be considered apart from each other. They are inseparable. If Mike Warnke's fans had exercised a biblical discernment, he would have been called upon to step down from public ministry long ago.
For every scandal that becomes public knowledge, countless other cases of the same sin go unaddressed. We must restore biblical accountability in the church. Many national ministries have not established a biblical governing structure, so they often let immorality go unchecked -- and the rank and file Christian on the other side of the country never questions the minister in the spotlight. We must devote ourselves to pray for those who teach us, and we must commit ourselves to biblical discipline, both in the local church and in large ministries. We need a thorough reformation.
