Michael Alfred Warnke (born November 19, 1946) is an American Christian evangelist, comedian and author who was born in Evansville, Indiana. He became nationally known during the 1970s and 1980s through Christian comedy recordings, speaking appearances and his bestselling book The Satan Seller, in which he claimed to have been a Satanic high priest before converting to Christianity. Warnke became a prominent speaker on Satanism and the occult before a widely publicized 1992 investigation challenged the accuracy of his account.

Early life

Warnke was born on November 19, 1946, in Evansville, the son of Alfred “Al” Warnke and Louise Warnke.

His parents were living in Evansville at the time of his birth, and Warnke was baptized at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in the city.

When Warnke was approximately five years old, his family left Evansville and moved to Manchester, Tennessee, where his father operated Warnke’s Truck Stop on U.S. Highway 41.

His mother was killed in an automobile accident in 1955, when Warnke was eight years old. His father later died, leaving Warnke orphaned while still a child.

Warnke subsequently lived with relatives in Tennessee before moving to California to live with his older half-sister and her family.

He graduated from Rim of the World High School in Lake Arrowhead, California, in 1965 and briefly attended San Bernardino Valley College.

Military service

Warnke enlisted in the United States Navy in June 1966 and trained as a hospital corpsman.

He later served in Vietnam as a Navy corpsman. Accounts Warnke subsequently gave concerning some aspects of his military experiences and injuries became subjects of dispute alongside other elements of his autobiography.

Warnke returned to the United States in 1970 and became increasingly involved in Christian ministry.

Christian ministry and comedy

Warnke initially worked with evangelist Morris Cerullo, appearing at revival meetings and speaking about what he described as his previous involvement in Satanism.

His unusual combination of religious testimony and humor eventually helped establish him as one of the best-known personalities in contemporary Christian entertainment.

Rather than presenting conventional stand-up comedy, Warnke frequently combined long humorous stories with Christian messages, personal testimony and discussions of religion.

During the 1970s and 1980s, he released numerous comedy and spoken-word recordings through Word Records and developed a large following within evangelical Christianity.

His recordings included Alive, Hey Doc!, A Christian Perspective on Halloween, Stuff Happens and other releases.

At the height of his popularity, Warnke performed before large audiences and became one of the most recognizable Christian comedians in the United States.

The Satan Seller

Warnke achieved his greatest fame through The Satan Seller, written with David Balsiger and published in the early 1970s.

The book presented Warnke’s account of becoming involved with Satanism and drugs while living in California during the 1960s.

Warnke claimed that he eventually rose to become a Satanic high priest before abandoning Satanism and converting to Christianity.

The Satan Seller became a major success in the Christian publishing market, selling in large numbers and helping establish Warnke as a nationally recognized authority on Satanism and occult activity.

His story was particularly influential during a period of increasing American concern about cults, occult practices and alleged Satanic activity.

Warnke subsequently traveled extensively, speaking to churches and Christian organizations about Satanism.

National prominence

By the 1980s, Warnke was frequently treated within portions of the evangelical community as an expert on Satanism and occult practices.

On May 16, 1985, he appeared on the ABC television newsmagazine 20/20 during a report titled “The Devil Worshippers.”

During the program, Warnke discussed alleged Satanic rituals and his claimed experiences within Satanism.

His appearances, books and recordings contributed to his prominence during the period later commonly associated with the American “Satanic Panic,” when widespread claims of organized Satanic groups and ritual abuse received significant attention in popular culture and the news media.

1992 investigation

Warnke’s reputation was severely damaged in 1992, when the Christian publication Cornerstone published an extensive investigation by journalists Mike Hertenstein and Jon Trott examining the claims contained in The Satan Seller.

The investigation was based on interviews with more than 100 people connected to Warnke’s life, as well as photographs, records and other documentation.

Hertenstein and Trott concluded that the chronology of Warnke’s life was inconsistent with his description of becoming a powerful Satanic leader.

People who knew Warnke during the period in which he claimed to have been heavily involved with Satanism disputed major portions of his account.

Photographs from the period also conflicted with descriptions Warnke had given of his appearance while supposedly serving as a Satanic high priest.

The investigation additionally challenged Warnke’s claims about the size and activities of the Satanic organization he said he had led.

The controversy attracted attention throughout the evangelical Christian community. Christianity Today reported on the allegations and the subsequent reaction among Christian publishers, retailers and organizations.

Following the investigation, some Christian bookstores removed Warnke’s books and recordings and some scheduled appearances were canceled.

Warnke’s response

Warnke rejected the central conclusion that his testimony was fabricated.

In a written response following publication of the Cornerstone investigation, he maintained that he had been involved in Satanism and had subsequently become a Christian.

Warnke acknowledged that some details had been altered, which he said was done to protect individuals and prevent the book from providing useful information about occult practices.

He continued to defend the central claim of his conversion from Satanism.

The controversy nevertheless substantially damaged his standing within Christian entertainment and ministry.

Later career

Warnke continued performing and participating in Christian ministry after the controversy, although on a considerably smaller scale than during the height of his popularity.

His career remains closely associated with the growth of contemporary Christian comedy during the 1970s and 1980s as well as with the controversies surrounding claims of organized Satanism in the United States during that period.

Warnke’s story has subsequently been examined in books and articles dealing with evangelical popular culture, the Satanic Panic and the standards used by religious organizations and media outlets to evaluate extraordinary personal testimonies.