Wayne Earl Warner
6/4/33 – 1/13/24

As a youth he trusted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior, and he joined the Heavenly host on January 13, 2024. He was born to Harry and Ethel Warner at Wendling, Oregon, June 4, 1933, and was one of 9 children. His education included Wendling Grade School, Mohawk High School, Eugene Vocational School, Eugene Bible College (now New Hope Christian College), and later finished his education at Drury University in Springfield, MO. While at Eugene Bible College he served as student body president from 1960-61 and was employed as a deputy sheriff for Lane County, Oregon.

He served in the army for two years during the Korean War reaching the rank of S/Sgt. His parents had the distinction of seeing all seven sons serve in the military. He entered the ministry in 1962 and pastored for six years in the Open Bible Standard Churches in Yacolt, Washington, Parryton, Texas and Hopedale, Illinois. While in Hopedale he also served as the editor of a weekly newspaper in Minier, Illinois which led to a twelve-year editorial position with the Assemblies of God Headquarters, Springfield, Missouri starting in 1968.

For 25 years he directed the Assemblies of God Archives (now Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center). During that time he founded and edited the Center’s Heritage magazine, interviewed hundreds of ministers and retired missionaries for the oral history program, supervised the creation of the $1,000,000 visitor’s center and archives facility, and directed the digital scanning of early Christian publications. The Center’s website is open to researchers around the world. (www.iFPHC.org).

As a free-lance writer he wrote or compiled 10 books, including two biographies for women evangelists: Maria Woodworth-Etter, For Such a Time as This and Kathryn Kuhlman, The Woman Behind the Miracles. Other books included Good Morning Lord – Devotions for Servicemen, 1000 Stories and Quotations of Famous People, Letters to Tony, Faith, Hope and Love, 3 Volume set, Touched By the Fire, and compiled three Smith Wigglesworth books: Only Believe, The Anointing of His Spirit and The Essential Smith Wigglesworth. He wrote hundreds of history columns for the Pentecostal Evangel magazine and other publications. Several of his books are in foreign languages.

He was a past president of the Springfield Writers’ Guild and the Missouri Writers’ Guild. He was an active member of the Air and Military Museum of the Ozarks, American Legion, Post 639, The Korean War Veterans of the Ozarks, and leader of the Central Assembly Veterans Connection group. He also served as a committee member of the Open Bible Churches archives and museum, Eugene, Oregon and contributed to the A.E. Mitchell archives project at Biola University. In 2010 he was invited to serve as a founding board member of The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. He was a long-time member of Central Assembly of God, Springfield, MO.

He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Patsy Arnold Warner; three daughters: Lori Warner, Eagle, Idaho; Lolisa and her husband Dr. Thomas Collins, Jr., Nixa, MO; Avonna and her husband Tim Schirman, Springfield, MO; two step-children, Jeff Creek, Mattoon, Illinois, and Gena and her husband Damian Ferguson, England; and five grandchildren, Harper and Taylor Collins, Ethan Mentze, and Ella Mae and Daisy Mae Ferguson. Surviving also are siblings Helen Warner Johnson, Lester Warner and George Warner of Eugene, Oregon and sister-in-law Avonna Lee Mitchell Anderson of Lake Forest, Ill., brother-in-law and wife, Ronnie and Barbara Arnold, Washington, Illinois. He is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death were his first wife Joy Mitchell Warner and her parents R. Bryant and Lola Lee Mitchell, his parents, Harry and Ethel Warner, four brothers, Lawrence and his wife Sylvia, Ernest and his wife Leora, Leonard and his wife Shirley, Ellis, sister, Josephine Warner Bray, and three brothers-in-law, Clifford Baird, Walter Johnson, and Bud Bray.

Funeral services will be conducted at the Central Assembly of God sanctuary, 1301 N. Boonville, Springfield, MO, Thursday, January 18 at 10:30 AM. Visitation will be at Central Assembly of God chapel, Wednesday, January 17, 4:30-6:30 PM. Burial will be at Veterans Cemetery, Springfield, MO, 5201 S. Southwood, Springfield, MO. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in his name to, Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center (https://ifphc.org) and gifts can be made to the Memorial Scholarship Fund at Evangel by sending a check to Evangel University, 1111 N Glenstone, Springfield, MO 65802 or by giving online (https://www.evangel.edu/advancement/).