Wayne E. Warner: Remembering the Pioneer Assemblies of God Archivist

Wayne E. Warner (1933-2024), served as director of the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center (Assemblies of God archives) for a quarter century (1980-2005). He not only documented and shared Pentecostal history, he lived much of it. His funeral, held on January 18, 2024 at Central Assembly of God (Springfield, MO), was well-attended.

Eulogies given by Grant Wacker, Darrin Rodgers, and Joyce Lee are below, followed by the funeral program and a link to a video of the funeral.

As it happened, my father-in-law was Richard Bowman, the general manager of the printing plant of the Gospel Publishing House.  That summer, while we were visiting family, I shared by frustration with Richard.  He said, “I know the perfect person for you to meet.”  So he took me up to the Pentecostal Heritage Center on the 5^th floor and introduced me to Wayne, who immediately offered to help any way he could.

Wayne and I hit it off right from the outset.  I saw Wayne’s complete mastery not only of the extensive materials in the Center but also of the whole history of early Pentecostalism.  Little did I know then that I also had been introduced to a man who would prove to be one of my most trustworthy and enduring friends.

Let me try to sketch some of Wayne’s character traits that stand out in my memory.  I found that he grew up in a very small town in western Oregon, which meant that he remained a man with small town values to the end. I also found that he had served for several years as the pastor of Open Door Bible Church(es) in Washington, Texas, and Ilinois, which meant that he remained a man with a pastor’s heart to the end.

Soon I learned that Wayne had worked as a newspaper reporter in Illinois, where he mastered the craft of writing. I deeply envied Wayne’s style.  Simple, clear, fluid, mercifully free of big words, and often very funny.  He could make the most humdrum subject seem special.  He aimed to communicate, not preen.

When it came to sports, hobbies, and pets, Wayne was a man of wide-ranging interests. He played golf avidly and supported Springfield’s minor league baseball team with ardor.  He collected old radios.  Indeed, he gave me one of his most prized ones, surely the ultimate mark of friendship! And he loved dogs, Buddy and then Duke, big ones, with meat on their bones and love in their hearts. 

Wayne always dressed to the nines at work–which was his way of saying, respect your job.  Yet outside of work, he disliked formality.  Typically dressed in a pull-over and blue jeans, he was always just Wayne, no Mister Warner and certainly no Reverend Warner.

Wayne was blessed with a wicked sense of humor.  He loved jokes, including ones about archivists. And the cornier the better.  What does an archivist put on his muffins? Preserves.  Why is marriage good for an archivist?  The older their spouse gets, the more interesting they are.

He also loved the Assemblies of God (AG) . Beyond simple affiliation, he evinced genuine loyalty to the denomination and its traditions. Yet his awesome knowledge of the AG’s history was like old money, always present but tastefully underplayed.

Wayne was genuinely curious about other people’s lives.  He was a good listener.  He did not just hear other people but truly listened to them.  He cared about what they had to say.  That trait made him superb interviewer.  He had an easy-going style that elicited conversation.  He once interviewed my grandma, Lillian Riggs, for two hours. Later she told me that was the fastest two hours of her long life. 

Though dooms-day voices abounded in his AG world, as in my Methodist world, Wayne himself was relentlessly positive about his life, his church, and even the world around him.  It comes as no surprise that he gave the AG bookstore chain its name: Radiant Bookstores.

Family mattered. He rarely missed big Warner family reunions back in Oregon, never mind the cost. He spoke lovingly and proudly about his children, his sons-in-law, and grandchildren.  Indeed, he almost drove me nuts sending beau coup photos of his grandchildren–which forced me to send beau coup photos of my grandchildren, of course.

Wayne treated everyone equally, regardless of their line of work or social location. And so it was that he helped with the VFW monthly breakfasts, paying special attention to older veterans, many of whom he interviewed so that the priceless memories of their war experience would not be lost.

Wayne wrote two deeply researched books about two women, Maria Woodworth-Etter and Kathryn Kuhlman, who were well-known in the Pentecostal world but unheralded outside it.  Wayne understood that God was no respecter of genders, for God gave spiritual wisdom to women just as often as men. I might add that here as elsewhere Wayne figured as a true pioneer, for not all male church leaders—Pentecostal and otherwise–grasped that point.

Wayne was non-judgmental about other people. His working creed was, “live and let live.”  Red-haired truckers and blue-haired ladies and green-haired hippies were all the same to him.  People.  Just people.  His lifestyle brings to mind Abe Lincoln’s observation that God must have loved ordinary people most because he made so many of them.  That’s how Wayne saw the world, too.  Filled with ordinary people, ultimately all the same.

Wayne was non-judgmental about other denominations, too.  Without compromising his own convictions, he pioneered relationships with Wesleyan Pentecostals and with Oneness Pentecostals.  He stepped out of his comfort zone in the predominantly white AG to pioneer relations with Black, Latino, and ethnic Pentecostals, too.

Wayne took his work seriously, but not himself.  He never boasted.  But then, he but didn’t need to.  His record  of accomplishment spoke for itself, with

two major books, multiple editions of primary documents, and more than one hundred articles in the Pentecostal Evangel and Assemblies of God Heritage magazine.

Wayne was smart.  Not just smart, but he also knew a lot about a lot of things.  A question about fishing or crops or airplanes or gardens or construction or countless other matters often brought a serious, detailed response.

When it came to politics, there is not much to say. In the hundreds of hours we spent together, he never once played his hand.  To this day, I have no idea how he voted.  Political parties did not matter to him.  He cared about who got hurt.  He wanted public policies that protected and healed those who suffered.

Wayne knew himself.  He did not pretend to be someone he wasn’t. That trait applied to his health too. Toward the end, when I’d call and ask, “how are you feeling,” his usual answer was, “ahhh, not too bad.”  But not always.  When he really was feeling bad, he’d let me know. “I feel rotten,” he grumped.  He called it as he saw it, truthfully.

Wayne was even tempered.  If the mood stabilizer industry relied on prescriptions written for Wayne, they would have gone out of business years ago.  Fortunately his prevailing mood was almost always cheerful.  I am sure he had dark days, but I never saw them.  I looked forward to my times with Wayne for many reasons, and boosting my spirits was one of them.

Wayne went through the indescribable pain of losing his wife, Joy, when she was only 38, and then rearing three adolescent daughters alone.  And he did it well, too, for all three became accomplished professional women who swelled his heart with well-deserved pride.

Wayne empathized with others’ feelings. When my own dad  died in 1993, Wayne was the very first person to console me.  He said–wisely as it turned out–that the pain of grief does not begin to subside until you pass the first set of anniversaries.

Most important, Wayne was one of the most thoroughly Christian men I have known.  He was not showy about it; he did not wear his faith on his sleeve.  Rather Wayne’s faith was his life, how he lived it, day by day, and that spoke more loudly than any sermon.

God has gifted me with close friendships with a tiny few truly great people, and Wayne was one.  I admired him in life and treasure his memory in death. I am confident that right now he is looking down, with a broad smile, a timely word of encouragement, and a hearty invitation eventually to come join him in the Promised Land–where the archives are always open.

__________________

In 2005, I succeeded Wayne as director of the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center. I jokingly tell people that I’m Indiana Jones for the Assemblies of God. I collect Pentecostal treasures.

In other words, I inherited the mantle of Indiana Jones from Wayne Warner.

For these past 18 ½ years, Wayne has been a friend and mentor. He’s been unfailingly kind and encouraging. On my first day on the job, I told Wayne, “I have big shoes to fill.” He didn’t miss a beat and said, “Don’t worry, you’ve brought your own shoes. You’ll be great.”

Wayne had big shoes and cast a long shadow.

When it looked like Wayne probably wouldn’t be coming home from the hospital, I asked his daughters if I could post the news on FB, with an encouragement to his many friends to share their memories in the comments. They agreed, and my two posts about Wayne received 150 comments from people around the world. Lolisa read many of the comments to Wayne in the hospital, and he told her who the people were, and where he first met them. Wayne had a mind for details, right to the very end.

Here are a few of the comments:

Harold Hunter, longtime director of the archives of the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, wrote:

“Wayne is ‘the dean’ of Pentecostal Archives in the USA.”

Howard Kenyon, a retired AG missionary to China, wrote:

“When I set out to write my doctoral dissertation, Wayne Warner was just getting going in what was simply known to me as The Archives. In that space, I found the perfect haven and treasure trove for the extensive research I needed to do. While I was going blind from reading the microfiche and microfilm material and asphyxiating on dust from old papers, he was referring me to ever more tormenting files, always eager to aid in my success. Wayne and I had many delightful conversations. He loved his work, and he loved the church, both the church universal and the specific denomination he served for much of his career. Not that I want to do my doctoral work over again, but the best part of it would be researching with Wayne and his archival team again.”

Bob Hoskins wrote:

“We called on Wayne to be one of the first board members when the Museum of the Bible was conceived. He added valuable input in our pioneer days. Thank you Wayne, your contribution will pay off throughout eternity.”

Paula Ferguson Lumadue wrote:

“I worked for Wayne in the archives just a short time while attending school—but the impact of cataloging history changed my life! In 1989, we received many boxes from the General Secretary’s office. It was the ministers’ records of all who had died in the previous year. I began to feel a cry in my spirit, “Who will replace these many ministers?” That question never let me go. I was moved so deeply that a few years later I laid down my career to follow the call of God to go as a Missionary to Japan. Thank you Wayne for your passion and capturing and preserving our history so we would be so inspired and compelled to move forward, picking up batons and mantles from those who have gone before us.”

Noted theologian Craig Keener wrote:

“His work is a blessing!”

John Jay Wilson, who works at the AG National Office, summed up Wayne’s life with one word:

“Legend”

Shirley Shedd, retired professor and archivist at Evangel University, wrote:

“His work in preserving the A/G and overall Pentecostal history will be a lasting memorial to him.”

Yes, indeed.

Wayne Warner is widely revered as a pioneer among Pentecostal archivists. He recognized the need to preserve and promote the heritage and testimony of Pentecostals, and he oversaw the development of a  world class archives and museum. Wayne’s ministry of remembrance – often behind-the-scenes – challenges us to be faithful and reminds us of how God works. His pioneering work – collecting historical treasures, recording oral history interviews, and writing articles and books – has deepened our understanding of our history and identity. Wayne’s work with Pentecostal history, I believe, was essential. People without a sense of rootedness and history are very likely to be swamped by present worldviews, fads and fashions. In this present day, we desperately need more Wayne Warners. We need more men and women who will give voice to the stories, beliefs, and values of our forefathers and foremothers.

Wayne has been faithful – faithful to his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Faithful to his family. Faithful to his friends. And faithful to God’s calling to use his talents to preserve and promote our Pentecostal heritage and testimony.

Wayne has also been a bridge builder. He built friendships across the racial, national, and denominational divides. He intentionally collected materials documenting the lives and ministries of ethnic minorities whose stories may have been overlooked in the past. He developed friendships with scholars, researchers, and church leaders from other denominations. He represented the Assemblies of God exceedingly well. But more importantly, he lived in such a way that you could sense Jesus through him.

We stand on the shoulders of giants. Thank you, Wayne, for being one of my giants.

__________________

I first met Wayne in the spring of 1986, when he offered me a position in the AG Archives. He wanted to hire me to fill the position of his right-hand assistant, Jodie Loutzenhiser, who would be leaving in a few months. Since I had no archival experience, He wanted me to work with Jodie for a few months to become acquainted with the archives operations. From the very start, I recognized Wayne as a considerate boss. I have never second-guessed my decision to accept that position. Thus began my nearly 20 years of working with Wayne.

Wayne was the ideal person to direct the archives. He was a prolific writer and he loved history—all kinds of history, but specifically he had a great desire especially to make AG and early Pentecostal history known to our constituents.

Wayne’s footprint is evident in the Flower Pentecostal Heritage Center today. Among so many of his contributions to shape what the Center is today, I want to mention 3 major items.

1. The Museum: Wayne dreamed of having a visitor center which would visually document Assemblies of God history. He worked hard and long, along with others whom he consulted to select what should be included and what items should be exhibited in the museum. In 1999, the museum was dedicated and has been a great attraction of visitors to the National Office.
2. AG Heritage Magazine: An important and major contribution was the AG Heritage magazine. It was Wayne’s brain child and began with a 4-page news letter in 1981, that grew into a quarterly magazine containing stories of AG ministers, evangelists, missionaries, revivals and church histories. The magazine quickly became a much sought after item.  Whenever we went to General Council, people would be excited to see the latest Heritage magazine. Wayne always contributed at least an introductory article and many times other feature length articles. He also invited other scholars to contribute articles. Glenn Gohr became the copy editor and contributed articles as well. My contribution was an occasional crossword or other word puzzle. And I created an online index. 
3. Oral History Collection: A third major project that was Wayne’s desire was to document the stories of individuals. Wayne believed that every person had a story to tell of how they came to the Lord or experienced the baptism in the Holy Spirit. He interviewed AG executives, ministers, evangelists, missionaries, and lay persons. Some of the interviewees came to the office and Wayne would shut his door and turn on the tape recorded and record their stories. He was easy to talk to and they enjoyed telling of their experiences. Others who could not come to the office, Wayne would take his recorded and camera and go to where they were. I do not have concrete statistics, but I believe our oral history collection is the largest in the world.  All this is due to Wayne’s dream.

At Wayne’s retirement in 2005, I had borrowed the title of a well-known movie to describe who I saw Wayne as. Though I had not seen the movie or known its content, I merely borrowed the title—An Officer and a Gentleman.  Wayne was never I high ranking military officer, though he did serve in the Army, but to me he epitomized a soldier in the Lord’s Army. He carried out his assignments well with honor, integrity, and devotion. And I would consider his deserving of the Medal of Honor. But I’m sure his greater reward that awaits him in heaven far outweighs the Medal of Honor. And, he was a gentleman—a man of integrity, faith, and high ideals.

I would just like to say to those who are hurting most today, his wife, his children and grandchildren, please allow the love and peace of God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit dwell in your hearts.

I am honored to have known Wayne as my boss and my friend.

Click here to watch the Funeral of Wayne Warner (vimeo.com)