An independent, non-denominational Christian missionary known for his global street preaching and radical teachings.
Michael Peter Woroniecki, born on February 4, 1954, is an independent, non-denominational Christian missionary whose ministry has spanned several decades and continents. After obtaining his Master of Divinity degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1980, Woroniecki became disillusioned with what he perceived as the institutionalized and professionalized nature of Christian ministry within traditional church settings. This disillusionment led him to embark on a path of street preaching and forming his own ministry, Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Woroniecki’s ministry is characterized by its unconventional approach, including public preaching in streets, college campuses, and at various events across the United States and around the world. He, along with his wife, Rachel, and their six children, have preached in all 50 U.S. states, as well as in Latin America, Europe, Russia, and Morocco. Woroniecki’s ministry often faces opposition due to its radical messages, which focus on themes of hypocrisy in the institutional church system, salvation, grace, judgment, and the end times.
In addition to street preaching, Woroniecki has also used music as a form of ministry, creating and performing with an electronic keyboard since 1986. His music, performed in public spaces across Europe and Latin America, serves as another vehicle to communicate his religious message.
One of the more controversial aspects of Woroniecki’s ministry is his connection to Andrea Yates, who drowned her five children in 2001. Woroniecki first met Yates’s husband, Rusty Yates, in the mid-1980s and later the couple themselves. The Yates were reportedly influenced by Woroniecki’s teachings, which became a point of discussion during Andrea Yates’s trial. Woroniecki and Rusty Yates have both dismissed allegations that Woroniecki’s teachings directly influenced Andrea Yates’s actions, attributing her actions to her long-standing mental health issues.
Despite the controversies and the challenges faced, Woroniecki continues his ministry, preaching a message he believes is a call back to the authentic, uncompromised teachings of Jesus Christ. His ministry emphasizes personal repentance, the rejection of institutionalized religion, and a direct, personal relationship with Jesus.
image via Michael Woroniecki
