About 20 former International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC) staff led a silent protest today in the ministry’s prayer room to highlight abuse allegations against IHOPKC founder, Mike Bickle, and to stand with victims. Normally, IHOPKC livestreams services in its prayer room, but today’s livestream didn’t show the protest.
“Right now, the understanding of my generation is the church does not protect the sheep,” said Susan Tuma, protest organizer and former IHOPKC staffer. “We want to come in here and say, ‘Be the people you’ve been called to be. You want to change the expression and understanding of Christianity in a single generation? . . . Then do that.’”
Bickle has said that in 1982, he received a prophecy that God was going to change the expression and understanding of Christianity in one generation. In 1999, he founded a 24/7 prayer movement at IHOPKC.
Last month, allegations that Bickle engaged in clergy sexual abuse with several women, spanning decades, surfaced. Since then, former staffers and advocates have expressed lack of trust in the organization’s ability to handle the matter internally and have called for an independent investigation.
However, IHOPKC leaders discounted some of the allegations and said an independent investigation is premature.
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At 9:30 a.m. Central Time today, protestors began walking into IHOPKC’s prayer room and sat down, Tuma told The Roys Report (TRR). Then around 10:15 a.m. Tuma said she put red tape with the word “truth” over her mouth and stood up.
One-by-one, others followed suit, she said. They also handed out papers to others in the prayer room that called for an “unbiased and transparent third party investigation” into the allegations against Bickle.
“We are using our voice for those who cannot so that any victims know they are not alone,” the paper stated.
The paper also gave some action points, including praying that hidden things will be brought to light and showing support by wearing the red tape provided.
Tuma said IHOPKC executive leaders Stuart Greaves and Lenny LaGuardia came into the prayer room during the protest.
IHOPKC normally streams the 24/7 prayer sessions on its website. But TRR watched and captured the livestream at the time of the scheduled protest and didn’t see the protesters.
Both Tuma and protester Jolynn Madden told TRR that people texted them to say that IHOPKC seemed to be using a prerecorded set rather than the livestream of the protest. Tuma also texted to TRR that the prayer leader up front was “a woman in a white hat.” That didn’t match the description of anyone leading worship on the livestream.
The IHOPKC press office didn’t immediately respond to TRR’s request for comment.
Protestor Charlea Taylor said the prayer room had more security guards there than normal, and that security guards were posted at the front door. But she said the protesters wanted to model a peaceful, safe protest.
“We showed people that we are safe,” she said. “We want the culture of IHOP to be safe. We want the leadership at IHOP to be safe.”
The protest was modeled after a typical protest that evangelical Christians might use at a prolife meeting with the red tape over the mouths of protesters, said Madden. She said while she stood, she read the scripture that was hanging on the wall: “May the Lord grant justice for his elect who cry out to him day and night.”
“I was praying just that the truth will continue to come to light in this situation and that those who have been harmed will find healing,” Madden said.
Tuma told TRR that she’s had a dream about IHOPKC’s casualties laid out in the street. She said she hopes it doesn’t become another scandal in which leaders are “circling the wagons,” rather than caring for the wounded.
“In the dream . . . I turned to the paramedics and I say, ‘Why aren’t the bodies covered up,’ . . . and (they) said, ‘We ran out. There were so many, we couldn’t cover them up anymore,’” she said. “This needs to be done right so this is not yet another wound in the collective soul of everybody who witnesses it.”
Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado.
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12 Responses
The leaders could have cut the stream if they didn’t want to have the protest seen on the livestream but instead chose to put a pre-recorded session in. Just speaks to a “cover up” instead of transparency. I’m Canadian and radically born again in 1991. I loved prayer and worship and what IHOPKC stood for. I also know that the foundation was laid with two prophets leaving in sexual sin and disgrace. I don’t know how they handled that in the past but as a intercessor forever, unless you pull the roots out you just maybe dealing with cutting the fruit (sin) every time it pops up if it was just covered up in the past. Sad indeed and traumatic for all those affected.
I was radically saved too. I came out of sexual immorality. Was coaxed back into it at a bible school right after I got saved. Basically I was weak willed and some guy older in the Lord told me it was God’s will for us to marry. His hands were all over me. I was crushed. I was torn between wow it’s God’s will for us to be together and hating the sin we were in. But I was a new believer and wanted to please God, so I married him. He divorced me a couple months later stating I didn’t make him happy. Been since for 37 or years since. Never again trusted a CHristian man enough to marry him. Having said that, I repented of that sin. God still uses me. Just because a person falls into sin means they are doomed forever. These men, I don’t know if they repented of their sins. But if they did, the Lord surely forgave them and surely used them again, as He did me. This is the blood of Jesus we’re talking about here. It cleanses from sin, even sin as a Christian. The prayer room, I’ve been to it, is a lovely place to be. There are some bad apples there, for sure. But good ones too. By the way, I do not attend church either and haven’t for decades. The crap I saw in every church I was in, save maybe two, made me sick to my stomach. USA church is basically a money hungry power hungry carnalfest.
Tommi, Thank you precious one for your honest and hopeful post so full of everlasting truth. I’m so sorry and sad you went through that confusion and experience with a very self centered and relationally unhealthy guy in a Bible school. I do believe though that you haven’t found your special place in the TRUE CHURCH .. or should I say in the genuine, and authentic body of Christ the real remnant church that Jesus does have out there. It
Must be extremely lonely. Let us all keep in mind these allegations have NOT be confirmed as TRUE and Nothing has been dismissed. This article is wrong about that. There is and will be an internal investigation … since you’re so sincere maybe you would be interested in watching the Forerunner Church Sunday service online or the Friday Night service online. It’s a very different service than most. Just for some connection to real fellowship … people will be people. But you seem to have such a forgiving and genuine heart regarding the good and the bad that has crossed your path. Much love from your TRUE Bridegroom JESUS be there for you daily … Dawn l Author… Sifted Like Wheat in Silo Country my new release.
“Bickle has said that in 1982, he received a prophecy that God was going to change the expression and understanding of Christianity in one generation.” Really? And apparently people were willing to follow blindly.
Comes the day when you realize anyone who says they ‘received a prophecy’ from God should be the only one following it. Back up from the charlatans and start thinking. It is ok to doubt what anyone who makes extraordinary claims requires of you. In fact, it is imperative. Walk away from thought control leaders and live your own life.
I have been in many communities like IHOP over all of my almost 70 years… there are always big problems …. I’ve never seen any community not struggle like this regardless of their motives for holiness. Bringing in who knows who into a large community and expect ZERO flesh and blood problems. The problem is the Christian culture ( which is currently smothered with JUSTICE without MERCY problems and that approach is a FARCE and totally un- Biblical. 2Timothy 3 describes exactly how our current Christian Culture now lives and thinks. Timothy wrote this chapter about the church— not the World. Christians will and have become Slanderous…. And speculation without the depth of the truth is EXACTLY what SLANDER is—- We the church are called to COVER each other not throw each other to the WOLVES of the World. We need to realize the seriousness of Proverbs 6. In this extraordinary chapter — found in the 7 things that God hates is a very crucial warning… it is detestable (Abominable) there’s a word —- to our Holy Lord When Brothers and Sisters SOW DISCORD among the one another… in others words “try to destroy one another”. YES… I want the Truth to shine forth regarding these allegations. But, we need to grow up in the meantime. And shut the speculation down. Everyone !!! It’s not the Kingdom to be so zealous and ‘just a tad short of celebration,’ regarding failure. Look in the mirror These times are for ALL of us to look in the mirror of our souls and fall on HIS MERCY …!!! Dawn Baxley — Author of Sifted Like Wheat in Silo Country
I genuinely had trouble following your above comment Dawn, but I wouldn’t be worried about the “Wolves of the World”. Christendom seems to have no fewer wolves than the secular world, and possibly more.
What I still can’t wrap my head around is how this “ministry” could be praying to God 24/7 for almost 25 years and have this be the net result of their efforts. A mind-blowing waste of time apparently, or else a good quarter century scam.
Hello dear Dawn. Since you seem to be up on quoting scripture in order to but down valid concerns from people who attempted to privately bring this to Mike, but were rebuffed, what do you think of the scripture that says if they won’t listen, then “take it to the whole church”. That is what is happening now. The division was caused by people who are attempting to whitewash the situation. “He that covers his sin shall not prosper, but he that confesses and forsakes his sin shall receive mercy”. That’s how it works. Dawn, can you tell me, in light of this scandal how do you see these scriptures, concerning a 40 something year old pastor and a 19 year old girl? Luke 17:2 says, It is better for him if a millstone is hung around his neck and he is thrown into the sea, than that he may cause one of these little ones to sin. Please take some time to read the following julieroys link. You have the Holy Spirit living inside of you and you should be able to tell us if this is something that should simply be covered up because “people are people”. I think perhaps you may have drank the IHOP kool-aid. https://julieroys.com/woman-says-international-house-of-prayer-founder-mike-bickle-used-prophecy-to-sexually-abuse-her/
You are absolutely right….the Pent/Charis “movement” (?) has a LONG “track record” of sex/$$ scandals, which belie their bogus, “holiness” tag…..in this, they are eerily similar to the Roman Catholics, in following the same modus: “IGNORANCE is the mother of DEVOTION”…..
Lee, just because Mike said something like this (I personally haven’t heard) doesn’t make him a charlatan … The truth is friend … These are currently Allegations Only. The Truth matters. There are so many problems with this entire “Coming Out”. This article claims victims have been dismissed but that is NOT true… the only women on the list who have been ruled out as abused came to leadership and said 2 things 1. They were Not a victim of Mike Bickle in anyway.. 2. They told the 3 men behind all of this they did not want to be on that list. Nothing Mike did was abusive to them in any way and they were put on the list anyway. They called these men “bullies” Ahhh … there’s some major problems with this whole mess. Nothing has s far been legitimate or proven
Mike Bickle has been involved in one scandal or another since he started the Kansas City Prophets. He has visions and prophesies that he uses to control people but they can’t be tested or verified. Someone who has been abused in some way, especially over a long period of time is often unwilling to come forward because of embarrassment, shame, and fear of marginalization and punishment for speaking out. This situation is no different. IHOPKC is working actively and virulently to silence these victims. But when one person is brave enough to speak up, others will then be emboldened to step up and tell their story as well. Because predators don’t victimize just one person. They always have several victimes, and you can’t turn all of them off once they start coming forward. There is no way, at this point, that IHOPKC can do enough damage control to make this issue go away. The entire leadership should step down. You seem to be blaming the victims instead of holding the leaders responsible for mishandling this entire scenario. Bickle has admitted his guilt but you are acting like he’s done nothing wrong.
Bikle is a fraud and a Charlatan. These women are not lying and would not subject themselves to this just to have fun work to get back at somebody for something that didn’t happen….
These photos…it’s just like a literal visual depiction of the church ignoring other’s pain as they nonchalantly go about their own business, lives, priorities, self importance, like there is nothing to see here and it’s ok to let evil reign for most of us. Heartbreaking.