On Oct. 31, Christian author and speaker Francis Chan and former International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC) board member and pastor, Sam Storms, arrived at the home of their friend—embattled IHOPKC Founder Mike Bickle. Yet, instead of meeting with them, Bickle had a fellow preacher meet them at the door and turn them away, Storms said in an interview with The Roys Report (TRR).
Just three days prior to the planned meeting, several former IHOPKC top leaders had published a letter, accusing Bickle of clergy sexual abuse with multiple women over several decades. And as Storms explained in a call with The Roys Report (TRR), he and Chan were concerned about Bickle and wanted to speak with him face-to-face.
But when Chan and Storms arrived, charismatic preacher Chris Reed of Morningstar Ministries told them Bickle was in an important meeting and couldn’t meet, Storms said.
Storms added that Bickle told him separately that IHOPKC Executive Director Stuart Greaves was in the meeting that day and was leading the process. Storms said he also later learned that Eric Volz, IHOPKC’s new spokesman, was in the meeting, as well.
Volz has repeatedly maintained that his firm, the David House Agency, is not an “advocate” for Mike Bickle and represents IHOPKC, which is “completely separate and distinct from Mike Bickle.”
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TRR reached out to Volz today to explain why he was at Bickle’s house on Oct. 31 and the nature of his involvement, but Volz did not reply.
Navigating Misconceptions: IHOPKC, The Advocate Group, and Mike Bickle @ihopkc #ihopkc #mikebickle pic.twitter.com/ZoMcLVpy98
— Eric Volz (@EricVolz) December 14, 2023
TRR also reached out to Greaves to explain his involvement, but Greaves has not replied either.
However, early this evening Volz posted on Twitter that he and Greaves met with Bickle on Oct. 31 “to confront him and question him about the allegations,” not “to protect him.”
Volz said that when Storms and Chan came to Bickle’s home, “we were in the middle of a meeting with Mike Bickle, and I simply recommended that our meeting not be interrupted.”
Volz said he has been “falsely accused of being a ‘spin doctor,’ assisting in a ‘cover-up,’” but “(n)othing could be further from the truth.”
TRR contacted Chan’s assistant a couple weeks ago seeking comment from Chan on his visit to IHOPKC, but has not heard back.
However, Storms and Michael Sullivant, a former colleague of Bickle’s and director at Life Model Works, posted a blog today saying they believe “Jane Doe.”
Doe is one of Bickle’s alleged victims who told her story exclusively to TRR. Doe maintains that Bickle used prophecy to sexually abuse her over for several years and engage in everything but intercourse.
Storms and Sullivant also wrote that Bickle’s statement confessing “inappropriate behavior” with Doe 20+ years ago, “while potentially a step in the right direction, is woefully inadequate.
“What is most lacking in it is explicitly owning the sin he committed against Jane Doe(s), repenting, and asking for forgiveness. Regrettably, Jane Doe is nowhere mentioned in the written statement he released.”
The post calls on Bickle to “search his heart” for other sins he committed. And it urges him to “find the spiritual courage to confess such sins, wholeheartedly repent, face the consequences, and humbly pursue the restoration and healing of anyone he has wounded.”
Chan declines to speak at IHOPKC
Prior to Chan’s arrival on Oct. 31, IHOPKC sent an email to faculty and staff, announcing a special service that evening featuring Chan, Morningstar’s Chris Reed, and Jason Hubbard of the International Prayer Connect.
However, Chan mysteriously did not show up at the special service, according to IHOPKC staff member, Jason Carr. Instead, Carr told TRR he found Chan in the IHOPKC prayer room during the service.
Carr said he asked Chan why he hadn’t been in the service that night, and Chan explained how Bickle had refused to meet with him earlier in the day.
Chan added that he was hoping to encourage the staff at IHOPKC but had envisioned a smaller meeting, Carr said. Chan said when he learned IHOPKC had planned a special, livestreamed service, Chan consulted with his elders and they advised him not to do it, Carr said.
Storms also confirmed with TRR that Chan’s elders had advised him not to speak at IHOPKC on Oct. 31.
Reed spoke at the special service in Chan’s absence.
IHOPKC staff member Gabriel Hancock told TRR that Reed’s message was traumatic for him and most of his friends, who walked out in the middle of it. Hancock said everyone at IHOPKC was in shock over the allegations against Bickle, which had just become public, and the mood that night was like a “funeral.”
Yet, Reed treated the service like a “pep rally,” Hancock said. The dissonance was so unnerving, Hancock said he “started sobbing uncontrollably” after hearing it.
Both Hancock and Carr told TRR they are leaving IHOPKC at the end of the year.
Video of Reed’s message was posted on IHOPKC’s Forerunner Church’s website at time of publication.
At the beginning of his message, Reed stated, “I am here to stand in solidarity with this community, and with this executive leadership led by Stuart Greaves.”
Reed added, “This is not the end. This is a new beginning, a fresh start. . . . I’m excited about your future. I’m excited about your present. The Bible says we’re washed by the water of the Word. So, I’m not here tonight to set anything straight. I’m here tonight for you, to encourage you, to edify you, to build you up, because I know there’s more ahead of you than that’s behind you.”
Reed encouraged people not to become disillusioned with “everything that’s being said all over the news” but to fix their “eyes on the hope.” He then preached about Lot’s wife and encouraged people not to “look back” like she did and turned into a pillar of salt.
“God’s about to bury what’s chasing this ministry, chasing this movement,” Reed said. “What you feel is on your tail, God is about to come through for you—for you! You let matters be taken care of. You focus on keeping that hope.”
Julie Roys is a veteran investigative reporter and founder of The Roys Report. She also previously hosted a national talk show on the Moody Radio Network, called Up for Debate, and has worked as a TV reporter for a CBS affiliate. Her articles have appeared in numerous periodicals.
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15 Responses
Show of hands — who here is surprised?
This is just dripping with self-preservation within the Good Old Boy Network. How any congregants are willing to show up each week is beyond me.
yup….these immoral clowns can ALWAYS be trusted, to provide “prima facie” evidence, against their “Movement”; it’s almost comical: congregants of IHOP, what? “Devastated/shocked” that (yet) ANOTHER “charismatic” idol has put his “foot” in it? And, why is Bickle being so evasive.defensive? The Pent/Charis folks are the EASIEST to maneuver at times like this; just, 1. cry; 2. beg forgiveness, 3. take a 6month sabbatical, to “reconnect with the Lord”, and you are good to go!! “back in the pulpit-saddle” with NO questions asked….
Yep, the crying is key with these guys. But, are they crying in genuine remorse over what they have done? Or are they crying because they got caught and their grift is being threatened. Grifters got to grift.
It worked for Jimmy Swaggart.
‘”He then preached about Lot’s wife and encouraged people not to “look back” like she did and turned into a pillar of salt.’
Wow. Problematic reference used to warn people. I recall that Lot, whose behavior was horrendous (offering his daughters up to be raped by the crowd, later being drunk and having children by them–their fault, of course, as the story goes…). And yet it is Lot’s wife who is fatally disciplined. No surprise. I never understood this story when in, but I get it now.
Bickle’s behavior should not be looked into lest you too be guilty of “looking back”. Good grief. Seriously???
Many of us know this playbook by narcissistic leaders and their defenders all too well. -Thank you again, Julie Roys.
It should be noted that Chris Reed is “joined at the hip” with Rick Joyner in “Morningstar Ministries”; Reed is Joyner’s assistant and apparent successor. Shortly after the described meeting with Bickle, Reed, and Spin Doctor Supreme Volz, Rick Joyner produced a video defending Mr. Bickle.
As most will recall, Mr. Joyner stated he didn’t know everything about Mr. Bickle’s predicament, but he was quite confident that everything would turn out to be, and I quote, a “nothingburger”!
I’m beginning to wonder if we are learning the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth from Bickle, Morningstar, Charisma media, et.al. . . .
I watched Eric Volz being introduced last week and was hopeful. He sounded impartial and honest. Now learning all of that I understand why Jane Doe does not want to be a part of that investigation. Sadly I have to conclude that Eric Volz must go, the whole leadership at ihopkc must go including Pastor Isaac. But at the end IHOP is in its last days as it is constructed. Financially they can’t last. Still really disappointed how the lack of reaction from the prominent leaders within the Pentecostal charismatic community.
Pentecostal/Charismatic leaders always stick together and NEVER advocate accountability for their disgraced leaders. And even once a pastor within their group is exposed and has to step down they allow him/her to pop back up somewhere else in a few months like nothing ever happened and claiming they have went through counselling and have been “restored.” Then someone like Michael Brown will run interference for them and do damage control. Todd Bentley has done this 2 or 3 times. Driscoll has done it. Brian Houston and Carl Lentz are about ready to do it. The NAR movement will welcome Bickle back in a few months with open arms and he can schmooze around with Bill Johnson and Rick Joyner like nothing ever happened.
Sounds like Francis Chan is shocked over Bickle not coming out to speak to him more than the sexual allegations.
I would add that Chan is not in any way a good guy either. He stayed on the board of Gospel for Asia as it became clearer and clearer it and KP Yohannan are a BILLION dollar fraud. Chan is on the side of charlatans and grifters, as proved by that staying with them even as they agreed to a huge out of court settlement for fraud. Nonetheless the fact that Bickle refused to meet with someone this questionable just speaks to how far out of the ballpark he is. And Reed’s sermon is just a pile as high as heaven itself. It just speaks volumes to these groups refusing accountability as they, like KP, tell their followers to bury their heads in the sand. There ain’t no Jesus in any of this. Jesus Christ is not like this…
I would not say Chan is a bad guy. He’s not I would just say generally see speaking don’t commit too much if you know you can’t. You can’t be board members of so many organizations
The problem with Chan, and this is true of almost every person I’ve met in the charismatic movement, is that he has zero discernment. Anyone with any discernment whatsoever should have been able to spot Bickle as a liar and a wolf is sheep’s clothing. Just listen to some of his sermons/fake trips to heaven stories/talks about prophetic gifts, and it’s obvious this guy is not a solid bible teacher/leader.
Without knowing these men, I do have serious concern with the level of discernment being exhibited. Why are Christian leaders in the aforementioned article not seeing the serious nature of associating with Benny Hinn, for example.
Sam Storms is one of the most reliable, humble, serious servants of God to come along in the evangelical world for a long time. He would not have spoken publicly, and probably not even approached Bickle, if it had not been credible. It appears that Bickle is going to refuse to come clean. That is so sad.
The one person who could have capped all this damage and subsequent, ongoing media frenzy was not the spiritual giant everyone supposed him to be, but the coward who chose to hide, to protect himself. It is never easy to admit one’s sins and to apologize to those hurt. But it is necessary in order to be forgiven and to allow the victim or sinned against to forgive and have closure. An impersonal and letter of supposed confession will not do. More is owed to the community who served you and you were supposed to shepherd.
Bickle’s true colors are revealed day by day as he delays accountability for his actions to those he has harmed. He needs to find a way, if he is repentant at all, to admit and apologize directly to his victims, leadership, congregation, and now because of his “hiding” and growing scandal – the community at large.
Years ago, he was the center of a major scandal in KCMO. Maybe that was a warning that many failed to consider.