IHOP-KC founder Mike Bickle should be disqualified from church leadership, pastoral recommendation team says

Mike Bickle, the founder of International House of Prayer-Kansas City, should not be allowed to return to church leadership, according to a report issued last week by a pastoral recommendation team tasked with reviewing the findings of an investigation into sexual abuse and coverup allegations.

Bickle “has disregarded, disobeyed and violated scripture concerning walking in purity, being faithful to his marriage and faithfully executing his high call to ministry and leadership” and “has repeatedly walked in blatant immorality, participated in ongoing patterns of unrepentant sinful behavior and chosen to disregard — for over five decades — all warnings from scripture,” the report said.

The report concluded that “we believe that, according to Paul’s warning in 1 Corinthians 9:27, he should be considered as having ‘permanently disqualified’ himself from leadership as this scripture describes, having failed to live in a manner commensurate with the gospel message, the expectation of godly character and the authority he received at the time of his ordination, which was to be used to protect and serve the flock of God (I Tim. 3:1-7 and Acts 20:28).”

If Bickle were to be welcomed into fellowship in a local church, it said, he should be allowed to serve only in non-leadership roles. Those roles must be on a volunteer basis, in a nonpublic position and “somewhere other than IHOP-KC and its affiliates.” The roles may not include speaking or teaching publicly or privately; platform ministry; public or private leadership of people or any place of influence.

The new report also addressed the issue of IHOP-KC staffers and leaders who covered up the abuse.

“Leaders used their positions of authority to preserve their leader, Mike Bickle, and their organization, IHOP-KC, rather than protect those who encountered unwanted sexual behavior, sexual abuse, spiritual abuse and emotional abuse,” it said.

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In many cases, it said, the allegations should have been reported to legal authorities, “and in all cases, these allegations should have led to immediate action by leadership to protect the vulnerable and diligently pursue the truth and biblical justice.”

-Lee Hartman | Metro Voice                  Photo: IHOP-KC