The founder of the International House of Prayer is facing allegations of sexual misconduct.

Church leaders report that Mike Bickle, the founder of the International House of Prayer, is facing allegations of sexual misconduct that go back several decades.

For around 15 years, his church has been hosting continuous prayer and worship, and millions worldwide watch a live stream of its praise music.  Bickle also led a group called the Kansas City Prophets, which went on international mission trips in the early 1990s.

Three former members of the Kansas City IHOP wrote a statement about allegations against its founder, Mike Bickle. The allegations against Mike Bickle for clergy sexual abuse are considered credible and have been ongoing for a long time. The victims’ identities are protected with privacy measures. The collective testimony of multiple victims supports the credibility of these allegations.

It continues: “When these allegations were brought to our attention, we were shocked. We could never have imagined inappropriate conduct with women as something we would ever need to be concerned about. The allegations seemed out of character to the man we thought we knew, but they were so serious we could not ignore them.”

The statement details that the allegations were “sexual” and involved incidents where “the marriage covenant was not honored” without providing specific details. ” It suggests that, in their view, Mike Bickle used his spiritual authority over the victims to manipulate them.

The statement urges members of the IHOP community not to speculate about naming those who have come forward, but it affirms that they are women who have always been seen as credible, trustworthy, and courageous.

The victims shared their experiences for truth, forgiveness, and grace, not to punish Mike Bickle or gain anything.

After the news broke, Isaac Bennett, David Sliker, and Stuart Graves spoke to the community at Forerunner Church.

They reassured those present that IHOP had implemented systems to address the needs of those affected or suffering trauma and provide pastoral support. 

They assured those present that they allowed and welcomed questions, but some might not be answered until the appropriate time.  They declined to discuss the nature of the allegations, stating they would provide a response when they had all the necessary information.

This prompted an outburst from former IHOPKC leader Dean Briggs, who resigned from the leadership team last month. After listening to the announcement, he stood up and shouted, “I do not consider this an acceptable level of transparency.” He then used an expletive to imply the leader’s comments amounted to well-intentioned ‘rubbish.’  The video captured him standing up and shouting, “I do not consider this an acceptable level of transparency.” Another person in the audience seconded his statement with a shout.

Briggs persisted with his objection, stating, “There is additional information to be shared… and I believe you need to address this differently with the proper transparency, or this will not be a trustworthy process.“  Witnesses say Briggs then walked out of the gathering.

Mike Bickle denies the allegations. It’s reported that he preached on the issue of false allegations just last week.