IHOPKC releases report regarding ‘sexual immorality’ claims against founder

GRANDVIEW, Mo. (KCTV) - An internationally recognized faith organization, based in Grandview, said it is too soon for it to hire a third party to investigate claims against its founder.

The decision is included in what International House of Prayer Kansas City calls the “initial report” into the claims that surfaced last month against founder Mike Bickle. The church released the report on Nov. 16.

Members of IHOPKC’s leadership team said they met with a group of men in late October. The report refers to the men as the “Complaint Group.”

During the meeting the Complaint Group presented IHOPKC’s leadership team with allegations made by eight women. The church said it has since identified five of the eight women who made the claims about “immoral relationships” involving Bickle.

ALSO READ: ESPN to air documentary centered around infamous superfan Chiefsaholic

The leadership team released the following information about the alleged victims included in the report:

• Alleged Victim 1
  • According to the Complaint Group this victim claims Bickle “emotionally pursued and ‘prophetically manipulated’ her. The relationship happened more than 25 years ago, prior to IHOPKC’s founding. The relationship was not sexual, according to the information IHOPKC said it received.
• Alleged Victim 2
  • IHOPKC said it was able to at least partially confirm this victim’s claims against Bickle. The allegation is form 26 years ago, also before IHOPKC was founded. The allegations include physical contact between Bickle and the alleged victim. While it is also insinuated that a crime was involved in the relationship, IHOPKC said it has not been able to confirm that claim.
• Alleged Victim 3
  • The information IHOPKC provided shows this victim claimed Bickle pursued her emotionally and by “prophetic manipulation” from 2013-2018. The woman then issued a public statement on Nov. 2, 2023, that she was not a victim of Bickle’s.
• Alleged Victim 4
  • While the Complaint Group included this woman as a victim of Bickle’s she refuted the claims. She also said she did not want to be contacted about the issue again, according to IHOPKC.
• Alleged Victim 5
  • This woman also refuted claims that she had been sexually and spiritually abused by Bickle. IHOPKC said its attorney spoke to the woman and she continued to deny any misconduct by Bickle.
• Alleged Victim 6
  • IHOPKC’s leadership said a woman emailed after hearing that her name was being used in the allegations against Bickle. She allegedly said that all rumors involving her and Bickle were not true and denied any form of abuse or inappropriate relationship.

IHOPKC stated in the report that during the investigation “it became apparent that the Complaint Group did not have permission to include at least four of the women in their list of alleged victims.”

ALSO READ: Blue Springs woman warns of Facebook scam stealing video calls

The leadership is asking the Complaint Group, who brought the allegations to them in the first place, to help locate the other two women and help with the investigation into Bickle.

IHOPKC’s leaders said they hired outside legal experts for guidance on how to handle an investigation into the claims against Bickle.

Church leaders said that upon further review, the initial information provided in October “does not include any actual evidence.” There are no statements or documentation from the alleged victims.

In addition to the claims against Bickle, IHOPKC’s leadership said in the report that it was also concerned that the group of men who brought the allegations to the church’s attention also had a list of demands they wanted IHOPKC to meet.

The demands included dictating the use of IHOPKC’s funds, according to the initial report.

ALSO READ: KCFD firefighter dies from cancer, remembered as ‘caring man, true public servant’

KCTV5 has attempted to reach members of the Complaint Group since the allegations became public in October. No one responded to the requests for interviews.

KCTV5 has also asked IHOPKC for interviews. Those requests have also not been answered.

IHOPKC said it is open to hiring a third party to investigate in the future, but said it believes it needs to first establish credible allegations against Bickle.

Bickle agreed to step away from the church, and its ministry, for the foreseeable future once the allegations against him became public. IHOPKC said he will not be involved in public ministry, attend prayer room, or be active on IHOPKC’s social media. His absence will continue until an investigation into the allegations is complete.

Copyright 2023 KCTV. All rights reserved.