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International House of Prayer

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For the Christian denomination in the conservative holiness movement, see House of Prayer (denomination).
For the California-based restaurant chain, see IHOP.
International House of Prayer
International House of Prayer
The International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri
LocationKansas City and Grandview, Missouri
CountryUnited States
DenominationNon-denominational
ChurchmanshipEvangelical Charismatic
MembershipOver 2,000
Websitewww.ihopkc.org
History
FoundedMay 7, 1999 (1999-05-07)
Founder(s)Mike Bickle

The International House of Prayer, Kansas City (IHOPKC), is a Charismatic evangelical Christian movement and missions organization, based in Kansas City, Missouri, and the nearby suburb of Grandview, that focuses on the inerrancy of scripture, and biblical prayer with worship.[1]

It is best known for the Global Prayer Room, which has run continuously with live worship teams since September 19, 1999, and simultaneously broadcasts via its website and YouTube channel. Doctrinally, IHOPKC is evangelical and Charismatic, and affirms historic premillennialism.[2] IHOPKC places great importance on the practices of Bible study, prayer, worship, fasting, and works of justice.[3][4][5]

Overview

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History

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The International House of Prayer of Kansas City (IHOPKC) was founded by Mike Bickle on May 7, 1999. The organization began in a small building off Grandview Road in Kansas City, Missouri, as a prayer room dedicated to worshiping Jesus night and day. Since that time, IHOPKC has grown and spread into several different locations throughout south Kansas City and Grandview, Missouri. As of November 2010, the church had over 1,000 staff and a student body of another 1,000 individuals.[6]

On September 14, 2010, the International House of Pancakes announced that it was suing the International House of Prayer for trademark dilution and infringement.[7] The lawsuit was dropped on December 21, 2010, with the dispute resolved out of court,[8] and the International House of Prayer began abbreviating itself as IHOPKC.

Prayer Format

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IHOPKC is best known for its prayer meetings, based on its "harp and bowl" worship model, which have been held 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, since September 19, 1999.[9] These meetings, streamed live on the internet and through GOD TV,[10] alternate regularly between music and prayer in two-hour sets through all hours of the day and night.[11] The 24/7 meetings are held at IHOPKC's Global Prayer Room in Grandview.

Teaching

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IHOPKC staff regularly teach on themes that include prayer, worship, the Great Commandment, the Great Commission, eschatology, and understanding God's spiritual purposes for Israel, along with spiritual gifts, nazirite consecration, and various other Charismatic themes.[6][10]

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IHOPKC has provided advice and financial support to the anti-trafficking organization Exodus Cry, listing it as a "related tax-exempt organization" on their 2018 tax filings.[12]

International House of Prayer University

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The International House of Prayer University is an unaccredited Bible college with a campus at Grandview, Missouri. As of 2010, there were 1,000 full-time students enrolled. The educational process centers on prayer.[6]

In 2010 the school invested $6 million to renovate part of a strip mall in Grandview for use as a new campus.[13]

Controversies

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Ernie Gruen controversy

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In early 1990, 9 years before he founded IHOPKC, Mike Bickle – along with the church he then pastored, Kansas City Fellowship – was highly criticized by Kansas City pastor Ernie Gruen in sermons and a well-circulated 130-page document titled "Documentation of the Aberrant Practices and Teachings of Kansas City Fellowship". In the sermons and document, Gruen criticized Bickle's teachings on eschatology and documented alleged cases of manipulative uses of prophecy at the Kansas City Fellowship. In 1993 Gruen and Bickle released a joint statement declaring that the conflict was resolved.[14]

Trademark infringement

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The International House of Prayer was one of the seven defendants named in a lawsuit filed in September 2010 by IHOP, the Glendale, California-based restaurant chain, alleging trademark dilution and infringement.[15] The restaurant dropped the lawsuit in December 2010,[7][16] with the dispute settled out of court,[8] and the International House of Prayer began styling itself as IHOPKC.

Death of Bethany Deaton

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On October 30, 2012, former IHOPKC intern Bethany Leidlein Deaton was found dead in an apparent suicide.[17] Days later, IHOPU student Micah Moore came forward to Grandview police, and was subsequently charged with Deaton's murder.[18] In statements to police, Moore stated that he was part of a religious group with Bethany and her husband, Tyler Deaton.[19] Moore also stated, while in custody, that Tyler Deaton had used his apparent influence over the group to initiate homosexual experiences with several male members of their social–religious circle, primarily with Moore himself. He explained that he and Deaton were involved in a sexual relationship, but justified it under “religious experiences”.[20] It was allegedly through the coercion of this relationship that Moore claimed that group leader (and IHOPU graduate) Deaton ordered his wife's murder, to prevent her from telling her therapist about sexual assaults from other men (Tyler excluded) within the group.[21] While IHOPKC materials and website listed Tyler Deaton as a division coordinator for IHOPKC friendship groups until five days after Bethany's death, IHOPKC officials said that Tyler's group was not connected to IHOPKC or known about by IHOPKC leadership.[22][23][24] Melanie Morgan, one of Moore's lawyers, said in early December 2012: "The facts suggest Bethany Deaton’s death was an unfortunate suicide and Micah Moore had nothing to do with that suicide."[25]

On October 31, 2014, the Jackson County, Missouri, prosecutor dismissed murder charges against Moore.[26]

God Loves Uganda documentary

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The 2013 documentary film God Loves Uganda suggests that North American evangelicals in general, and IHOPKC specifically, were responsible for Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill.[27]

Mike Bickle controversy

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On October 28, 2023, news broke that IHOPKC head pastor Mike Bickle faced allegations of sexual abuse from several women over a span of decades.[28][29][30] The next day, the International House of Prayer announced that Bickle had been placed on sabbatical from all public ministry, pending investigation. IHOPKC subsequently contracted with Stinson LLP to conduct the investigation.[31][32][33] Following a viral petition for IHOPKC to choose GRACE to lead the investigation, the church broke its contract with Stinson LLP and chose a local Kansas City law firm to lead the investigation.[34]

On December 10, 2023, IHOPKC announced that it had hired a new third-party firm that it said would be independent and impartial in its investigation of claims against Bickle.[35] IHOPKC also announced that it had hired Eric Volz, managing director of The David House Agency, to be its official spokesperson. Volz had made international headlines as a result of his wrongful imprisonment in 2006.

On December 22, 2023, IHOPKC announced that the internal investigation confirmed that Bickle had engaged in "inappropriate behavior" of a nature that required IHOPKC to "immediately, formally, and permanently" sever ties with him.[36]

On February 7, 2024, The Kansas City Star published a firsthand account of Mike Bickle's grooming and sexual abuse of Tammy Woods in the 1980s beginning when Woods was 14 years of age and Bickle was in his mid-20s. The article details Woods' experiences, reason for not reporting until 2024, corroborating testimony from Woods' family and a close friend, and Bickle's attempt to communicate with Woods after the initial allegations were made known in 2023.[37]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bradley, Donald (July 26, 2009). "Entreaties never stop at the International House of Prayer". Kansas City Star. Kansas City, MO. pp. A1. Archived from the original on November 27, 2001. Retrieved January 8, 2010.
  2. ^ "Statement of Faith – About IHOPKC". International House of Prayer of Kansas City. Archived from the original on 19 January 2015. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  3. ^ "About the International House of Prayer – About IHOPKC". International House of Prayer of Kansas City. Archived from the original on 2017-09-23. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
  4. ^ "24/7 Works of Justice – About IHOPKC". International House of Prayer of Kansas City. Archived from the original on 2017-09-20. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
  5. ^ "About – Exodus Cry". Exodus Cry. Archived from the original on 2023-02-27. Retrieved 2017-09-22.
  6. ^ a b c Yoars, Marcus (1 November 2010). "We Won't Stop Praying". Charisma. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  7. ^ a b Lateef Mungin, September 16, 2010, CNN. Pancake house takes on prayer group Archived 2012-11-10 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ a b Glendale News–Press, December 29, 2010 Pancake versus prayer dropped Archived 2011-07-25 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Where Worship Never Pauses". www.nytimes.com. Archived from the original on 11 December 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  10. ^ a b "This IHOP serves generous portions of prayer". Reading Eagle. Reading, Pennsylvania. McClatchy-Tribune. 8 August 2009. Archived from the original on 15 July 2011. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  11. ^ Gaines, Adrienne. "Ministry marks 20 years of nonstop prayer and worship". Charisma. Archived from the original on 17 May 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  12. ^ Hitt, Tarpley (2020-10-17). "The Shady Evangelical Group With Trump Ties Waging War on Pornhub". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 2021-02-20. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  13. ^ Wood, Andrea, 17 August 2010 http://www.jcadvocate.com/2010/08/ihop-university-opens-at-former.html Archived 2014-04-13 at the Wayback Machine Jackson County Advocate.
  14. ^ "Ernie Gruen and Mike Bickle's Joint Statement from 1993". Press Center. 2018-01-26. Archived from the original on 2018-12-09. Retrieved 2018-12-07.
  15. ^ "IHOP (the pancake-maker) sues IHOP (the prayer center) over trademark". Archived from the original on 18 September 2010. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
  16. ^ "IHOP drops suit against church over use of IHOP acronym". LATimes. Archived from the original on June 21, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2010.
  17. ^ International House of Prayer distances itself from murder victim's husband, Tyler Deaton Archived 2013-06-06 at the Wayback Machine. kshb.com.
  18. ^ Bethany Deaton Suicide Now Considered A Murder; Police Arrest Micah Moore Archived 2016-03-31 at the Wayback Machine. Huffington Post.
  19. ^ Allegations: Religious ‘Sexual Community’ Leads to Woman’s Murder Archived 2013-05-08 at the Wayback Machine. WDAF TV – FOX 4. fox4kc.com.
  20. ^ Michelle Garcia (20 November 2012). "Police say ex-gay leader of cult prayer group conspired to kill wife"". The Advocate. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  21. ^ Secrets of Tyler Deaton's prayer group emerge Archived 2012-12-05 at the Wayback Machine. KansasCity.com.
  22. ^ Prayer group leader whose wife was murdered has Texas roots Archived 2020-09-20 at the Wayback Machine. Houston Chronicle.
  23. ^ Tyler Deaton’s role at the International House of Prayer becomes clearer Archived 2012-11-19 at the Wayback Machine. KansasCity.com.
  24. ^ Regarding the Death of Bethany Deaton Archived 2013-05-19 at the Wayback Machine | International House of Prayer University.
  25. ^ "Disputed Murder Confession Casts a Spotlight on a Missouri Sect". The New York Times. 6 December 2012. Archived from the original on 20 September 2017. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  26. ^ Webster, Betsy. "Prosecutors dismiss charges against man in cult murder case". KCTV5. Archived from the original on 2015-02-14. Retrieved 2015-01-19.
  27. ^ Montgomery, Peter (2014). "In Response To Uganda Documentary, IHOP Says It's 'Not Involved' in Politics | Right Wing Watch". rightwingwatch.org. Archived from the original on 22 May 2014. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  28. ^ Gibson, Carl (2023-10-30). "Far-right Evangelical leader accused of 'serious allegations spanning several decades". MSN.
  29. ^ Thomas, Judy (28 October 2023). "International House of Prayer-Kansas City's founder faces allegations of misconduct". Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  30. ^ Smietana, Bob (29 November 2023). "Mike Bickle, leader of IHOP movement, accused of sexual abuse". Religion News Service. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  31. ^ Statement by the IHOPKC Leadership Team Regarding Allegations Against Mike Bickle (Speech). Kansas City, Missouri: International House of Prayer. November 13, 2023.
  32. ^ Hopkins, Rebecca (6 November 2023). "International House of Prayer Announces Independent Investigation, But Victims & Advocates Remain Wary". The Roys Report. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  33. ^ Martin, Stephanie (9 November 2023). "Church Members and Abuse Advocates Urge IHOPKC To 'Investigate With Integrity'". Church Leaders. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  34. ^ Flener, Matt (10 November 2023). "International House of Prayer hires new law firm after calls for third-party investigation". KMBC News. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  35. ^ Thomas, Judy (December 11, 2023). "IHOPKC says new firm will assure impartial investigation into sexual misconduct claims".
  36. ^ Judy Thomas (December 23, 2023). "IHOPKC confirms 'inappropriate behavior,' announces permanent split with Bickle". The Kansas City Star.
  37. ^ Judy Thomas (February 8, 2024). "Woman says IHOPKC founder groomed, sexually abused her when she was 14 in the 1980s". The Kansas City Star.
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