EGN NEWS DESK
(CP) International House of Prayer Kansas City continues to unravel amid founder Mike Bickle’s intercourse scandal as its Forerunner Church held a closing service within the fellowship of about 1,000 worshippers Sunday, leaving some in tears.
The closing service, streamed on YouTube, follows a press release from the ministry to The Christian Post in April that it could shutter some points of the operations this yr, together with its faculty of ministry.
“Today as we’re celebrating the shut of Forerunner Church, it is not something that we anticipated to do,” Senior Pastor Isaac Bennett instructed the congregation. “It’s not something that we have been planning a yr in the past, like, ‘Hey, we bought this wild thought, let’s shut down Forerunner Church.'”
Bennett insisted that regardless that they did not plan on closing the church, “we imagine that it must occur.”
“It must occur in order that we are able to transfer ahead with a brand new begin. And this can mark the recent begin for a lot of people and many various areas of our neighborhood. Some will regather right here, others the Lord goes to reassign to varied communities and ministries, and we would like you to know that we bless you,” Bennett mentioned.
Bennett clarified that IHOPKC’s flagship ministry, the 24/7 Prayer Room, will proceed to function over the summer time.
“And those who actually really feel a way of the Lord drawing them, transferring them to a different state or transferring them to a different nation, we would like you to know that we bless you and we ship you with the grace and the love of this home and asking the Lord to prosper you,” he added to a smattering of applause.
Citing a leaked recording from leaders at an inner IHOP University workers assembly and an electronic mail from IHOP University President Matt Candler, The Roys Report reported in April that IHOPKC was within the means of shuttering for good because of the monetary affect of Bickle’s sexual abuse scandal.
IHOPKC completely lower ties with Bickle final December.
In its assertion to CP, IHOPKC insisted that the ministry intends to proceed however will section out sure components of the ministry.
“We are NOT closing the 24/7 prayer room; it stays a most important keep of our existence. We do intend to assessment the performance of assorted operational areas and can seemingly consolidate a number of. We have additionally determined to conclude the operation of IHOPU, our ministry faculty, after this yr’s commencement,” the ministry mentioned.
Officials with the ministry additionally appeared to disclaim claims that they’re looking for to flee legal responsibility linked to the allegations of sexual abuse in opposition to Bickle.
“We have supported and can proceed to assist any and all victims of abuse, sexual or in any other case, whether or not right here inside IHOPKC, or anyplace locally. To be clear, there have been no lawsuits filed in opposition to IHOPKC; the allegations of prior misconduct pertained to a person, not our group,” the ministry mentioned.
“As we search to create a ‘bettered’ model of IHOPKC, we might shut some home windows of our mission whereas opening others, however as soon as once more, IHOPKC is NOT closing,” officers added.
In the leaked recordings cited by The Roys Report, leaders of IHOPKC, together with Candler, revealed that the ministry was dropping some $500,000 monthly due to the Bickle scandal.
“IHOPKC as a company is starting to wind down,” Candler mentioned. “We’re going to be sustaining our prayer room and finally starting a brand new group.”
In the assembly, Bennett mentioned lawsuits from the victims alleging sexual abuse and misconduct by Bickle introduced the ministry with “important liabilities.”
“We’re the folks to sue on the finish of the day,” he mentioned. “That produces important liabilities.”
Boz Tchividjian, Billy Graham’s grandson, an lawyer and longtime advocate of sexual abuse survivors who’s representing considered one of Bickle’s alleged victims, mentioned if IHOPKC leaders imagine the ministry can simply shutter, then re-emerge as a rebranded group to flee legal responsibility, they’re residing in “fantasyland.”
© The Christian Post
