An internationally-known Christian leader in the US is laying ministry aside as he acknowledges moral failures from more than twenty years ago. International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC) founder Mike Bickle made his confession in a statement Tuesday. The acknowledgement comes more than a month after the church acknowledged accusations of “sexual immorality” against Bickle had “some credibility.”“With a very heavy heart I want to express how deeply grieved I am that my past sins have led to so much pain, confusion and division in the body of Christ in this hour. I sadly admit that 20+ years ago, I sinned by engaging in inappropriate behavior — my moral failures were real,” Bickle said in a statement published on his Facebook page Tuesday.“I am not admitting to the more intense sexual activities that some are suggesting.”A woman identified as Jane Doe in The Roys Report alleged that for approximately three years, from 1996 to 1999, Bickle paid for her apartment, gave her a key to his office and engaged in every sexual act with her except copulation. She said Bickle wooed her when she was 19 and he was 42.In October, IHOPKC founding member Dwayne Roberts, former IHOPKC Executive Leadership Team member Brian Kim and former Forerunner Church Pastor Wes Martin revealed in a joint statement they confronted IHOPKC leaders about allegations against Bickle spanning "several decades."“The allegations seemed out of character to the man we thought we knew, but they were so serious we could not ignore them,” they wrote.They said they first tried to discuss the allegations with Bickle directly, but he refused. They claimed Bickle also attempted to intimidate, discredit, isolate and manipulate his alleged victims.In its Report on Initial Findings, the IHOPKC executive leadership team said they treated the accusations as credible and asked him to step away from public ministry on October 24, when they were first confronted with the allegations.The IHOPKC leaders also noted they identified five of some eight women alleged to be Bickle’s victims and found the evidence thin. Three of the alleged victims even called the allegations "lies." One of the alleged victims refused to communicate with the attorneys for the ministry. But Jane Doe was found credible.Bickle said in his statement he had changed his ways and repented long ago.“I hate my sin and I see it as serious and grievous before a holy God. I take all sin seriously, so on those occasions I quickly and sincerely repented in a way that resulted in receiving assurance from God followed by a daily resolve to live holy in all of my ways. God graciously helped me to respond in those times with a broken and contrite heart that was filled with godly sorrow,” Bickle wrote.“To this day, I remain sorrowful about those past failures. I am anguished that my past sins have caused great pain for my wife and family along with the IHOPKC family, and others. I am deeply sorry that my sin put the IHOPKC leadership and community in a very painful and difficult position. I asked my family for forgiveness. I now ask for forgiveness from the IHOPKC family and many in the body of Christ.”Bickle also explained why this public statement had waited more than twenty years.“It is because I was recently confronted about things that I said or did 20+ years ago — things I believed were dealt with and under the blood of Jesus. Since this has now become public, I want to repent publicly,” Bickle continued.Bickle said he had composed this confession October 28, but had been “given legal advice to wait to make my statement public for several important reasons — including creating the misunderstanding I was confessing to the false allegations that were circulating.”“I am very sorry that it took so long for this personal statement to come out. This delay created additional pain, anguish, division and more for so many people that I love. I am deeply sorry for this,” he said.Bickle is married and has two married sons and six grandchildren. He has authored many books and founded full-time ministry, music and media schools at IHOP University. However, he said he won't minister publicly anytime soon.
An internationally-known Christian leader in the US is laying ministry aside as he acknowledges moral failures from more than twenty years ago. International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC) founder Mike Bickle made his confession in a statement Tuesday. The acknowledgement comes more than a month after the church acknowledged accusations of “sexual immorality” against Bickle had “some credibility.”“With a very heavy heart I want to express how deeply grieved I am that my past sins have led to so much pain, confusion and division in the body of Christ in this hour. I sadly admit that 20+ years ago, I sinned by engaging in inappropriate behavior — my moral failures were real,” Bickle said in a statement published on his Facebook page Tuesday.“I am not admitting to the more intense sexual activities that some are suggesting.”A woman identified as Jane Doe in The Roys Report alleged that for approximately three years, from 1996 to 1999, Bickle paid for her apartment, gave her a key to his office and engaged in every sexual act with her except copulation. She said Bickle wooed her when she was 19 and he was 42.In October, IHOPKC founding member Dwayne Roberts, former IHOPKC Executive Leadership Team member Brian Kim and former Forerunner Church Pastor Wes Martin revealed in a joint statement they confronted IHOPKC leaders about allegations against Bickle spanning "several decades."“The allegations seemed out of character to the man we thought we knew, but they were so serious we could not ignore them,” they wrote.They said they first tried to discuss the allegations with Bickle directly, but he refused. They claimed Bickle also attempted to intimidate, discredit, isolate and manipulate his alleged victims.In its Report on Initial Findings, the IHOPKC executive leadership team said they treated the accusations as credible and asked him to step away from public ministry on October 24, when they were first confronted with the allegations.The IHOPKC leaders also noted they identified five of some eight women alleged to be Bickle’s victims and found the evidence thin. Three of the alleged victims even called the allegations "lies." One of the alleged victims refused to communicate with the attorneys for the ministry. But Jane Doe was found credible.Bickle said in his statement he had changed his ways and repented long ago.“I hate my sin and I see it as serious and grievous before a holy God. I take all sin seriously, so on those occasions I quickly and sincerely repented in a way that resulted in receiving assurance from God followed by a daily resolve to live holy in all of my ways. God graciously helped me to respond in those times with a broken and contrite heart that was filled with godly sorrow,” Bickle wrote.“To this day, I remain sorrowful about those past failures. I am anguished that my past sins have caused great pain for my wife and family along with the IHOPKC family, and others. I am deeply sorry that my sin put the IHOPKC leadership and community in a very painful and difficult position. I asked my family for forgiveness. I now ask for forgiveness from the IHOPKC family and many in the body of Christ.”Bickle also explained why this public statement had waited more than twenty years.“It is because I was recently confronted about things that I said or did 20+ years ago — things I believed were dealt with and under the blood of Jesus. Since this has now become public, I want to repent publicly,” Bickle continued.Bickle said he had composed this confession October 28, but had been “given legal advice to wait to make my statement public for several important reasons — including creating the misunderstanding I was confessing to the false allegations that were circulating.”“I am very sorry that it took so long for this personal statement to come out. This delay created additional pain, anguish, division and more for so many people that I love. I am deeply sorry for this,” he said.Bickle is married and has two married sons and six grandchildren. He has authored many books and founded full-time ministry, music and media schools at IHOP University. However, he said he won't minister publicly anytime soon.
