2/3 To those who are embarking on a journey of the great unknown when it comes to questioning your beliefs, I have some tidbits to leave you with today:
▪️When it comes to theology, especially the finer points of theology, it’s okay that you know more of what you don’t believe
👋🏼Hey Sean…soo I don’t have a lot of hope that you’ll actually take the time to read or consider a perspective so vastly different from your own, but hopefully someone will (buckle up, it’s lengthy).
I truly do get your point, and if people actually were identifying with their
You cheapen the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary by elevating trauma, pain & victim-hood over the power of the cross.
He paid the price for it all. No matter what it was, where it was or how it was. You can be completely FREE. We’ve seen many delivered this wknd.
He is enough.
🚩🚩
@bennettisaac
@ihopkc
one colossal missed opportunity after another.
How are you to lead a service of repentance for the IHOPKC community—using lofty spiritual jargon while simultaneously sharing and boosting Fuller’s ‘Enough!’ message, the disgusting Strang interview, &
Folks, this is a result of spiritual abuse. I almost threw away my journals from that time, but I’m glad I kept them. I’d love to go back in time & tell my younger self what I know now❤️🩹
I tried so hard to please God, not realizing that my ‘spiritual authority’ had made God in
Nobody tells you how all-consuming spiritual abuse is to experience, and certainly nobody tells you how time-consuming it can be to heal from it.
For many, their world has to get very small for a while in order to feel safe again.
If that’s where you are in your journey, just
Words cannot express the anger, shock, heartbreak, and sadness we have experienced as we have learned of allegations and testimonies of sexual abuse and manipulation concerning Mike Bickle, founder of IHOPKC.
We believe that Mike Bickle sexually abused and manipulated Jane Doe
“If there are victims, I will be the first to stand with them and recommend proper accountability for all parties involved.” -
@EricVolz
Can we get a status update? Apology? Clarifications or corrections? So far I haven’t seen you standing with any victims but I’d love to see it
This Strang interview with Fuller is absolutely despicable. I cannot believe this is real life right now.
With each day that passes, it’s becoming more and more clear why GENERAL Fuller was selected for this particular position for such a time as this 🙄
1/
@EricVolz
I am still trying to figure out what I think about you, so I guess I’ll just process out loud here.
I genuinely can’t tell if you are knowingly complicit in an attempted cover up of clergy sexual misconduct & spiritual abuse on a massive scale
⚠️An example of the major pitfalls of teachings in charismania….elevating sudden spiritual outcomes over multidisciplinary processes.
Everyone loves testimonies of spontaneous cancer healings or addictions being gone in an instant.
It’s not as sparkly to talk about the process
Suddenly, you'll get saved.
Instantly, you'll get healed.
Suddenly, you'll have a breakthrough.
Instantly, you'll get delivered.
Suddenly, His provision is there.
Instantly, you'll be called by God, because suddenly is how God moves.
@7MountainsInc
@bennettisaac
Respectfully, I think you fell for what I consider to be a textbook case of spiritual bypassing. (Just my opinion)
I’ll admit, it does sound great. However, look at his most recent reposts, likes, etc. and tell me if that’s the mark of someone who has a repentant and contrite
✨Wellness check✨ for all who have been invested in the IHOPKC/Mike Bickle debacle. How are we fam?
As an outsider, this has all been a lot to process for months and counting.🤍 I will continue to stand with Jane Doe(s) & all who have been harmed in God’s name by
@ihopkc
@EricVolz
Safe space = neutral third party investigator without fiduciary responsibility to IHOP.
Idk why you think releasing this makes y’all look….better? Just seems like you found an attorney who reasons the same way IHOP does. I’d say that’s a not a safe space IMO.
Also, safe spaces
When you actually do the word math of
@bennettisaac
’s rebrand-not-rebrand announcement, it’s actually really horrific…
“The Lord is kindly inviting us into a new era…”
…of not being “the people to sue at the end of the day…”
#ihopkc
#mikebickle
I know there were a lot of interesting things to note in
@bennettisaac
’s rebrand-not-rebrand pitch, but the wildest one IMO was saying that Mike Bickle didn’t have any money😂
While he might have lost all honor, I’d be willing to bet bro’s net worth is millions upon millions.
Content warning: SA‼️
By far, I have had more clients come to therapy and end up disclosing sexual abuse for the first time YEARS after an it occurred (we’re talking 5, 20, 60+ years) than clients disclosing recent incidents.
Many therapists can attest that we’ve had clients who
@starcazm
@ErnieVanderwalt
Of course. If you are trying to prove a point about Jane, I would ask - why do you think Jane waited so long to confide in her husband? If she confided in him many years ago, why did they both wait so long to bring these allegations?
Can someone see if Rick Joyner understands the difference between restoring someone to the Lord and restoring them to public ministry?
Nothin’burger Joyner, there is already blood on your hands. We are all watching you take another lap on a very evil path.
You might consider
“We believe in restoring people. I think you’ll be seeing and hearing from Mike again.” -Rick Joyner
Gotcha.
So unrepentant ministers who held on to secrets of SA towards minors for decades get to go right back to ministry because of your personal interpretation of Galatians 6:1
@EricVolz
13/ Regardless, when this is all over for you, I believe you will have a lot of repair work to do with God, others, & yourself.
There is no shame in trying to defend who you believe to be innocent.
However, it becomes willful ignorance when the evidence keeps stacking
For us to Love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, strength, & MIND (Mt 22:37, Mk 12:30, Lk 10:27), some will undoubtedly be called not to fast in order to care for their temples & their mental/emotional/spiritual health.
I have seen too many clients who have damaged
I know this is a huge step for you as you are so close to the situation, but please understand that many who are commenting share in a common feeling that much of this apology is insufficient, platitudinous, vague, and/or tone-deaf considering your recent tendency to take on
My heart is breaking for the broken.
Oh God, have mercy and forgive us for our sins and the sins of our fathers. I ask healing and restoration for all the afflicted and mercy on all who have come short.
Tammy and Jane Does, I am so sorry for what you’ve been through. The pain
🃏Time will tell if this is merely another image management stunt or if it will lead to actionable change and accountability.
As we wait, don’t forget that Bickle separating himself & creating a “firewall” between himself and IHOPKC was set in motion years ago in the event he
Words cannot express the anger, shock, heartbreak, and sadness we have experienced as we have learned of allegations and testimonies of sexual abuse and manipulation concerning Mike Bickle, founder of IHOPKC.
We believe that Mike Bickle sexually abused and manipulated Jane Doe
‼️LONG read 1/2‼️
For the record, I’m ALL about a repentance message. I also think it’s okay if we have different takeaways from
@bennettisaac
’s message at
@IHOPKC
yesterday. For those of you just following along, Bennett gave an exhortation to congregants about repentance, &
@EricVolz
@reachjulieroys
@ihopkc
Hi 👋🏼 narcissistic abuse therapist here.
@EricVolz
you seem to be super familiar with baiting and shifting tactics! Bonus points for the stonewalling afterwards. You sure are scoring off the charts this week my guy!!!!!🥇🏆
🚨🚨If you watch nothing else about all the IHOPKC stuff, please at some point watch this starting at about the 1hr mark until the end🚨🚨
“The Black Horse: Zechariah 3-4 unto Isaiah 19 and John 17”
@bennettisaac
this is your testimony. These are your
😧This really does give us a window into the mental state of those who are on track to hang around until the bitter end and even after, when Bickle rebrands and rebuilds himself, so long as he’s a free man.
It also really demonstrates the kind of buy-in, loyalty, & groupthink it
Watch Matt Candler confuse a millstone with a loaf of bread and then jump into the ocean of his own years.
When will IHOPKC leaders center the experience and needs of victims?
#ihopkctoo
#MikeBickle
#clergyabuse
#ihopkc
⚠️And if he’s saying that almost 5 months before the allegations were made public that someone “very close to the main alleged Jane Doe” contacted him…that would be May-ish. JD didn’t even start telling her closest people until May, & then she didn’t even tell Allen Hood her
Parts of
@EricVolz
interview just don't make sense.
- if National leaders were turned away because of bad timing why weren't they invited back later?
- Boz had conflict of interest but their own internal lawyer didn't?
- Mike didn't have awareness of claims yet he had already
@DrMichaelLBrown
@NathanBroo33288
I’d love to know how many victims have come forward to Boz after feeling validated and empowered enough through social media to do so.
My genuine guess would be that a large percentage of victims who reached out to Boz saw the discourse online and that’s what tipped the scales.
7/ It makes me wonder…all of your blameshifting, half-truths, spinning the narrative…how much are you speaking for Eric & your own convictions, & how much are you speaking for Mike?
What do you really think God thinks at this point?
Do you genuinely care or is it for show?
2/Or if you’re just spiritually blind in your own biases—wanting to extend benefit of the doubt to IHOPKC ELT & Bickle no matter what
It’s always a lot to reconcile when we see God’s mercy, blessing, & miracles in a leader’s life & then can finally see evil hidden in plain sight
@starcazm
@Deborahthebride
Okay… I mean, this context and presentation is much different. However, can I still make some observations?
TL;DR: This was a kinder way to say it, but it’s loaded nonetheless
Here’s a ‘love sandwich’: I love that this is offering blessing and release to go…if you are feeling
8/ I have seen many IHOP/Mike supporters projecting evil onto the advocate team and the (very real) victims.
Are you no less blind & trapped in rigid, hyper-spiritualized dogmatism than they are?
Or is there so much personal gain in this that you don’t care about righteousness?
🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩🚩Are we freaking forreal with this? Bro says he’s been very careful in what he’s said about this, & yet most of us would beg to differ.
I mean sure, you’re entitled to your opinion, but you can’t have it both ways. You can’t say with your words that you’re being
3/ You’re sacrificing not only your own reputation for these men but also the reputation of your ministry/business—said to have been birthed from unimaginable agony & tragedy
It would make a mockery out of your testimony to knowingly collude with abusive leaders to cover up CSM
6/ I think I speak for many when I say—it’s happened to the best of us. Many of us are so outspoken bc we have been abused in the name of Jesus & know how deep the layers of deception can go
It can cause good people to be used as an instrument of abuse, all in God’s name.
10/I often tell my clients, “narcissists have a fall guy for everything.” A scapegoat, if you will
If you’re really as bought into Mike & IHOPKC as some others in the flock are, you’d be an easy target to take heat after shamelessly smear campaigning for a short while.
9/For days, I’ve wanted to break down each of your statements publicly, pointing out narc tactics & manipulation
However, if what I know about abusers w/ red flags for psychopathology/narcissism is true, I also can’t rule out the possibility that you were deceived & targeted
@Mntnsplease489
@realprophetguy
Honestly there is so much to unpack here lol. I have a zillion thoughts but I’ll narrow it down to a few. Love this question.
1. Betrayal blindness phenomenon for some. Some are currently unable to separate their faith from this place and the leader(s). They feel that God is
I say this from personal experience and as a trauma therapist…it takes quite a bit of time, care, & intentionality to sift through & reconcile spiritual experiences in a healthy & thorough way after years of submitting to unhealthy or narcissistic authority…there are
@Mntnsplease489
@realprophetguy
Oh also all the “father” language gives it a very weird and enmeshed vibe if ya catch my drift. Like this is DEEPLY personal so when MB suffers, they all suffer. Like yeah we feel bad for the victims and we are GUTTED at the loss of a father to sin🙄
Then pushing all the work
@EricVolz
12/ You may be a wolf in sheep’s clothing…
…Or you may just have been deceived, used, & will be discarded (possibly respectfully) soon when you are no longer useful for IHOPKC and/or Mike’s purposes
Just like Jane Doe.
There’s a lot to unpack here. Thank you
@benpanders0n
for how well you articulated these 🚩
Could we read all of this again, just one more time, and imagine being Tammy Woods?🤍
Mike didn’t release a video on January 30th. What did happen that day is that Tammy wrote her open
Just hours before Tammy Woods’ interview with the KC Star, Mike Bickle sent her this “script” that he was preparing to use in a video to be made with his wife Diane on January 30th.
🚩 He refuses contact with outside leaders but has no problem running his ideas by one of his
@EricVolz
@EricVolz
@ihopkc
@bozlawpa
does Rosalee McNamara have fiduciary responsibility to IHOPKC and/or Mike Bickle? This should be a very easy question to answer and is necessary for transparency’s sake
‼️LONG post 2/2‼️
4.Suppress dissent among current members and/or those outside. (e.g., if someone starts talking about the real crap going on, just think about the amount of IHOP defenders you’ve seen tone policing and/or jumping straight to phrases like, “None are holy before
11/
@EricVolz
I’m still trying to decide what I think about you, but these are my raw, honest thoughts as I try to extend benefit of the doubt
Even with all the benefit of the doubt, I feel I must warn you that the impact is severe
I believe you’re on the wrong side, brother(?)
TL;DR: Reflections of a recovering hypercharismatic 1/3
⬇️ See parts 2 & 3 for resources & points to consider if you are just beginning to “deconstruct” from the NAR, the Neo-charismatic movement, & other high control Christian groups
Dear (public) diary,
🚶♀️🚶♀️I’m taking a
Someone needs to get the memo to Isaac Bennett at ihopkc that the leadership team should do a deep soul searching and repentance before telling the people to repent.
#ihopkc
#MikeBickle
When Stuart Greaves’ back was pressed against a wall, he took a play out of Mike’s playbook.
It seems that weeping, fauxpologizing, & tenderly asking for forgiveness is a standard last-ditch tactic of
@ihopkc
leaders to appeal to the empathy of those they have abused & give the
Until he resigned in December, Stuart Greaves had been the
#IHOPKC
Executive Director, and, for a long time before that, the leader of the 24/7 Prayer Room's "Night Watch." But, what was it like to be Stuart's subordinate?? Find out on my new episode, out now.
@7MountainsInc
@EricVolz
@ihopkc
@mikebickle
Love to see this trauma-informed pivot & that survivors’ stories get to be theirs.
I do hope that there’s still a push for transparency from IHOPKC.
Justice doesn’t require salacious details of abuse, but acknowledgement & accountability from this powerful organization &
4/ I can’t tell if you & Mike have been scheming behind the scenes for months
Even if you have, perhaps he knew your reputation & sought you out, knowing he’d need a crisis manager
Even better if said crisis manager had a God story & genuine belief in Mike & the prayer movement
@ihopkc
@bennettisaac
This is not a blanket statement to all. I’d just like for others to be allowed to ask themselves if perhaps they are called to a different kind of fast in this season.
True Fasting—Isaiah 58
“Shout it aloud, do not hold back.
Raise your voice like a trumpet.
Declare to
5/ It’s plausible; We see how he’s been strategically & systematically grooming his followers for years, preparing them for response in his hour of betrayal & false accusations.
You said you’ve loved the prayer movement for years. Perhaps your zeal blinds your discernment
@ZionConsultTeam
@jburn
@reachjulieroys
@mistydedwards
😭 that matters. I think it’s important that, while we call for accountability and ownership, we also consider the impact that this place, this culture, and these people have had on her too.
Flipping tables is also an option🤷🏼♀️
All jokes aside, I just want all those impacted to know that there are multiple appropriate responses to something like this.
I’d imagine it could be triggering for many ex-IHOPpers to hear what their response “should” be—especially for
What is our immediate response to stories in church that shock us?
Do we shake our fists in anger and point fingers? Or do we fall into a position of surrender and plead with the Lord for His mercy and grace to help us get back on track?
#TheChurch
#IHOP
#Scandal
👇🏼this is worth watching. Thank you Matt & Beth Redman for your courage & voice.
Studies have shown that silent treatment registers as pain in the brain & body—it activates the anterior cingulate cortex, the same part of the brain that detects physical pain. Additionally, it
Today sees the release of ‘Let There Be Light’ - a documentary exploring the pattern of harmful behaviours experienced under the leadership of Mike Pilavachi, a prominent figure in the UK Church. Our hope is for this film to be something of a care-package for the hurting, at the
There’s much more to unpack here but for now, I’d just like the record to reflect that my hopes for the new leadership has been dwindling due to posts like these.
I am also aware that he has been quickly blocking people whose perspectives I believe he should at least have the
I have much to say but not enough time to make a full video at the moment.
In the meantime, I would like for all who are planning to join this corporate fast and/or have loved ones who are, please consider what a different type of fast might look like, and if you truly have the
Internal messaging from IHOPKC worship leaders is calling for a 7 day fast and labeling the scandal a distraction. Calls for prayer for “founder”.
————
@HeavenBentPod
@judylthomas
@reachjulieroys
@Mariloveslions
@kvministries
@kvministries
as someone who used to admire you, respect you, follow your teachings, and give offerings to your church, I would just like you to know…
Respectfully, this ain’t it
3/3
Growing list of resources I recommend:
Faith-based books/audiobooks:
📕The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse (Johnson & VanVonderen)
📗Something’s Not Right (Wade Mullen)
📘A Church Called Tov (McKnight & Barringer)
📙Redeeming Power: Understanding Authority & Abuse in the
@WillCab8
ALSO he did comment on IHOP’s early statements commending them for doing such a great job handling the situation 🙄 so yeah he’s part of the problem.
And I say that at someone who used to follow his teachings and gave offerings to his church.
@riddlelove
@gutgoon
Isaiah indicated that Matthew 18 didn’t work…*with you*; not that the Bible doesn’t “work.” Additionally, you’re going to call into question someone’s profession of faith as a Christian because they said Matthew 18 didn’t work (with you)???🤯🤯
I cannot believe you felt so
@JenniferVerdery
@jessie_thinker
👏🏼👏🏼
And this is just my *personal opinion* but in this scenario, I believe 24/7 was fashioned to fuel Bickle’s God-sized ego & make him feel even more like King David 🙄
Now that Bickle is not sitting on the throne anymore, I guess 24/7 is just overkill—and costly.
Time to
⚠️⚠️Also
@EricVolz
pls don’t think that giving a definition or two of trauma + sharing a bit about your experience of trauma by any means qualifies that you are, in fact, trauma-informed.
We have all witnessed how you have handled this. I can’t speak for the survivors of the
⚠️And if he’s saying that almost 5 months before the allegations were made public that someone “very close to the main alleged Jane Doe” contacted him…that would be May-ish. JD didn’t even start telling her closest people until May, & then she didn’t even tell Allen Hood her
@jessie_thinker
YUP! In fact, Bickle’s tearful, sorrowful ‘remorse’ was the very thing that garnered empathy & compassion from his victims and allowed the abuse and trauma bonding cycle to continue even longer!
With
@EricVolz
, and apparently with IHOPKC’s selected law firm, it’s of crucial importance to listen to what they’re NOT saying as well.
Please don’t just take what you read at face value.
@DrMichaelLBrown
@ihopkc
Truly, thank you for taking the time to read and reflect. I know there is a lot on your shoulders in this & I’d hate to be in your shoes. This is just my opinion, and it can be different from yours. You can consider it, take it, or leave it—I respect that.
Please know that I
@DrFrankTurek
As a Christian trauma therapist, I’ll tell you what’s often the case:
The fruit of involvement in organized Christian religion = bad
The fruit of going back to the basics & feeling safe enough with God to question everything = good
For the record, I don’t consider
@AdamShort143
It’s incredibly rare and takes a TON of commitment to developing adequate self-assessment and learning how to empathize. Even so, they do not ‘feel’ empathy the same unless they are healed by some miracle. There are observable brain & neurobiological differences.
@SheilaBoland2
In this scenario, and when it comes to spiritual abuse, I strongly disagree. My “selfish desires” included things like not wanting to move across states to be closer to my spiritual abuser, wanting to get a dog, not wanting to pray for deliverance for hours a day, and wanting to
2/ While Ms. McNamara’s role as an independent investigator might differ from her role as a defense attorney, her statement neglects to mention:
A) Do you have fiduciary responsibility IHOPKC?
B) Would the full, comprehensive report be released publicly?
C) Has IHOPKC waived
@AdamShort143
@DannyM_CANADA
It’s kind of like dangling the carrot…
“oh when Diane dies we will be married”
Or, “I’m working really hard to change and it will all be worth it and better than ever in the end!!!”
Or in IHOPKC’s case…it’s all the TALK about the steps forward they are taking, the work they
@DavidMalone526
This is so powerful and shows you have done a ton of true, deep work in the last few months. Thank you for sharing this here.
Even if
@ihopkc
can’t hear you, words like these bring healing for victims, encouragement for advocates, and clarity & empowerment for those still ‘on
@EricVolz
Does
@ihopkc
plan to waive attorney-client privileges with their selected investigative firm?
What caused the change in tune between IHOP stating there was no need for an independent investigation for weeks, to now it is suddenly the advocates’ fault for dragging the process out
Once again,
@PastorMark
Driscoll is rewriting history. Mark, you were not "cancelled," threatened, & "kicked in the teeth." You were confronted by your elders for a pattern of arrogance & bullying. And instead of facing your sin & people you harmed, you fled like a coward. 1/3
@Joel7Richardson
Am I missing something? Have the names of the board members been released to the public?
If not, what you are saying doesn’t make sense bc no one would know who to attack.
If you’re seeing strong responses here, please see how a post like this feels similar to read as the
@rebeccarod739
It’s so much to share, but what a great question. I’d love to start with kindness, encouraging younger me that I am good at my core…then I’d help her start separating God from the abusive spiritual authority by whom she was being groomed. I now see that not only had they made