*the emailed version of this update incorrectly listed the authors of this statement; we apologize for the mistake. This statement is from Dwayne Roberts and other concerned leaders.*
A Response to IHOPKC’s “Report on Initial Findings”
While it is true that a group met with the Executive Leadership Team of IHOPKC on October 24th in good faith and in the spirit of Matthew 18, the response from the ELT back to the group has been almost nonexistent, and initial findings and other public pronouncements have been replete with mistruths and obfuscation. Here we seek to address some of them clearly:
October 24th - A consistent line communicated on public platforms has been that the Executive Leadership Team only officially knew of these allegations on October 24th. This is factually incorrect. Stuart Greaves and Marci Sorge were informed of the allegations officially on October 9th and Stuart communicated that the entire executive leadership team was informed on October 10th. Notwithstanding this “official” communication, there has been repeated communication to Stuart Greaves and other executive leadership team members throughout 2023 and 2022 related to different situations concerning these allegations. The response has been one of dismissal and inaction.
Allegations Made By “eight women whom the Complaint Group claimed to represent”- There has been a consistent mischaracterization of the allegations against Mike Bickle. The public pronouncements have indicated that a list of eight named victims was provided. This is not and has never been true. What is true is that there are a number of abuse survivors who have bravely come forward with permission to be confidentially named. None of those have recanted. The majority of the time spent with the ELT on October 24th concerned the grooming and sexual abuse of a main whistleblower. One victim statement includes the initials of their spouse, claiming a wrongful relationship between the spouse and Mr. Bickle. This woman made a personal choice to make public statements, and Mr. Bickle’s family immediately challenged them: “She is the liar and the manipulator. She is not a credible source and she has destroyed many families.” The truth is that multiple witnesses over the last 2+ years have brought concerns regarding wrongful contact with Mr. Bickle and women who are not his wife to the ELT and to the concerned leaders, which many eyewitnesses have corroborated. Before the October meetings, the ELT was aware of these women, yet has continued to identify and validate these women’s erroneous “recantations” to support a public narrative. Furthermore, none were contacted or “bullied” by the concerned leaders, and a claim of representation was never made, verbally or otherwise.
Allegations “before the founding of IHOPKC” - In stating that one of the whistleblowers is bringing forth a story that took place before the founding of IHOPKC, the ELT are seemingly attempting to distance themselves from any wrongdoing. The minimization of this “Alleged Victim #2” is also particularly egregious. Adult clergy abuse is when a church leader uses the power inherent in their position and role to be sexual with someone under their care who has less power. “Alleged Victim #2” reported years of grooming and sexual contact perpetrated by a 42-year-old internationally renowned minister (Mr. Bickle) that began when she was 19 years old and under his leadership and care. This adult clergy abuse lasted into the early years of IHOPKC.
“We need the Complaint Group to assist in our inquiry of the remaining alleged victims” - The characterization of a “Complaint Group” is demeaning and appears designed to denigrate and create a narrative of bad faith. The request that this group assist in an “internal inquiry” into the so-called victim list is unreasonable and foolhardy. A genuine independent and external inquiry is the only reasonable option in the best circumstances; the lack of trust and transparency displayed by the Executive Leadership Team of IHOPKC makes it imperative.
“However, upon review by outside legal counsel, it was determined that the collection and presentation of the allegations by the Complaint Group lacked any semblance of reliability or due process.” - The outside legal counsel is a close friend of some members of the current Executive Leadership Team, attends Forerunner Church and has also previously advised one of the whistleblowers. Due to conflict of interest concerns, she should recuse herself from this process by any objective standard. This characterization of concerned ministers of the gospel acting in good faith as a “complaint group” is demeaning and an act of bad faith. These god-fearing men and women have had more than 2-3 witnesses come to them with an allegation against Mr. Bickle and have, in good faith, gone through a full Matthew 18 and 1 Tim 5 process. They then brought the allegations to the Executive Leadership Team (after Mr. Bickle refused to engage in the biblical process) and were requested to give a copy of an extraordinarily confidential working draft document as an act of good faith. In an act of bad faith, the ELT proceeded to demean their good faith gesture from a public platform, saying that their approach “lacked any semblance of reliability and due process.”
The document - The draft document that assisted the group in telling a fuller scope of a number of allegations was not intended to be handed over as a final document and was only handed over as an act of good faith when it initially appeared the ELT was responding to the accusations appropriately. There is more evidence and many more details, however, at no point has any request been made for these further proofs. Clearly noted in the document is that the most damning and humiliating details were intentionally left out for the dignity of all as it was coalesced. Furthermore, these details will only be released to an unbiased third-party investigator.
“Demands and threats, which included dictating the use of IHOPKC’s funds, generated an atmosphere of concern regarding the true objectives of the Complaint Group.” - The seriousness of the allegations, which everyone acknowledges, demands a requisite response. Suggestions were made to the ELT of various options of Independent Investigative groups and future care for victim therapy. To have this characterized as “dictating the use of funds” is egregious. Mischaracterizing “demands, threats, and true objectives” is deceptive and slanderous and has led to the concerned leaders receiving online threats, curses, and harassment—all after IHOPKC’s public statement. Such slanderous mischaracterizations must be walked back.
Alleged Victims Presented Without Their Consent - the narrative of a list of named victims is patently false. A number of these situations involve women who see their wrongful contact with Mr. Bickle as “consensual.” The concerned leaders never communicated to the ELT that such women came forward as victims in any setting. The list (made by the ELT) of women with “REFUTED” next to their identification implies the allegations have been refuted; this is far from the truth. It merely shows these women do not identify as “victims.”
Minimizing statements of “Alleged Victim #2 partial credibility established” and “no victim statements included” - are particularly egregious. Adult clergy abuse is when a church leader uses the power inherent in their position and role to be sexual with someone who has less power, and is under their care. “Alleged Victim #2” reported years of grooming and sexual contact perpetrated by a 42-year-old internationally renowned minister that began when she was 19 years old and under his leadership and care. This adult clergy abuse lasted into the early years of IHOPKC. Many of the details given were courageously and agonizingly read out loud to the ELT by her husband in a victim impact statement. This statement was purposefully not added to the assembled document due to the extraordinary level of personal vulnerability and exposure. Additionally, the victim #3 statement is plainly included in the document. For the ELT to state that the document did not include victim statements is patent deception.
Offended/disaffected/bitter ex-leaders narrative - IHOPKC leaders reportedly internally propagate the narrative that a group of disaffected ex-leaders has a vendetta against IHOPKC and Mike Bickle. This would be particularly untrue and cruel; we maintain hope that our brothers and sisters have not said this. It is simply true that any responsible minister of the gospel who hears numerous reports of sexual misconduct has a responsibility to act upon such reports. None of the concerned leaders have any possible gain from this grievous situation, only the opposite—loss.