How did the International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC)—a globally influential 24/7 prayer ministry—become the center of a sweeping scandal involving allegations of sexual assault, grooming, and spiritual manipulation? What happens when a charismatic evangelical leader is accused of abusing power for decades—yet faces no criminal charges as survivors push for accountability and legal reform?

In this episode, host Joseph Lobosco and guest host Heather Ford unpack the IHOPKC scandal surrounding founder Mike Bickle, tracing allegations that span nearly five decades and examining how internal reviews, an independent investigation, and public fallout reshaped one of the most recognizable names in the modern prayer and prophetic movement.

PURCHASE Heather Ford's new book: https://a.co/d/ctoy47H

"The Barbie Pink Wall that Kept My Secrets of Abuse: A Memoir of the Spiritual, Physical and Sexual Abuse I Went Through Within the Walls of a Religious Cult"

Tune in to hear:

1970s–early IHOPKC years – Allegations spanning nearly five decades: Multiple women later reported that Mike Bickle used spiritual authority to groom, manipulate, and sexually exploit them, with alleged conduct ranging from inappropriate sexual contact to coercion and rape—at least two survivors were minors at the time of the alleged abuse.

1999 – IHOPKC founded in Kansas City: How IHOPKC grew its international influence through a 24/7 prayer model, a ministry school, and global affiliates—while Bickle was widely viewed as a spiritual authority and father figure.

October 2023 – Scandal goes public: Three former senior IHOPKC leaders—Dwayne Roberts, Brian Kim, and Wes Martin—came forward with allegations from multiple women, stating the accounts were independent, credible, and showed a longstanding pattern of abuse.

October 28, 2023 – Leave from ministry duties: IHOPKC placed Bickle on leave while claims were reviewed, then faced backlash after an internal review questioned allegations and suggested whistleblowers had improper motives—drawing criticism for a process seen as lacking independence and transparency.

December 12, 2023 – Public statement: Bickle admitted to “inappropriate behavior” more than 20 years earlier while denying more serious allegations.

December 22, 2023 – Severed ties & investigations: IHOPKC announced it permanently severed ties with Bickle after “new information” confirmed misconduct disqualifying him from ministry; multiple senior leaders resigned in the following weeks as investigations moved forward.

December 2023–February 3, 2025 – Independent Firefly investigation: A fully independent investigation commissioned by former IHOPKC leaders reviewed thousands of documents and conducted over 200 interviews—concluding in a public report that Mike Bickle sexually abused or exploited at least 17 victims over nearly five decades, detailing grooming, coercion, spiritual manipulation, and repeated leadership failure.

2024–early 2025 – Why criminal charges may be difficult: Statute-of-limitations barriers, the passage of time, and evidence challenges—plus allegations that victims were discouraged from contacting law enforcement or even journaling—raise questions about what accountability can look like when misconduct is decades old.

2024–early 2025 – Survivors advocate for legal change: One alleged victim’s report to police decades later is described as powerfully symbolic, as survivors connected to IHOPKC also testified in the Missouri State legislature advocating to end statutes of limitations for child sexual abuse cases.

2025–early 2026 – Aftermath, reforms, and unresolved accountability: IHOPKC shut down its ministry school, restructured leadership, and pledged reforms; an independent pastoral review ruled that Mike Bickle is permanently disqualified...