(CP) International House of Prayer Kansas City’s disgraced founder Mike Bickle used predatory tactics and spiritual manipulation to sexually abuse at least 17 females, including minors, according to the findings of an independent investigative report. One victim claims she was so gaslit by Bickle he made her read Psalm 51 after sexual encounters.
The 68-page report, Investigation of Mike Bickle and the International House of Prayer Kansas City, is the result of a comprehensive investigation conducted by independent sexual abuse investigation firm Firefly, and commissioned by Tikkun International, a Messianic Jewish umbrella organization, on Sept. 5, 2024. It paints Bickle as a seductive predator who used his influence, gifts, money and position as a spiritual leader to bend particularly young and vulnerable women to his will.
“Throughout the investigation, we have identified and interviewed seventeen (17) Survivors who were either sexually abused or experienced sexually abusive misconduct, including sexual abuse, rape, clergy abuse, and spiritual abuse, perpetrated by Bickle beginning to our knowledge in the mid-1970s,” investigators wrote.
“These acts of abuse have had profound and lasting impacts on the lives of the victims, causing significant emotional, psychological, and spiritual harm. The survivors have shown immense courage in coming forward to share their experiences despite the fear and trauma associated with these events.”
Among those survivors is Deborah Perkins, the first of Bickle’s victims to go public with her account of alleged abuse. She told investigators that Bickle made her read Scripture after their sexual encounters.
“Bickle’s actions in having Deborah Perkins pray Psalm 51 … after sexual encounters was another layer of his manipulation. By invoking a prayer of repentance, he further distorted her understanding of the situation, making her feel complicit in the abuse,” investigators wrote.
The report also highlights Bickle’s alleged abuse of Tammy Woods, a now 58-year-old mother and grandmother who claims she was groomed and sexually abused by the IHOPKC founder in the 1980s when she was just 14. Perkins, Woods, and another interviewee told investigators that on different occasions Bickle, who is married, exposed himself “in a state of undress, with an erection.”
“Each encounter appeared to be deliberate and targeted towards the girls,” investigators wrote.
An interviewed witness also told investigators that they questioned Bickle about a time when he provided Perkins with a hotel room and he admitted that his actions toward her were “immoral.”
“After paying for the room, he and Deborah Perkins went inside. Bickle told IW #12 that he was sweaty from all the running around and decided to shower in the same room as (IS) Deborah Perkins was in. IW #12 advised he pressed Bickle, stating, ‘You walked out of the shower naked with a full erection and exposed yourself to her,'” investigators said.
The interviewed witness said Bickle replied, “It was immoral, it was immoral, it was immoral.”
He further stated that Bickle also noted: “A man of God will not be humiliated if he humbles himself.”
When the interviewed witness asked Bickle if he “got dressed and left the room” after exposing himself to Perkins, he replied, “No, I stayed there for maybe another 90 minutes.”
The Firefly report said the 17 survivors connected to Bickle were identified from a review of 224 submissions made to the firm from which they were able to identify and interview 32 survivors “who were sexually abused or experienced sexually abusive misconduct during their time at IHOPKC.”
In addition to the allegations made against Bickle in the report, there is a section that highlights “numerous instances of sexual abuse and misconduct perpetrated by individuals associated with IHOPKC.” These abuses include allegations of the rape of both male and female minors by individuals connected to the ministry and identifies 16 accused staff members “implicated in sexual misconduct claims.”
The report appears to go deeper than a separate independent report released to the public on Jan. 31, 2024, that was prepared by attorney Rosalee McNamara. In that report, Bickle confessed to engaging in “consensual sexual contact” with a woman connected to the 24/7 prayer ministry in addition to a previously confessed relationship with a primary Jane Doe who alleged she was his kept woman for several years.
That report came after Bickle confessed in December 2023 to engaging in “inappropriate behavior” but not “the more intense sexual activities that some are suggesting” after a group of former IHOPKC leaders, known as the advocate group, levelled abuse allegations against him spanning several decades.
“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, adding: “I am not admitting to the more intense sexual activities that some are suggesting.”
Bickle confessed after a woman, identified as Jane Doe by The Roys Report, alleged that for approximately three years, from 1996 to 1999, before he founded IHOPKC, he paid for her apartment, gave her a key to his office and engaged in every sexual act with her except copulation. She said the IHOPKC founder wooed her with Scripture when she was just 19, and he was 42, then made her a kept woman for several years as he established his now popular ministry.
At the time, IHOPKC leaders said they had only identified five of some eight women who the advocate group said were Bickle’s victims but found the evidence thin. Three of the alleged victims called the allegations “lies.'” One of the alleged victims refused to communicate with an attorney for the ministry.
“Bickle has been accused of engaging in egregious spiritual, emotional, and sexual abuse over decades. He allegedly groomed and fostered inappropriate relationships with women, using the concept of an ‘apostolic chariot-vision calling’ to create an intoxicating partner narrative,” Firefly investigators noted.
“Bickle’s ability to exert power and control was multifaceted. He used his authoritative position to create an environment where questioning his actions was seen as questioning divine will. This manipulation extended to isolating victims from their support networks, making them more reliant on him. This manipulative behavior was shown when Bickle expressed remorse but then placed blame on Tammy Woods after their encounter. In doing this, Bickle was attempting to shift responsibility and create confusion. This emotional manipulation can make the victim feel guilty and complicit in the abuse, further entrenching their sense of powerlessness.”
The report further highlights disturbing eyewitness reports of questionable behaviour Bickle allegedly engaged in with females in the ministry including some who were married.
“Witnesses would often see Bickle, during church services and prayer meetings, grab girls by their throats, kiss them on their faces, and ruffle their hair. This behavior, masked as innocent affection, was a calculated tactic to desensitize his victims to physical contact, gradually pushing boundaries until they were normalized,” investigators noted. “By doing so, he created an environment where his actions were less likely to be questioned or resisted, further entrenching his control over his victims.”
Interviewed Survivor No. 9 told investigators that Bickle once placed his hand on her bare leg, ran it up to her thigh, and made the inappropriate comment, “Freshly shaved.”
One interviewed witness “observed an adult female with her hands inside Bickle’s pants in his office.”
“IW #20, walking into BICKLE’S office, observed an adult woman rubbing BICKLE’S legs as he sat in his chair and the woman on the floor. One evening, IW #66 walked into BICKLE’S office and observed an adult female on her knees at BICKLE’S feet as he sat at his desk. IW #6 reported seeing BICKLE caress a staff person’s knee under a table at a restaurant,” the report said.
One male witness recalled how his wife shared hundreds of secretive communications with Bickle over six years.
“He noted that his wife would spend many hours alone with BICKLE in his office and other locations, bringing him food and providing personal massages using essential oils on bare skin,” the report said.
“IW #95, on multiple occasions, would see food being brought in by IW #32’s wife to Bickle. Additionally, IW #175 reported an incident where, upon entering BICKLE’S office, they observed an inappropriate action involving Bickle and IW 32’s wife, with her hand inside Bickle’s pants,” the report said.
Despite reporting Bickle’s inappropriate behaviour to members of the ministry’s executive leadership team at the time including Stuart Greaves and Lenny LaGuardia, no action was taken against Bickle.
“These witnessed incidents, regardless of if consensual, between Bickle and presumably several women highlight a pattern of behavior that is not only unprofessional but also deeply troubling, as it creates an unsafe and uncomfortable environment for those around him,” investigators said. “These interactions were inappropriate and demonstrated a complete lack of boundaries inside and outside his office.”
