Key Points
- The International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC) is closing and starting a new organization to potentially limit liability amidst financial troubles and clergy sexual abuse allegations.
- Leaders of IHOPKC, facing significant legal and financial challenges, are restructuring to mitigate risks associated with ongoing and potential lawsuits.
- Critics, including attorney Boz Tchividjian, argue that such a restructuring could be seen as an attempt to evade responsibilities and might still not protect the organization from past liabilities.
The International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC), known for its extensive prayer services and religious training programs, has announced it will shut down and reorganize into a new entity. This decision follows a turbulent period marked by severe financial deficits and serious misconduct allegations against its founder, Mike Bickle, which have led to a loss of donor support.
The restructuring aims to address the potential legal repercussions tied to these accusations and safeguard the future functioning of the ministry. Leadership intends to maintain core activities like their prayer room while establishing a governance structure less centered around a single influential leader, thereby hoping to foster a more stable and accountable organization.
The Roys Report reports:
A leaked recording of the meeting that The Roys Report (TRR) obtained reveals the organization is bleeding $500,000 a month due to donors being too connected to the now-permanently removed Bickle.
Leaders hope this move will limit IHOPKC’s liability regarding victims’ lawsuits, said Isaac Bennett, pastor of IHOPKC’s Forerunner Church, in the meeting. “We’re the people to sue at the end of the day,” said Bennett. “That produces significant liabilities there.”
However, Boz Tchividjian, an attorney who represents multiple Jane Does who’ve accused Bickle of clergy sexual abuse, told TRR that IHOPKC is in “fantasyland” if it thinks closing down and starting a new organization protects its assets from lawsuit. To try to do so would be “fraudulent,” Tchividjian said.
Matt Candler, president of IHOP University, made the announcement about IHOPKC’s gradual closing to staff yesterday. TRR also obtained an email of the same announcement.
| Themes | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Legal and Financial | Potential limitation of future liabilities. | Legal risks and complications may persist. |
| Organizational Change | Streamlined governance; reduced dependency on a single leader. | Public trust may erode due to perceived evasion of responsibility. |
| Continued Ministry | Maintenance of core spiritual activities. | Financial instability could jeopardize long-term operations. |
Questions to Consider
- What are the broader implications of religious organizations restructuring in response to legal and financial challenges?
- How might this restructuring impact the faith community’s trust in IHOPKC and similar organizations?
- What measures can ensure transparency and accountability in new organizational structures within religious institutions?
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