Former International House of Prayer of Kansas City (IHOPKC) staffers wore strips of red tape inscribed with the word “TRUTH” over their mouths as they staged a silent protest in the IHOPKC prayer room Tuesday morning (Nov. 28).
The protest was organized by former IHOPKC staffer Susan Tuma and Charlea Taylor. They posted the protest as an event on Facebook, saying, “We stand in solidarity with the survivors of Mike Bickle and IHOPKC.”
They are hoping the protest will convince the executive leadership team (ELT) to adhere to an “acceptable level of transparency” regarding the sexual abuse allegations brought against IHOPKC founder Mike Bickle recently.
The event’s description stated that details were “intentionally vague” and instructed those with questions to contact the event’s admins.
Heaven Bent, an investigative podcast, was at IHOPKC during the protest. Heaven Bent shared on social media that IHOPKC’s prayer room, which is usually streamed live 24 hours a day, was showing a prerecorded feed of the prayer room during the silent protest.
Referring to the protesters, Heaven Bent posted, “These bold-ones have worshipped here for years, but are speaking out against alleged sexual and spiritual abuse in their community.”
One protestor, a former IHOPKC staffer named Deborah, told Heaven Bent that she ran into an old friend she met while working there. “She was pacing in the back of the prayer room and I just hugged her. I was not expecting to just sob,” Deborah said. “It’s just heartbreaking seeing so many people who have just invested years and years and years of their lives here.”
Deborah said it bothered her when IHOPKC leaders approached her and her husband, Kirk, in the prayer room during the protest and acted like everything was fine.
RELATED: IHOPKC Releases ‘Report on Initial Findings’ Regarding Mike Bickle’s Alleged Abuse
She explained that one IHOPKC leader came over smiling and tried to give them a high five. The leader asked Kirk if he was still playing the bass guitar. Deborah shared that she just shook her head because “this place destroyed that part of Kirk’s life.”
This is Deborah. Along with her husband Kirk, and other former IHOPers, they’re right now staging a silent-protest in the #IHOPKC prayer room; asking for an “acceptable” level of transparency from the ELT, in regards to allegations of sexual clergy abuse against #MikeBickle. pic.twitter.com/HHRxwZSeA8
— Heaven Bent (@HeavenBentPod) November 28, 2023
 staffers wore strips of red tape inscribed with the word “TRUTH” over their mouths as they staged a silent protest in the IHOPKC prayer room Tuesday morning (Nov. 28).){kind=link}