During Forerunner Church’s Sunday morning worship service yesterday (Dec. 10), David House Agency founder Eric Volz (44) was announced as the International House of Prayer of Kansas City (IHOPKC) spokesperson regarding the allegations of sexual and spiritual abuse against IHOPKC founder Mike Bickle.
In 2006, the American-born Volz was wrongly convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison by a Nicaraguan judge for the rape and murder of his ex-girlfriend, Doris Ivania Jiménez, in San Juan del Sur. Volz’s conviction was overturned by an appellate court over a year later in 2007.
Following his return to the United States, Volz was approached by families who had experienced similar situations and who were seeking guidance from Volz in the hope they would see family members released from wrongful imprisonment. Due to the increasing volume of cases, Volz founded David House Agency in 2011.
According to The New York Times, Volz “is a highly sought crisis manager for Americans entangled in criminal prosecutions overseas. His hand is visible in some of the highest-profile cases of recent years.”
Volz told Forerunner Church that while he was in prison, he dedicated his life to Christ. He said that his agency wasn’t brought on to “clean” things up but rather to “help IHOP get to heart of this matter…I’ve made it crystal clear that I’m not going to participate in anything except an honest and thorough and Christ-honoring pursuit of the truth.”
ChurchLeaders reached out to Volz and asked him to clarify what he meant when he told Forerunner Church that he’s “not a stranger to the pain of trauma” and that he can “identify with alleged victims in this case.”
“I am a survivor of a political imprisonment by an anti-American communist government,” Volz said. “I know what it is like to experience abuse at the hands of a perpetrator. I experienced violence. I experienced torture. Food was withheld. I was slandered. At one point, I was kept in a concrete box for five days.”
“I know what it is like to swim in trauma, and I know what it’s like to rebuild and to heal,” he added. “Fortunately, I had proof of my innocence and friends and family that fought tirelessly for justice. That is not the case for many, and that is why today I fight for those who don’t have that kind of support.”
Volz addressed those who have questioned IHOPKC’s decision to bring on David House Agency as an outside advisor by saying that “it is completely normal for an organization this size navigating a crisis of this magnitude and complexity.” Volz told ChurchLeaders that the announcement made during Sunday’s worship service “should be celebrated by the Advocate Group and those championing for accountability and truth.”
 spokesperson amid allegations of sexual and spiritual abuse against IHOPKC founder Mike Bickle.){kind=link}