International House of Prayer

International House of Prayer
International House of Prayer

The International House of Prayer in Kansas City, MO
Location Kansas City and Grandview, Missouri
Country United States
Denomination Houses of Prayer International
Churchmanship Charismatic and Evangelical
Membership over 2000
Website www.ihopkc.org
History
Founded May 7, 1999
Founder(s) Mike Bickle

The International House of Prayer (IHOP or IHOPKC) is an evangelical charismatic Pentecostal Christian missions organization based in Kansas City, Missouri, and the nearby suburb of Grandview that focuses on prayer, worship, and evangelism.[1]

It is best known for the prayer room which has run 24/7 with live worship teams since September 19, 1999, and subsequently broadcast on its website. Doctrinally, IHOPKC is evangelical, post-tribulational, and affirms historic premillennialism.[2] IHOPKC places great importance on the practices of prayer, worship, fasting, and discipleship.

IHOPKC is based in Kansas City, Missouri. It runs a training facility which houses a bible school, music academy, media institute and missions school, collectively known as the International House of Prayer University (IHOPU) in nearby Grandview, Missouri.

The annual Onething conference has been hosted by IHOPKC since 2002 in the Kansas City Convention Center.

Mike Bickle has previously been involved in the Kansas City prophets movement, which was criticized by Ernie Gruen in a well known controversy in which John Wimber, the leader of the Vineyard Church broke away from the International House of Prayer and 2 of the senior Kansas City Prophets, Bob Jones and Paul Cain were forced to leave ministry, disgraced by professional and sexual scandal.[3]

Overview

The International House of Prayer of Kansas City (IHOPKC) was founded by Mike Bickle. The organization began in a small building off of Grandview Road in Kansas City, Missouri, as a prayer room dedicated to worshiping Jesus night and day. Since that time, IHOPKC has grown and spread out over several different locations throughout south Kansas City and Grandview, Missouri. As of November 2010 the church had over 1,000 staff and a student body of another 1,000 individuals.[4]

IHOPKC is best known for its daily prayer meetings based on its "harp and bowl" worship model that are held 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year since September 19, 1999.[5] While the prayer meeting is the primary ministry of IHOPKC, the missions organization has also established many different ministries that service its community. These prayer meetings, which are streamed live on the internet and through GOD TV,[6] alternate regularly between music and prayer through all hours of the day and night.[7]

IHOPKC staff regularly teach on themes that include prayer, worship, the Great Commandment, the Great Commission, eschatology, understanding God's spiritual purposes for Israel, spiritual gifts and other various evangelical themes.[4][6]

International House of Prayer University

The International House of Prayer University is an unaccredited Bible college with campuses at Grandview, Missouri. The president of the school is Allen Hood, who is on the International House of Prayer's leadership team. As of 2010, there were 1,000 full-time students enrolled. The educational process centers on prayer.[4]

The program has included ministry training programs, a music academy, a media school, missionary training, and others.[8]

The program was founded in 2000 as the Forerunner School of Prayer. In 2008 the institution was renamed International House of Prayer University after the school was certified by the state to receive international students.[9]

In 2010 the school invested $6 million to renovate part of a strip mall in Grandview for use as a new campus.[10]

Expansion

The IHOPKC Project plans to build a facility on 125 acres of land adjacent to Highway 71 that once belonged to Harry Truman. They expect to spend $150 million on the project.[6] There are several apartment complexes in Grandview, Missouri that are inhabited primarily by members of IHOPKC.[4]

In late 2009 and early 2010, reports of revival at the IHOPKC center led to increased attendance at their prayer services and conferences.[11] Their current facility was built in 2012.

Controversy

IHOPKC has repeatedly been accused of being a cult by Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry and other apologetics groups.[12]

The 2013 documentary film God Loves Uganda suggests that North American evangelicals in general, and IHOPKC specifically, were responsible for Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill.[13] IHOPKC has stated that it was not connected to the bill and is opposed to the legislation.[14]

When IHOPKC moved to a new location in an old shopping center in the Terrace Lake neighborhood of Kansas City in 2002, many members of the local community voiced suspicions about the ministry. IHOPKC attempted to allay their fears in a series of community meetings.[15][16][17] IHOPKC has been credited, however, with helping the local economy by bringing large numbers of visitors to the area.[18]

The Southern Poverty Law Center has criticized IHOPKC because of the extent to which their teachings emphasize Jesus making war on his enemies at the Second Coming.[19]

On September 14, 2010, IHOP (International House of Pancakes) announced that they were suing the International House of Prayer for trademark dilution and infringement.[20] The lawsuit was dropped on December 21, 2010, with the dispute resolved out of court.[21]

On October 30, 2012, former IHOPKC intern Bethany Deaton was found dead in an apparent suicide.[22] Days later, IHOPU student Micah Moore came forward to Grandview police and was subsequently charged with Bethany Deaton's murder.[23] In statements to police, Moore stated that he was part of a religious group with Bethany and her husband, Tyler Deaton.[24] Moore said that group leader and IHOPU graduate Tyler Deaton ordered his wife's murder to prevent her from revealing sexual assaults within the group.[25] While IHOPKC materials and website listed Tyler Deaton as a division coordinator for IHOPKC friendship groups until five days after Bethany's death, IHOPKC officials said that Tyler Deaton's group was not connected to IHOPKC.[26][27][28] Melanie Morgan, one of Moore's lawyers, said in early December 2012: "The facts suggest Bethany Deaton’s death was an unfortunate suicide and Micah Moore had nothing to do with that suicide".[29] On Oct 31, 2014, the Jackson County, Missouri prosecutor dismissed murder charges against Micah Moore.[30]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Bradley, Donald (July 26, 2009). "Entreaties never stop at the International House of Prayer". Kansas City Star (Kansas City, MO). pp. A1. Retrieved January 8, 2010
  2. ↑ "Statement of Faith - About IHOPKC". ihopkc.org. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  3. ↑ http://www.banner.org.uk/kcp/Abberent%20Practises.pdf
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Yoars, Marcus (1 November 2010). "We Won’t Stop Praying". Charisma. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
  5. ↑ "Where Worship Never Pauses". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "This IHOP serves generous portions of prayer". Reading Eagle (Reading, Pennsylvania). McClatchy-Tribune. 8 August 2009. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  7. ↑ Gaines, Adrienne. "Ministry marks 20 years of nonstop prayer and worship". Charisma. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
  8. ↑ "Schools - International House of Prayer University". ihopkc.org. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  9. ↑ "IHOPKC's 10th Anniversary: IHOPU". YouTube. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  10. ↑ Wood, Andrea, (17 August 2010) http://www.jcadvocate.com/2010/08/ihop-university-opens-at-former.html Jackson County Advocate
  11. ↑ Tom, Karen (24 November 2009). "Thousands Flock to IHOP Student ‘Awakening’". Charisma (Charismamag.com). Retrieved 2010-01-14.
  12. ↑ "The Dangers of the International House of Prayer (IHOP)". carm.org. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  13. ↑ Montgomery, Peter (2014). "In Response To Uganda Documentary, IHOP Says It's 'Not Involved' in Politics | Right Wing Watch". rightwingwatch.org. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  14. ↑ http://www.ihopkc.org/about/files/2011/07/0-God-Loves-Uganda-FAQ-121413-MS.pdf
  15. ↑ Robertson, Joe (21 September 2002). "Neighbors remain wary of ministry's plans". The Kansas City Star. p. 1. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  16. ↑ Robertson, Joe (5 November 2002). "Prayer ministry still has doubters". The Kansas City Star. p. 1.
  17. ↑ Robertson, Joe (20 June 2002). "Ministry finds home amid suspicions Terrace Lake business owners await their fate as prayer group moves in". The Kansas City Star. p. B1.
  18. ↑ Dornbrook, James (18 April 2009). "Grandview triangulates eco-devo success". Kansas City Business Journal. Retrieved 12 February 2011.
  19. ↑ Sanchez, Casey (2008). "'Arming' for Armageddon - Issue Number 131". Intelligence Report. Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved 3 December 2010.
  20. ↑ Lateef Mungin, (September 16, 2010) Pancake house takes on prayer group CNN
  21. ↑ Glendale News-Press, (December 29, 2010) Pancake versus prayer dropped
  22. ↑ International House of Prayer distances itself from murder victim's husband, Tyler Deaton. kshb.com.
  23. ↑ Bethany Deaton Suicide Now Considered A Murder; Police Arrest Micah Moore. Huffingtonpost.com.
  24. ↑ Allegations: Religious ‘Sexual Community’ Leads to Woman’s Murder. WDAF TV – FOX 4. fox4kc.com.
  25. ↑ Secrets of Tyler Deaton's prayer group emerge. KansasCity.com.
  26. ↑ Prayer group leader whose wife was murdered has Texas roots. Houston Chronicle.
  27. ↑ Tyler Deaton’s role at the International House of Prayer becomes clearer. KansasCity.com.
  28. ↑ Regarding the Death of Bethany Deaton | International House of Prayer University.
  29. ↑ "Disputed Murder Confession Casts a Spotlight on a Missouri Sect". The New York Times. 6 December 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2013.
  30. ↑ Webster, Betsy. "Prosecutors dismiss charges against man in cult murder case". KCTV5. Retrieved 2015-01-19.

External links