A 57-year-old mother and grandmother recently wrote an open letter alleging that Mike Bickle, founder of International House of Prayer Kansas City, sexually abused her when she was 14 years old.
Tammy Woods, using her maiden name, released a letter detailing the alleged abuse: lloyds report January 30th.
“Please don’t chalk this up to defamation of character, attention-seeking, money-making, or vindictive revenge. We have far too long a history of such impositions. And I’ve said many times during this crisis that I trust my judgment. Trust me now. This letter is the culmination of a 21-day fast, and I’ve told you to trust my judgment in this crisis. It represents a commitment to live in truth,” Woods explained.
“Rather than stepping into the arena with the bravado of wanting to defeat a great man of God and his legacy, I walked into the arena with a bloody heart as one who has been cleverly deceived, and with the bravado of my leader, I step into the arena with an appeal to my friends and to my abuser. Please own these.’ It’s a chapter of vulnerability, humility, and repentance,” she continued, adding that she has not yet been able to resolve the allegations of abuse by him. He appealed to the other survivors to be released and to stop protecting him.
In addition to the letter, Woods also spoke about her story in an interview with the Kansas City Star, saying the abuse began when Bickel was pastoring a church in St. Louis, Missouri, and then moved to Kansas City in 1999. He said that he established IHOPKC. At the time, Woods was 14 years old and began babysitting his two sons.
“He kissed me on the neck, he kissed me on the cheek, he kissed me on the forehead,” Woods told the Star. “The first ‘kiss’ kind of kiss was at my house. He kind of pulled me into the bathroom. And he kissed me like a man kisses a woman. He gave it to me.”
according to christian postShe also claimed that Bickle told her that she could be the mother of his sons and that his wife, Diane, would die young. She explained that Woods was abused in his car, at his home, at church and at his office, but ultimately did not engage in sexual activity.
In the investigation report released Mr. Bickle announced to the public on January 31 that he had had “consensual sexual contact” with a woman associated with IHOPKC’s 24/7 prayer ministry, and that a primary school student claiming to be Mr. Bickle He confessed to his previous relationship with Jane Doe. a kept woman For several years.
“Based on all credible evidence, including an admission that M.B. and likely abused his power as a person in a position of trust and leadership,” attorney Rosalie McNamara wrote in the report. “As mentioned above, after these allegations surfaced, IHOPKC announced in December 2023 that it would be separating from MB ‘immediately, officially, and permanently.'”
“MB also admitted to having inappropriate contact with IHOP personnel three times between 2002 and 2003. He called the contact “an agreement that she touched me and I didn’t touch her.” “Sexual contact on top of someone’,” McNamara said. “He said they both agreed it was wrong and the behavior had stopped. Mr. MB’s account and the individual’s account are very similar, including that it happened in 2002-2003. I think the individual’s explanation is reliable.”
Last December, after allegations of decades of abuse were filed against him by a group of former IHOPKC leaders known as the advocacy group, Bickle admitted he had acted “inappropriately,” but said “some He did not engage in “more intense sexual activity as suggested by the person in question.”
“With a very heavy heart, I would like to express how deeply I grieve that my past sins have caused so much pain, confusion, and division in the Body of Christ at this time. “I committed a crime more than 20 years ago by engaging in inappropriate conduct – my moral failings were real,” Ms Bickle said. statement posted on his Facebook page.
“I do not approve of more intense sex acts than some have suggested,” he continued.
Photo credit: Facebook/Mike Bickle Official Page
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributor to Christian Headlines and host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast dedicated to sound doctrine and Biblical truth. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Alliance Theological Seminary.
