“If Mike Bickle had a moral failure, it wouldn’t really affect me.” That right there was the single greatest lie I ever told myself.Thanks for reading Pastor’s Kid by Chloe Roberts! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. The official news of the allegations brought against Mike broke in late October 2023, although members of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) knew beforehand. But I live in the same house as Dwayne and Jennifer Roberts (members of the Advocate Group), so I may or may not have figured it out before October 27th, 2023.
Such an easy thing to do, put people on a pedestal. Maybe if we were more like the Bereans and checked all words by the scripture we may avoid this. I find a laziness in me to either love the words of a ministry I look up to or reject everything that comes from a ministry I'm not in love with. I think that to be a Berean we must reject falsehood from those we love but also accept truth from those we hold a less opinion of. Now writing this I also realize the folly in my how I let someone's views on scripture affect relationships or my ability to gather and accept truth from anyone who is sharing truth. Man this maturing process is so slow and I'm not sure I have enough years left to get it right before I leave this world. I think a good marker for us is to see how we treat people who don't share the same exegesis on subjects we do. Do we still truly love them or do we treat them with an indifference. Chloe I believe that the key you shared in your article is to keep Christ as the only one we look up to and to allow the Holy Spirit to continually search our heart for anything that stops our total dedication to following after Jesus undivided.
This is so good ! I love the word you used sifting. Thank you for being vulnerable and raw! It’s really difficult to decipher all of this. Thank you for sharing it actually helps give language for others.
Thank you for writing this. I felt those lies of elitism and feeling less than because I knew God wanted me in “the marketplace” after my internship at ihopkc. I can’t imagine growing up in that culture- exhausting and confusing and so far from the heart of God. It was okay to desire something different other than 24/7 prayer and being an end times messenger. In fact- that may have not been the call of many, if at all. I think about all the people who bought into something that may have not been what God was calling them to at all. Praying that people will find healing and that they hear Gods voice in their lives. Again, thank you for sharing your experience and heart on the matter. Your voice is powerful!
Thank you for writing this. I am currently really struggling with this situation in ways that I don’t completely understand. Many of the teachings from IHOPKC were formative to me in my faith journey and I too am experiencing a “sifting”. To complicate things even more, my own childhood abuse is resurfacing in new ways as I learn that someone who I viewed as a safe person and good example has turned out to be an abuser himself. I am hopeful that the Lord will continue to bring healing to me, but currently life is feeling like too much.
Thank you for sharing Karen! I understand your struggle. I am trusting the Lord with the timing of the sifting. I, on my own, am unable to sift through everything all at once. I want the Lord to bring things up as needed and help me work through it.
As hard as it is to understand, truth spoken by a broken man is still truth. Meaning, that some (not all) of what Mike taught actually was the real bible. Some of his teaching really had a positive impact on my life. I need the Lord to help show me what needs to stay and what needs to go, in His timing. Hopefully that makes sense ❤️
I appreciated your article, however, I feel led to comment with the statement "The revelations about who Mike really is...a monster." What MB did was sinful/ungodly, however, his sins do not define him as a monster, in God's eyes. He's a broken human with roots that need healing/deliverance. Somewhere in his life, he has believed a lie. Caught in the snare of evil behavior. The kindness of God is exposing him for his own good/healing/deliverance. Nevertheless, who MB really is, is a son of God. Like you and me. We all fall short of the glory of God at different degrees. Some of us are in the lime light and fall harder. I believe the issue with people judging MB is that we idolized him (like I had). Who could ever believe THIS man could do such a thing? Well, he did and more than once. Am I shocked? Yes, but God is not. Does MB need to be called out? Absolutely. Held accountable? Yes, indeed. However, God wants us to get His proper perspective so that we do not eat from the Tree of Knowledge at get stuck: focusing on the wrongs, name calling, false definitions "monster" and become guilty ourselves of self-righteousness. Becoming suspicious of all spiritual leaders after MB exposure is normal when eating from that Tree (I know, I've been experiencing this myself). We need to to eat from the Tree of Life: God's perspective. MB is still a man after God's own heart. He is still a son of God. He is already forgiven. We just need to pray for MB to humble himself before God and man. That may take time, especially when an individual is caught in a snare/web.
Again, thank you for writing your thoughts and sharing them publically from your perspective. Your feelings are valid. I just felt led to share what I did.
With respect, ma'am, I don't think this is a timely word in its proper season, and it includes an assessment of Chloe's motivation and feelings that are off the mark, in my humble opinion.
Chloe, this was EXCELLENT. And very very healthy. You are a special young woman and I'm so glad to read your words.
I believe Jesus labeled people like Mike Bickle a wolf and warned us about them and the damage they inflict is wholly different than any other sin that could be wrought upon the church. Bickle disguised himself in sheep’s clothing and a contextual synonym here would be appropriately, monster. Mike Bickle used God and His Word to manipulate other people so he could devour them unrepentantly and is now the bitter root that has at the very least shook people to their foundations, and at his worst Mike Bickle will drive people from the pews and very sadly, from the faith. The most gracious and merciful thing we could do for the Bickles of this world is turn them over to the devil. God have mercy on Mike’s soul. He doesn’t need defending that he’s a sinner, Jesus put him in a very different category of sinners and took very seriously the threat that people like him pose to His flock. Sadly when this happens, most of us will have to reflect and reassess everything we think we know and believe. A lesson that the church sadly needs to learn still, is what do we do with the wolf and how do we administer to the victims and lead the blind safely out of this, especially, that we’ll be more knowledgeable and better prepared next time. You can quibble with what I’ve identified as appropriate language and direction but God has written all of this down for us 2 millennia ago, thankfully. Hopefully, we will defer to His wisdom in IHOPKC’s most dire time, giving the most vulnerable among us the benefit of any doubt.
I don’t like to use a lot of spiritual language but may God bless you and keep you, Chloe. You’ve blessed me with your writings and sadly I can identify with your reckonings. Alex
Mike cannot be trusted in leadership ever again. Repentance isn't the issue. When trust is broken, repentance/forgiveness can still occur, but they cannot be given the same trust they had.
Such an easy thing to do, put people on a pedestal. Maybe if we were more like the Bereans and checked all words by the scripture we may avoid this. I find a laziness in me to either love the words of a ministry I look up to or reject everything that comes from a ministry I'm not in love with. I think that to be a Berean we must reject falsehood from those we love but also accept truth from those we hold a less opinion of. Now writing this I also realize the folly in my how I let someone's views on scripture affect relationships or my ability to gather and accept truth from anyone who is sharing truth. Man this maturing process is so slow and I'm not sure I have enough years left to get it right before I leave this world. I think a good marker for us is to see how we treat people who don't share the same exegesis on subjects we do. Do we still truly love them or do we treat them with an indifference. Chloe I believe that the key you shared in your article is to keep Christ as the only one we look up to and to allow the Holy Spirit to continually search our heart for anything that stops our total dedication to following after Jesus undivided.
This is so good ! I love the word you used sifting. Thank you for being vulnerable and raw! It’s really difficult to decipher all of this. Thank you for sharing it actually helps give language for others.
This is so good. Praying for all the ihop kids. I think it's been tougher on y'all.
Love you Chloe, proud of you.
Thank you for writing this. I felt those lies of elitism and feeling less than because I knew God wanted me in “the marketplace” after my internship at ihopkc. I can’t imagine growing up in that culture- exhausting and confusing and so far from the heart of God. It was okay to desire something different other than 24/7 prayer and being an end times messenger. In fact- that may have not been the call of many, if at all. I think about all the people who bought into something that may have not been what God was calling them to at all. Praying that people will find healing and that they hear Gods voice in their lives. Again, thank you for sharing your experience and heart on the matter. Your voice is powerful!
Thank you for writing this. I am currently really struggling with this situation in ways that I don’t completely understand. Many of the teachings from IHOPKC were formative to me in my faith journey and I too am experiencing a “sifting”. To complicate things even more, my own childhood abuse is resurfacing in new ways as I learn that someone who I viewed as a safe person and good example has turned out to be an abuser himself. I am hopeful that the Lord will continue to bring healing to me, but currently life is feeling like too much.
Thank you for sharing Karen! I understand your struggle. I am trusting the Lord with the timing of the sifting. I, on my own, am unable to sift through everything all at once. I want the Lord to bring things up as needed and help me work through it.
As hard as it is to understand, truth spoken by a broken man is still truth. Meaning, that some (not all) of what Mike taught actually was the real bible. Some of his teaching really had a positive impact on my life. I need the Lord to help show me what needs to stay and what needs to go, in His timing. Hopefully that makes sense ❤️
I appreciated your article, however, I feel led to comment with the statement "The revelations about who Mike really is...a monster." What MB did was sinful/ungodly, however, his sins do not define him as a monster, in God's eyes. He's a broken human with roots that need healing/deliverance. Somewhere in his life, he has believed a lie. Caught in the snare of evil behavior. The kindness of God is exposing him for his own good/healing/deliverance. Nevertheless, who MB really is, is a son of God. Like you and me. We all fall short of the glory of God at different degrees. Some of us are in the lime light and fall harder. I believe the issue with people judging MB is that we idolized him (like I had). Who could ever believe THIS man could do such a thing? Well, he did and more than once. Am I shocked? Yes, but God is not. Does MB need to be called out? Absolutely. Held accountable? Yes, indeed. However, God wants us to get His proper perspective so that we do not eat from the Tree of Knowledge at get stuck: focusing on the wrongs, name calling, false definitions "monster" and become guilty ourselves of self-righteousness. Becoming suspicious of all spiritual leaders after MB exposure is normal when eating from that Tree (I know, I've been experiencing this myself). We need to to eat from the Tree of Life: God's perspective. MB is still a man after God's own heart. He is still a son of God. He is already forgiven. We just need to pray for MB to humble himself before God and man. That may take time, especially when an individual is caught in a snare/web.
Again, thank you for writing your thoughts and sharing them publically from your perspective. Your feelings are valid. I just felt led to share what I did.
With respect, ma'am, I don't think this is a timely word in its proper season, and it includes an assessment of Chloe's motivation and feelings that are off the mark, in my humble opinion.
Chloe, this was EXCELLENT. And very very healthy. You are a special young woman and I'm so glad to read your words.
I believe Jesus labeled people like Mike Bickle a wolf and warned us about them and the damage they inflict is wholly different than any other sin that could be wrought upon the church. Bickle disguised himself in sheep’s clothing and a contextual synonym here would be appropriately, monster. Mike Bickle used God and His Word to manipulate other people so he could devour them unrepentantly and is now the bitter root that has at the very least shook people to their foundations, and at his worst Mike Bickle will drive people from the pews and very sadly, from the faith. The most gracious and merciful thing we could do for the Bickles of this world is turn them over to the devil. God have mercy on Mike’s soul. He doesn’t need defending that he’s a sinner, Jesus put him in a very different category of sinners and took very seriously the threat that people like him pose to His flock. Sadly when this happens, most of us will have to reflect and reassess everything we think we know and believe. A lesson that the church sadly needs to learn still, is what do we do with the wolf and how do we administer to the victims and lead the blind safely out of this, especially, that we’ll be more knowledgeable and better prepared next time. You can quibble with what I’ve identified as appropriate language and direction but God has written all of this down for us 2 millennia ago, thankfully. Hopefully, we will defer to His wisdom in IHOPKC’s most dire time, giving the most vulnerable among us the benefit of any doubt.
I don’t like to use a lot of spiritual language but may God bless you and keep you, Chloe. You’ve blessed me with your writings and sadly I can identify with your reckonings. Alex
Mike cannot be trusted in leadership ever again. Repentance isn't the issue. When trust is broken, repentance/forgiveness can still occur, but they cannot be given the same trust they had.