a message for 3 groups following alleged

Here we go again.

Another news of a Christian leader being investigated for inappropriate sexual behavior involving women he was not married to.

This time it’s Mike Bickle, the founder of the International House of Prayer of Kansas City (IHOPKC).

Unnamed women claimed they were not only victimized by Bickle, but also manipulated to maintain their silence. These allegations spanned decades.

How did this happen?

Why does it seem as though abuse keeps happening in the church?

How many other Christian ministers are secretly sleeping with someone else or violating some other Scripture while simultaneously maintaining a pious public persona?

Sexual and spiritual abuse by clergy is something I’ve written here and here. I felt compelled to address the allegations surrounding Bickle, but because I didn’t want to repeat myself, I only wrote the following after searching my heart.

The result is a brief message for three groups of people—leaders, their inner circles, and the rest of us.

1. Christian Leaders

Do you work as a pastor? Minister? Bible teacher? Kids’ church volunteer? Whether you preach in front of an audience of 5 or 5,000, whether you’re a musician, worship leader, author, or YouTuber, if there’s at least one person who has benefited from your ministry, then you’re a leader.

And if you’re a leader in the body of Christ, my plea is simple. Please live by the Word.

That means stop seducing others. Or worse, using Scripture to justify your actions or to manipulate fellow humans into subjugating their will under yours.

But since we all can miss the mark, if you’ve done any atrocious conduct, then stop sinning. Repent. This is the twin promise of 1 John 1:7 and 9, right? That the blood of Jesus is powerful enough to cleanse our sins, provided we confess said sins first?

Please don’t flirt with sin as though your action would somehow lead to no reaction. The God who blessed you with gifts and talents, who enabled you to build your platform, can easily expose your secret sins. “God is the judge. He puts down one, and exalts another” (Psalm 75:7, NKJV). As easily as He has promoted you to your current post, He can also demote you.

Besides, do you really aspire to stand before your Maker on Judgment Day, having to account for those who fell from their faith due to your failure to repent from your sins?

2. Inner Circles

On the day I heard about Bickle’s supposed indiscretions, I also received an email from a female leader in the body of Christ advising us on how to pray for these perilous times. This particular minister and Bickle ran in the same circles. However, to the best of my knowledge, this individual has no skeleton in her ministry closet. There has never been a scandal tainting her reputation.

But I still wondered. Did she know about Bickle’s sins and choose to remain silent? If they were close friends, how could she not know?

It’s hard to imagine prominent Christian leaders who transgressed, especially in a sexual manner and over time, could pull off a serial sin without anyone else being in the know.

So, here is my plea to executive assistants, regular assistants, accountability partners, close friends, elder boards, drivers to-and-from the airport—am I missing any title that needs to be added to this list?—if you are privy to a Christian leader’s ongoing sin, please prioritize God’s Word over any loyalty to that individual. 

Consider the crystal-clear warning Paul issued in 1 Corinthians 5:11: “But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is a sexually immoral person, or a greedy person, or an idolater, or is verbally abusive, or habitually drunk, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a person” (NASB).

If there is a Christian in your life whose behavior matches this verse, do something. At the bare minimum, confront the perpetrator (Matthew 18:15). Take another person (or two) if the latter ignores your one-on-one confrontation (Matthew 18:16). 

What if this intervention fails also? Raise a red flag for the church (Matthew 18:17). 

3. The Rest

I have no idea where you stand on faith matters. Maybe you’re a bystander believer, growing increasingly tired of two-faced Christians. Or maybe you’re an exvangelical, someone who left Evangelical Christianity. Perhaps you’ve been burned by a similar sex scandal involving your own church or minister.

Whichever category you’re in, may I exhort you to never lose your faith in Jesus? Don’t let mere humans (or their repulsive behavior) drag you out of your communion with the Son of God. No matter what happens, fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2). It’s tragic when those who are supposed to represent Him fail miserably. However, please don’t let their failures cheat you out of your eternal destiny.

But I also have a second ask.

Please refrain from plunging other ministers into the same hole as the questionable individual. Remember the female minister I shared about earlier? I had to stop myself from interrogating her in my head. Unless there is news stating otherwise, I refuse to convict her as complicit in Bickle’s behavior.

The same can be said regarding other prominent Christians in general. Let’s not squint our mental eyes and regard them with suspicion, as though every well-known Christian leads a double life.

Let’s not dismiss them all as hypocrites just because they’re both believers and famous.

And let’s pray for truth and healing to prevail: for survivors of Bickle’s alleged abusive acts, his family and theirs, as well as everyone else who is affected.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with them all (2 Corinthians 13:14).