While I'm waiting on IHOP's response (which will probably take a while as it will need to go to proper personell), I thought you might find it interesting that Bickle is in support of the formation of an International Council for Ethical Accountability. (Source: [ministrytodaymag.com])

I didn't realize it before, but that article made me notice that you've probably got me in a bit of a deadlock. No independant pastors have anyone to be accountable to (formally, that is). So may I ask, if a pastor disagrees with mainstream denominations, but wants to start his own church, what exactly is he supposed to do for accountability, in your eyes?

A Heart for God:

You are attempting to ignore the points.

1. Democratically elected church government, i.e. boards voted upon by the general membership/participants of the church and/or ministry.

2. An independently audited financial statement published and distributed to upon request and to any contributors, workers, participants etc. that details all salaries and compensation paid out.

There is already a well-established ethical accountability council for evangelical churches.

See [www.ecfa.org]

It's called the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.

IHOP is not a member.

Bickle has no meaningful accountability.

I'm not ignoring your points. Did I not just say I was getting in contact with them?

Very simple points.

They don't have democratically elected church government with meaningful accountability to members, workers and donors.

They don't publish a detailed financial report that discloses all compensation and salaries paid out.

First off I am on fulltime as staff at IHOP-Atlanta, 7 days (actually nights) each week. Mike Bickle was here earlier this year, I liked him actually. All of this stuff about the Kansas City Prophets is old news, Mike has repudiated that stuff long ago, I had read all the articles rrmoderator had links to, and many more, I checked all this out because I am part of IHOP, I am there, now, 84+ hours a week, I am on the night watch (12AM-6AM) and I am present for the evening section and part of the day section as well. I am 42 years old. Ok then, I checked out everything, read with discernment, and then I checked to see if these things were so, and if so, were these things still being taught, lo these almost 20 years later? No, they aren't. Nextly, IHOP is [b:7d274c95a6]NOT[/b:7d274c95a6] a church, it is a ministry, and more precisely; a MISSIONS BASE. Everyone there, as far as I know, are members of or attend an actual church. You cannot even be considered for staff without getting a pastoral recomendation. Encounter services are held on Sunday evenings because so very few churches have evening services anymore, so this is less likely to conflict with your church. I don't get paid, if someone feels led to offer support, it goes to IHOP, IHOP writes a check, and keeps the records for me so I can pay my taxes, just like any other missionary. We pay rent and electricity just like any other ministry, and all the other little things, paper clips etc, needed to keep things rolling. If you feel like giving a couple hundred bucks or so, well then, I think you would have a right to ask where it is being spent. That being said; All the staff here are committed to living a fasted lifestyle, which as I am sure you have ascertained, involves fasting, but much deeper, simply put, we live simply, sermon-on-the-mount living. We seek after the heart of God, rather than [i:7d274c95a6]things[/i:7d274c95a6], and avoid the entanglements rampant with the spirit of this age (greed, avarice etc) we make a committment to personal holiness, because we are accountable to eachother, living consecrated lives, to be instant in season and out of season. So people know, when I am leading worship, or I am laying hands on someone, I am not involved in some gross sin, and I know and expect the same of others at our little HoP. I am accountable also to God. I did check the scriptures, and found no reference to an elected 'church' goverment, although lots were cast to decide a leadership position. I am a berean, and so is Bickle by the way and our director as well, here in Atlanta. Hopefully this generally answered some concerns, yet most probably raised others, I will answer any questions. But before you ask, no we don't drink poison kool-ade nor do we handle serpents. What we do, is fast and pray, for our city, our region and our nation, all the nations as well. We [b:7d274c95a6]continually[/b:7d274c95a6] lift praise and worship to God, since He is worthy of it, and we minister to the poor. Losing our own lives in the pursuit of the Giver of life.

chris.fitzpatrick:

OK so IHOP is dictatorship ruled over by Bickle, unlike the overwhelming majority of Protestant ministries and churches IHOP has no democratically elected board that can discipline Bickle.

Sounds like not much has changed since the bad press you mention.

According to the IHOP bylaws how could Mike Bickle be disciplined if he did something wrong? Explain the process per your understanding.

Does IHOP publish an independently audited annual financial report distributed to all contributors and ministry staff that details any and all salaries and compensation (e.g. to Bickle) paid out from IHOP funds?

Who do you pay rent to?

I did notice, but never mentioned before, that the IHOP website has a section for financial reports, but I can't seem to get it to work. I assume it's under construction or something.

Anyway, I think I'll let Mr. Fitzpatrick handle your questions as he is better equipped to.

These are very simple and basic questions about meaningful accountability and financial transparency.

Either a group has these features or it does not.

I agree. However, you have not yet stated to what degree financial transparency or Bickle's accountability should be held. Are financial reports posted locally as my church does? Is Bickle part of a localized ministerial association as my pastor is (and as the majority of independant churches/groups are? These are not questions with readily available information for someone who lives several hundred miles from IHOP, regardless of which of us are correct. It may be that they are not financially transparent, but I happen to know that they are currently in the middle of changing their accounting systems, with one or two "departments" still running on the old systems.

We are going around in circles.

The bottom line is Mike Bickle runs IHOP much like a kingdom. He is the king and has little if any meaningful accountability.

There is no meaningful financial transparency through annually published and independently audited financial statements. And apparently there are no bylaws and/or boards that can fire Bickle or oversee the IHOP's finances, disclosing in detail who gets paid what.

Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of religious organizations in the US, e.g. Protestant churches and ministries, are not run this way.

Over and over again religious groups, churches and ministries that are run like kingdoms get into trouble.

"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely"--seems to be the operating principle.