A New Sanctuary or the Same Old Deception?

The unseen forces pulling IHOPKC'S frayed strings of faith

Author’s note: This article, which includes my analysis of apparent attempts by IHOPKC to form a new church, has been updated to include Tikkun Global’s statement issued on Tuesday, July 2, 2024. Tikkun Global emphatically denies any knowledge of, or involvement with, the new IHOPKC-affiliated organization called Sanctuary Church.

A recent corporate filing has revealed the leaders of the International House of Prayer (IHOPKC) have established a new church, triggering fears that the new organization is already deploying deceptive practices.

Among the concerns is that this new organization may be creating the illusion of supernatural occurrences even before holding its first service to coerce followers, embodying the tactics that led to the Kansas City-based IHOPKC’s downfall.

Sanctuary Church was officially incorporated in Missouri on April 18 by IHOPKC leaders.

A recording surfaced last spring of Bennett and another IHOPKC leader, Matt Candler, announcing that IHOPKC was dissolving to avoid liability stemming from an alleged clergy sexual abuse scandal that implicates founder Mike Bickle and the culture he created within the internationally known organization.

Sanctuary Church’s incorporation documents list Isaac Bennett, IHOPKC’s executive leader, as the registered agent and the location of the new church as the coffee shop at the former IHOP University Campus. Bennett’s wife, Morgan, and Candler are Sanctuary Church’s other incorporators.

But the document that legally created Sanctuary Church appears riddled with red flags.

‘DIDN’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS’

Perhaps the most problematic aspect of Sanctuary’s “Articles of Incorporation” appears to be the misleading impression that a prominent international Messianic Jewish organization supports the new iteration of IHOPKC.

A Messianic Jewish congregation is a community of Jewish and Gentile believers who follow Yeshua (Jesus) as the Messiah while maintaining a Jewish identity and lifestyle. These congregations blend elements of Jewish tradition with faith in Jesus as the Messiah, creating a unique worship experience that pays honor to their Jewish heritage.

The incorporation papers list “Tikkun Ministries” as a 50% beneficiary of the nonprofit's assets in the event it dissolves. Tikkun Ministries seems to be the prior name of Tikkun Global.

Naming a nonprofit as a beneficiary to assets normally involves obtaining the organization’s consent to avoid legal disputes and indicates that Tikkun Global has a strong financial interest in the new church.

But a senior Tikkun leader told me that he learned about the arrangement after receiving a list of questions I had emailed them.

“This caught everyone in Tikkun by surprise,” said Ron Cantor, former Tikkun CEO. “They didn’t know anything about this.”

Cantor, who is based in Israel, said because of the time difference he wanted to wait before releasing a more definitive statement.

On Tuesday morning, Tikkun released a follow-up statement signed by its seven most senior leaders, including Tikkun Global President Asher Intrater. In addition to confirming Cantor’s prior assertions, the Tikkun leaders also announced that they had contacted an unidentified signer of the Sanctuary Church document and requested the removal of Tikkun’s name.

IHOPKC leaders did not respond to a list of written questions regarding Sanctuary Church.

Since late October, at least four victims have come forward with allegations of clergy sexual abuse—two of them minors at the time of the alleged abuse.

Those allegations coincided with claims that sexual, psychological, and financial abuses ran rampant throughout the internationally known IHOPKC.

Founded in 1999, the International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOPKC) aimed to hasten the second coming of Christ and the conversion of Israel to Christianity through continuous, night and day prayer and worship. IHOPKC garnered an international reputation for its claims of supernatural revelation, extreme devotion, and sacrificial living.

But within six months of the October allegations, the organization imploded—soon after former supporters deemed the institution to have cult-like tendencies.

MANIPULATING FROM THE SHADOWS?

Cantor has been a vocal critic of IHOPKC on social media.

The false implication that Tikkun Global, the real name of the ministry, aligns or supports the actions and values of Sanctuary could potentially damage Tikkun’s reputation and trustworthiness, leading to confusion among stakeholders and donors.

The effective date of Sanctuary Church’s incorporation coincides with its filing date, April 18, 2024 — but it was signed weeks earlier.

A month after the paper work was filed, Judy L. Thomas of the Kansas City Star published a story revealing that the date on Paul Cain's mother's death certificate was dated April 19.

April 18 holds significant importance in IHOPKC’s “prophetic history,” a powerful narrative that reinforced IHOPKC's control over its followers.

Paul Cain, a so-called prophet and an IHOPKC founding figure, emphasized that April 18 was the date his mother died and linked it to a scripture about the Old Testament Prophet Elijah to bolster his prophetic authority.

Bickle seems to have strategically used the April-18 date, making it synonymous with divine approval and stilling questions for fear of opposing God's will.

It's not the first time IHOPKC has stamped official paperwork with April 18.

In 2021, IHOPKC seemingly donated 45 acres of land to Bickle's dormant nonprofit, House of Prayer Ministries. Created in 2015, House of Prayer Ministries aims to spread Christianity through real estate development.

The donated land, valued at $800,000 on House of Prayer Ministries' tax return, includes a 7-bedroom house. Another organization, Return Ministries, appears to be occupying the property.

Additionally, the filing for the new church lists Hope City as Sanctuary’s other beneficiary.

Bickle’s relatives operate Hope City, presenting an apparent conflict of interest. It might suggest that the decision to put Hope City on the filing was intended to grant Bickle’s close circle significant financial benefits rather than serving Sanctuary Church’s best interests.

The familial ties between Hope City, an IHOPKC inner-city ministry, and Mike Bickle could also imply ongoing influence as IHOPKC shutters ministries and divests itself of a sizable real estate portfolio worth an estimated $30 million.