Justice House of Prayer
Encyclopedia
Justice House of Prayer, commonly referred to as JHOP, is a Neocharismatic Christian
organization based in Kansas City
, Missouri
that focuses on continual prayer
. It was founded by Lou Engle
in 2004 and now has locations in five U.S. cities. They are in close association with the International House of Prayer-Kansas City
and TheCall
.
, Engle credits a series of dreams and visions with inspiring him to start a house of prayer in Washington D.C. JHOP has since opened branches in Washington D.C., Cambridge
, New York City
, San Diego
, and Montgomery
. They choose to operate in locations that are considered religiously
or politically liberal, rather than in more conservative
parts of the country. JHOP organizers attempt to locate their buildings near areas that they deem to be spiritually significant, such as the United States Supreme Court or Harvard University
.
Each location is staffed by a number of interns, also sometimes referred to as "prayer activists," who devote their time to bible study, prayer, and public demonstrations against abortion
. They often stand outside of courthouses with their mouths taped shut with red tape that has the word "Life" written on it. Their silent protests are designed to represent the silence of the unborn and what they perceive to be the silence of the American church regarding the issue of abortion. JHOP members also lead prayer meetings in front of abortion clinics, and the San Diego branch attempted to pray in front of every abortion clinic in California in 2008.
Some locations also practice Street Preaching
. Each location hosts regular prayer gatherings featuring harp and bowl
worship, as well. They occasionally host teams of staff members from IHOP-Kansas City for prayer or evangelism
initiatives. They have also raised money for children in need.
, and humanism
. JHOP members often attempt to spend long hours in focused prayer for these causes, sometimes praying all night. Members also regularly practice fasting
, occasionally for 40 consecutive days. Neocharismatic in theology
, JHOP members often interpret dreams
, speak in tongues
, and claim to have occasional visions.
newspaper Bay Windows accused JHOP of bigotry against the gay community, citing their practice of praying that same-sex marriage would not be legalized.
In 2008, a group of Christians regularly met for prayer meetings on a street in the Castro District, a prominent gay neighborhood of San Francisco. In November 2008, shortly after California Proposition 8
was passed, they were escorted out of the Castro District by San Francisco Police Department
riot police
after being surrounded by a crowd drawn from nearby bars. Initial media reports did not initially identify the affiliation of the group, although the Justice House of Prayer later claimed that members of their San Francisco location were the group in question.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
organization based in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
that focuses on continual prayer
Continual prayer
Perpetual prayer is the Christian practice of continuous prayer carried out by a group.-History:The practice of perpetual prayer was inaugurated by the archimandrite Alexander , the founder of the monastic Acoemetae or "vigil-keepers".Laus perennis was imported to Western Europe at Agaunum, where...
. It was founded by Lou Engle
Lou Engle
Lou Engle is a controversial American charismatic Christian leader, best known for his leadership of The Call and association with prominent members of the Christian Right. He also is a senior leader of the International House of Prayer and has planted several smaller houses of prayer...
in 2004 and now has locations in five U.S. cities. They are in close association with the International House of Prayer-Kansas City
International House of Prayer
The International House of Prayer is an evangelical charismatic Christian missions organization based in Kansas City and Grandview, Missouri that focuses on prayer, worship, and evangelism....
and TheCall
The Call (religion)
The Call is an organization which sponsors prayer meetings led by Lou Engle along with other Christian leaders pastors in the U.S.. The meetings request prayer and fasting by Christians in protest against issues such as same-sex marriage and legal access to elective abortion...
.
Practices
Initially founded in Washington D.C. to focus on prayer for the 2004 United States presidential electionUnited States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, Engle credits a series of dreams and visions with inspiring him to start a house of prayer in Washington D.C. JHOP has since opened branches in Washington D.C., Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, San Diego
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, and Montgomery
Montgomery, Alabama
Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...
. They choose to operate in locations that are considered religiously
Liberal Christianity
Liberal Christianity, sometimes called liberal theology, is an umbrella term covering diverse, philosophically and biblically informed religious movements and ideas within Christianity from the late 18th century and onward...
or politically liberal, rather than in more conservative
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
parts of the country. JHOP organizers attempt to locate their buildings near areas that they deem to be spiritually significant, such as the United States Supreme Court or Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
Each location is staffed by a number of interns, also sometimes referred to as "prayer activists," who devote their time to bible study, prayer, and public demonstrations against abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. They often stand outside of courthouses with their mouths taped shut with red tape that has the word "Life" written on it. Their silent protests are designed to represent the silence of the unborn and what they perceive to be the silence of the American church regarding the issue of abortion. JHOP members also lead prayer meetings in front of abortion clinics, and the San Diego branch attempted to pray in front of every abortion clinic in California in 2008.
Some locations also practice Street Preaching
Open-air preaching
Open-air preaching, street preaching or public preaching is the act of publicly proclaiming a religious message to crowds of people in open places...
. Each location hosts regular prayer gatherings featuring harp and bowl
Harp and bowl
The Harp and Bowl style of worship, which features musical prayer, derives its name from , which describes heavenly creatures which each "had a harp" and "were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints."...
worship, as well. They occasionally host teams of staff members from IHOP-Kansas City for prayer or evangelism
Evangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
initiatives. They have also raised money for children in need.
Beliefs
JHOP focuses on prayer for issues such as abortion, same-sex marriageSame-sex marriage
Same-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....
, and humanism
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
. JHOP members often attempt to spend long hours in focused prayer for these causes, sometimes praying all night. Members also regularly practice fasting
Fasting
Fasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
, occasionally for 40 consecutive days. Neocharismatic in theology
Christian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
, JHOP members often interpret dreams
Dream interpretation
Dream interpretation is the process of assigning meaning to dreams. In many ancient societies, such as those of Egypt and Greece, dreaming was considered a supernatural communication or a means of divine intervention, whose message could be unravelled by people with certain powers...
, speak in tongues
Glossolalia
Glossolalia or speaking in tongues is the fluid vocalizing of speech-like syllables, often as part of religious practice. The significance of glossolalia has varied with time and place, with some considering it a part of a sacred language...
, and claim to have occasional visions.
Controversy
In 2006, a writer for the Boston LGBTLGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
newspaper Bay Windows accused JHOP of bigotry against the gay community, citing their practice of praying that same-sex marriage would not be legalized.
In 2008, a group of Christians regularly met for prayer meetings on a street in the Castro District, a prominent gay neighborhood of San Francisco. In November 2008, shortly after California Proposition 8
California Proposition 8 (2008)
Proposition 8 was a ballot proposition and constitutional amendment passed in the November 2008 state elections...
was passed, they were escorted out of the Castro District by San Francisco Police Department
San Francisco Police Department
The San Francisco Police Department, also known as the SFPD and San Francisco Department Of Police, is the police department of the City and County of San Francisco, California...
riot police
Riot control
Riot control refers to the measures used by police, military, or other security forces to control, disperse, and arrest civilians who are involved in a riot, demonstration, or protest. Law enforcement officers or soldiers have long used non-lethal weapons such as batons and whips to disperse crowds...
after being surrounded by a crowd drawn from nearby bars. Initial media reports did not initially identify the affiliation of the group, although the Justice House of Prayer later claimed that members of their San Francisco location were the group in question.