Mike Bickle
Encyclopedia
Mike Bickle is an American
Evangelical
Christian leader best known for his leadership of the International House of Prayer
(IHOP-KC). As the leader of IHOP-KC Bickle oversees several ministries and a Bible school. Bickle has written a number of books and served as the pastor of multiple churches.
student conference in Estes Park, Colorado. After listening to Dallas Cowboys
quarterback, Roger Staubach
speak of his "personal relationship with Jesus," Bickle committed himself to become an evangelical Christian.
After serving as a pastor in several evangelical churches in St. Louis, Mike moved to Kansas City to start the Kansas City Fellowship (now known as Metro Christian Fellowship) in November of 1982. Eventually, Metro Christian Fellowship joined the Association of Vineyard Churches
led by John Wimber
in 1990 and remained a part of that association of churches until 1996. During his tenure as the pastor of Metro Christian Fellowship, Bickle pastored a group known to both detractors and supporters as the "Kansas City Prophets" that, by some accounts, included Bob Jones, Paul Cain, John Paul Jackson, and others. Bickle asserted no formal group known as the "Kansas City Prophets" ever existed, but that the term "clustered a whole bunch of personalities into one group and one stereotype."
During his ministry, Bickle claims to have had several encounters with God, including hearing the audible voice of God and being taken to heaven
in a theophany
.
In 1999, Bickle left the church that he was pastoring, then a megachurch
of over three thousand members, in order to start the International House of Prayer
(also known by its acronym IHOP or by IHOP-KC). IHOP is most well-known for its daily prayer meetings based on its "harp and bowl
" worship model that are held 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year since September 19, 1999. IHOP also established a Bible college
, known as the International House of Prayer University and several internships for young adults. In addition to these training programs, IHOP also organizes various evangelism and charitable programs locally and internationally. The ministry currently consists of approximately 2,000 full-time staff members, students, and interns.
Bickle organizes the annual onething
conference at the Kansas City Convention Center. In 2010, the event saw over 25,000 young adults attend. The conference focuses on worship music and sermons on prayer, evangelism, and Christian eschatology
.
Bickle is known for dressing casually while preaching and his avoidance of "charismatic self-referentiality. He consciously avoids endorsing prosperity theology
and attempts to live a modest lifestyle.
, the Great Commission, spiritual gifts, and the Bible
with a particular emphasis on the books of Song of Songs
and Revelation
.
In 1988 Bickle began studying the Song of Songs, a book that he had dismissed in the past as being only for women. He interprets the Song of Songs as an allegory of the relationship between individual Christians and God. After studying this book for several years, he began to focus his ministry primarily on the Great Commandment
.
Bickle teaches extensively on prayer. Bickle began teaching on the Tabernacle of David in 1983 after an experience in which he claims to have heard the audible voice of God. He encourages churches and Christian ministries to develop a "culture of prayer" by developing continuous worship and prayer.
Bickle has also focused some of his teaching on God's spiritual purposes for Israel. He believes that it is important for Christians to pray for the spiritual salvation of the Jews.
Bickle also focuses much of his teaching on Christian eschatology
. He has taught extensively about the Millennium
, advocating historical premillennialism. Bickle believes that the Second Coming of Christ can occur within the next hundred years though he is quick to relate that no one can know the timing of Jesus' return with certainty.
though neither has been involved with Bickle's ministry for several years as a result.
In 1990 Kansas City pastor Ernie Gruen published a report entitled "Documentation of the Aberrant Practices and Teaching of the Kansas City Fellowship (Grace Ministries)". After the publication of this document, Bickle announced that he was submitting to John Wimber's
oversight and joined the Association of Vineyard Churches
in part to address the issues raised by his critics. Bickle later noted that "We were tempted to say that the attacks were all of the devil. In retrospect, we see that God’s hand in all of this - even using the things that came from Satan’s hand as well. Some of the criticisms were valid (especially concerning our pride) others were not."
Bickle's ministry has since been endorsed by several high profile American Evangelical leaders, including Dr. Jack W. Hayford, Loren Cunningham
, Jack Deere
, and C. Peter Wagner
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
Christian leader best known for his leadership of the International House of Prayer
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....
(IHOP-KC). As the leader of IHOP-KC Bickle oversees several ministries and a Bible school. Bickle has written a number of books and served as the pastor of multiple churches.
Ministry
Mike Bickle became an evangelical Christian when he was fifteen when his football coach paid his way to a Fellowship of Christian AthletesFellowship of Christian Athletes
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes is a non-profit interdenominational Christian organization founded in 1954 and that has been based in Kansas City, Missouri since 1956. It falls within the tradition of Muscular Christianity. Although established by evangelical Protestants, the concept has...
student conference in Estes Park, Colorado. After listening to Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
quarterback, Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
speak of his "personal relationship with Jesus," Bickle committed himself to become an evangelical Christian.
After serving as a pastor in several evangelical churches in St. Louis, Mike moved to Kansas City to start the Kansas City Fellowship (now known as Metro Christian Fellowship) in November of 1982. Eventually, Metro Christian Fellowship joined the Association of Vineyard Churches
Association of Vineyard Churches
The Association of Vineyard Churches, also known as the Vineyard Movement, is a neocharismatic evangelical Christian denomination with over 1,500 affiliated churches worldwide....
led by John Wimber
John Wimber
John Richard Wimber was a musician, charismatic pastor and one of the founding leaders of the Vineyard Movement, a neocharismatic Evangelical Christian denomination which began in the USA and has now spread to many countries world-wide.-Life and ministry:John Richard Wimber was the son of Basil...
in 1990 and remained a part of that association of churches until 1996. During his tenure as the pastor of Metro Christian Fellowship, Bickle pastored a group known to both detractors and supporters as the "Kansas City Prophets" that, by some accounts, included Bob Jones, Paul Cain, John Paul Jackson, and others. Bickle asserted no formal group known as the "Kansas City Prophets" ever existed, but that the term "clustered a whole bunch of personalities into one group and one stereotype."
During his ministry, Bickle claims to have had several encounters with God, including hearing the audible voice of God and being taken to heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
in a theophany
Theophany
Theophany, from the Ancient Greek , meaning "appearance of God"), refers to the appearance of a deity to a human or other being, or to a divine disclosure....
.
In 1999, Bickle left the church that he was pastoring, then a megachurch
Megachurch
A megachurch is a church having 2,000 or more in average weekend attendance. The Hartford Institute's database lists more than 1,300 such Protestant churches in the United States. According to that data, approximately 50 churches on the list have attendance ranging from 10,000 to 47,000...
of over three thousand members, in order to start the International House of Prayer
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....
(also known by its acronym IHOP or by IHOP-KC). IHOP is most well-known for its daily prayer meetings based on its "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 model that are held 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year since September 19, 1999. IHOP also established a Bible college
Bible college
Bible colleges are institutions of higher education that specialize in biblical studies. Curriculum is Bible-based and differs from that of liberal arts colleges or research universities. Bible colleges generally exclude the study of philosophy, unlike seminaries and theological colleges...
, known as the International House of Prayer University and several internships for young adults. In addition to these training programs, IHOP also organizes various evangelism and charitable programs locally and internationally. The ministry currently consists of approximately 2,000 full-time staff members, students, and interns.
Bickle organizes the annual onething
Onething conference
Onething is an annual Christian conference put on by the International House of Prayer every December at the Bartle Hall Convention Center in Kansas City, MO.-Themes:...
conference at the Kansas City Convention Center. In 2010, the event saw over 25,000 young adults attend. The conference focuses on worship music and sermons on prayer, evangelism, and Christian eschatology
Christian eschatology
Christian eschatology is a major branch of study within Christian theology. Eschatology, from two Greek words meaning last and study , is the study of the end of things, whether the end of an individual life, the end of the age, or the end of the world...
.
Bickle is known for dressing casually while preaching and his avoidance of "charismatic self-referentiality. He consciously avoids endorsing prosperity theology
Prosperity theology
Prosperity theology or gospel is a Christian religious belief whose proponents claim the Bible teaches that financial blessing is the will of God for Christians. Most teachers of prosperity theology maintain that a combination of faith, positive speech, and donations to Christian ministries will...
and attempts to live a modest lifestyle.
Theology
Bickle's teachings have primarily focused on prayer, worship, fasting, the Great CommandmentThe Great Commandment
The Great Commandment is a Christian film directed by Irving Pichel, which portrays the conversion to Christianity of a young Zealot, Joel, and the Roman soldier Longinus through the teachings of Jesus in his Parable of the Good Samaritan. It was co-produced by Rev. James K. Friedrich and released...
, the Great Commission, spiritual gifts, and the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
with a particular emphasis on the books of Song of Songs
Song of songs
Song of Songs, also known as the Song of Solomon, is a book of the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. It may also refer to:In music:* Song of songs , the debut album by David and the Giants* A generic term for medleysPlays...
and Revelation
Revelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
.
In 1988 Bickle began studying the Song of Songs, a book that he had dismissed in the past as being only for women. He interprets the Song of Songs as an allegory of the relationship between individual Christians and God. After studying this book for several years, he began to focus his ministry primarily on the Great Commandment
The Great Commandment
The Great Commandment is a Christian film directed by Irving Pichel, which portrays the conversion to Christianity of a young Zealot, Joel, and the Roman soldier Longinus through the teachings of Jesus in his Parable of the Good Samaritan. It was co-produced by Rev. James K. Friedrich and released...
.
Bickle teaches extensively on prayer. Bickle began teaching on the Tabernacle of David in 1983 after an experience in which he claims to have heard the audible voice of God. He encourages churches and Christian ministries to develop a "culture of prayer" by developing continuous worship and prayer.
Bickle has also focused some of his teaching on God's spiritual purposes for Israel. He believes that it is important for Christians to pray for the spiritual salvation of the Jews.
Bickle also focuses much of his teaching on Christian eschatology
Christian eschatology
Christian eschatology is a major branch of study within Christian theology. Eschatology, from two Greek words meaning last and study , is the study of the end of things, whether the end of an individual life, the end of the age, or the end of the world...
. He has taught extensively about the Millennium
Millennialism
Millennialism , or chiliasm in Greek, is a belief held by some Christian denominations that there will be a Golden Age or Paradise on Earth in which "Christ will reign" for 1000 years prior to the final judgment and future eternal state...
, advocating historical premillennialism. Bickle believes that the Second Coming of Christ can occur within the next hundred years though he is quick to relate that no one can know the timing of Jesus' return with certainty.
Reception
Various criticisms of aspects of Bickle's theology and ministry practices exist. Aspects of his ministry which have been particularly controversial include his view of the prophetic ministry today. Most of the criticism involving Bickle's ministry, however, focuses on the sexual activities of some of the ministers that were closely connected with his ministry in the 80s and 90s, including Bob Jones and Paul CainPaul Cain (minister)
Paul Cain is a Pentecostal Christian minister involved with both neo-charismatic churches and the Charismatic Movement. As a young man he was one of the Voice of Healing revivalists of the 50s. Cain currently resides in California and ministers monthly at a local church in Santa...
though neither has been involved with Bickle's ministry for several years as a result.
In 1990 Kansas City pastor Ernie Gruen published a report entitled "Documentation of the Aberrant Practices and Teaching of the Kansas City Fellowship (Grace Ministries)". After the publication of this document, Bickle announced that he was submitting to John Wimber's
John Wimber
John Richard Wimber was a musician, charismatic pastor and one of the founding leaders of the Vineyard Movement, a neocharismatic Evangelical Christian denomination which began in the USA and has now spread to many countries world-wide.-Life and ministry:John Richard Wimber was the son of Basil...
oversight and joined the Association of Vineyard Churches
Association of Vineyard Churches
The Association of Vineyard Churches, also known as the Vineyard Movement, is a neocharismatic evangelical Christian denomination with over 1,500 affiliated churches worldwide....
in part to address the issues raised by his critics. Bickle later noted that "We were tempted to say that the attacks were all of the devil. In retrospect, we see that God’s hand in all of this - even using the things that came from Satan’s hand as well. Some of the criticisms were valid (especially concerning our pride) others were not."
Bickle's ministry has since been endorsed by several high profile American Evangelical leaders, including Dr. Jack W. Hayford, Loren Cunningham
Loren Cunningham
Loren Duane Cunningham , is a co-founder of the international Christian missionary organization Youth With A Mission and the University of the Nations. Cunningham founded YWAM in the United States of America in 1960 with his wife Darlene Cunningham at the age of 24...
, Jack Deere
Jack Deere
Jack Deere is a charismatic pastor and theologian from the USA.He was an associate professor of Old Testament at Dallas Seminary, a bastion of cessationism, the doctrine that the charismatic gifts of the Spirit, such as tongues, prophecy and healing, ended at the close of the 1st century...
, and C. Peter Wagner
C. Peter Wagner
Charles Peter Wagner Christian missionary, writer, teacher, and church growth specialist, notable for his controversial spiritual warfare practices and beliefs...
.
Books
Books written by Mike Bickle- Dynamic Intercession by Mike Bickle ISBN 0850098068
- Passion for Jesus: Perfecting Extravagant Love for God by Mike Bickle (1994) ISBN 088419258X
- Growing in the Prophetic by Mike Bickle (1996/2008) ISBN 9781599793122
- The Pleasures of Loving God by Mike Bickle (2000) ISBN 0884196623
- After God's Own Heart by Mike Bickle (2003) ISBN 1591852307
- The Rewards of Fasting by Mike Bickle and Dana Candler (2005) ISBN 0977673812
- The Seven Longings of the Human Heart by Mike Bickle and Deborah Hiebert (2006) ISBN 0977673847
- Loving God by Mike Bickle (2007) ISBN 9781599791753
- Passion for Jesus: Cultivating Extravagant Love for God by Mike Bickle (2007) ISBN 9781599790602