The truth has to come out: ‘I had to confront what Mike was doing’

Elizabeth Zion Herder served in leadership and advisory roles at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City (IHOPKC) for 15 years, from 2002 to 2017. She remained part of the church community until 2022, when she and her family separated from IHOPKC due to significant, biblically irreconcilable issues, including unaddressed error, sin and abuse. Elizabeth spoke with deputy editor Jemimah Wright about exposing the abuse of IHOPKC founder, Mike Bickle

An independent investigation revealed in January 2025 that Mike Bickle engaged in sexual misconduct with 17 women, including minors, over several decades. The 68-page report by Firefly Independent Sexual Abuse Investigations details instances of abuse dating back to the mid-1970s, including allegations of rape.

Jemimah Wright (JW): Elizabeth, could you share a bit of how you first arrived at the International House of Prayer? 

Elizabeth Zion Herder (EZH): My family had started going to conferences, and that was my initial connection. So I was at the church in the late 90s. I ended up in the business sector while I took some Bible school classes at IHOPKC. I left Kansas City, but I came back in 2002 at Mike Bickle’s request to help IHOPKC on the operations and business side.