IHOPKC Removes Prominent Prophet Bob Hartley From Prayer Room After Multiple Allegations of Sexual Misconduct, Abuse
The embattled International House of Prayer, reeling from recent sexual misconduct allegations against founder Mike Bickle, announced that prominent prophet and long-time ministry friend Bob Hartley will no longer be permitted access to the prayer room following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse spanning a decade. IHOP Spokesman Eric Volz made the announcement on X:
Bob Hartley is the founder and president of Hartley Hope Ministries, which “serves to train and equip believers with spiritual tools and resources to bring forth hope to the world.”
Known in NAR circles as a gifted prophet who has traveled the world and rubbed shoulders with the who’s who of vision-casting apostles, Hartley has been involved with IHOP and Bickle since the beginning. Before founding IHOP, Hartley and Bickle were two pastors at Metro Christian Fellowship church, laboring together for the kingdom. A successful business man, Hartley was instrumental in founding IHOP by providing much of the funding for the mission, even giving the original House of Prayer building to Bickle. A friend and long-time financial supporter of IHOP, it was only two days ago that he attended IHOP’s prayer rooms and led prayer, something he’s done many times over the years.
Not at all detached from the situation since the news broke, according to Hartley’s son Jedidiah, his father was “recruiting others to be a part of the Mike Bickle “restoration team” just within the last few weeks, and is even currently living with Luke Bickle, Mike’s son.
He’s also been accused by nearly a dozen women of harassment and sexually exploitive behavior going back almost a decade.
From soliciting pictures and sexual favors for money all the way to allegations rape and sexual abuse, Hartley has been operating as a predator for years, and many are accusing IHOP leadership of covering it up or turning a blind eye.
One woman who has been sounding the alarm is Michelle Seidler, a former Prophetic Teacher/ Team Leader at the International House of Prayer who has previously ministered with him. Seidler has been documenting women coming forward and making complaints about Hartley since 2016, but only in the last few months have the receipts come. She explains on her Facebook:
For the last 7 years there have been numerous attempts made for Bob to be made accountable ( Matthew 18 & more) and to stop his behavior of preying on women. It started with me in 2016, and at that time several leaders knew of Bobs behavior. At that time they banned him from ministering at their churches, but nothing was done to stop him from doing what he was doing. No one wanted to deal with Bob, that includes Mike Bickle.
A few years later, a woman who didn’t even know my story reached out to me asking me for counsel because of what Bob was doing to her. It was then also uncovered that he was doing the same thing to at least 4 other women. Once again, leaders in the body of Christ were notified, including IHOPKC, and once again nothing was done.
One of Hartley’s go-to manipulations has been engaging with women and then telling them he has a word from God for them, using his reputation as a prophet of personal gratification, gain, and a potential in to seduce and woo women.
When he’s not doing this, he’s openly soliciting them for sex.
In fact, on the same day that he was sending messages, he was praying at the mic in IHOP’s prayer room.
When he’s not begging for sex like some creepy degenerate, he’s sending women pictures of himself in suggestive and inappropriate poses.
There really are no bounds to his perverse behavior. One alleged message reads:
Then there’s the videos he sends. According to Seidler “The woman whom this video was set to met Bob once, at his home with a group of other people he was prophesying over. She does NOT know Him. She never engaged with him in any other way. He reached to her and sent this through Messenger. AND.. He sent this video after sending her several messages, and her refusing to send him a video of her or meet with him. More than this video, In a separate text, he also asked how much money she wanted, and he would put it in a bag for her and meet her wherever she wanted.”
His friends and ministry partners have seen this too. Johnny Enlow. (left) a friend of both Mike Bickle (middle) and Hartley (right) has released a statement against him, writing:
Bob has been a brother in Christ that we have loved through many years, since first receiving prophetic ministry from him around 2010…After his divorce we stayed in touch with Bob periodically, becoming more aware of his health challenges and what seemed to be significant mental issues. From afar we would occasionally hear from different individuals who worked close to him at different times, all with similar concerns that he was not correctable and erratic in many ways…We weren’t aware of the extent of Bob’s actions until what has been recently voiced by who we believe to be credible women. Throughout the years we have known Bob he has had significant health challenges, surgery, hospital stays, etc.
Even in the midst of that, as recently as a couple of years ago, we expressed our extreme concern to Bob and Johnny communicated clearly based on one story we had heard, that Bob was a predator, needed to remove himself from any ministry, repent to that person, and get help
…Bob initially was very angry and threatened us, but then seemed remorseful in some way. Honestly, we have prayerfully considered what to do, if anything, since then. Now as we read the voices of these women who have been groomed, manipulated, and abused by Bob—we are proud of them for speaking out and bravely speaking truth.
Likewise, Dave Thomas, a former board member of Deeper Waters, one of Hartley’s ministries, confirms that allegations of sexual misconduct were made against Hartley, and that he resigned as a result. (click to enlarge)
Last of all is Hartley’s words. He recently shared a rambling and, at times, barely coherent video, saying that he’s aware there are compromising pictures and videos of him out there, along with accusations of criminal sexual abuse.
He confesses, “I did make some mistakes” and shares that in the throes of a “mid-life crisis” where he was not in his “best place,” he had “a few relationships” that “were consensual” and which he’s “repented” of.
At the same time, he also insists that because his password is easy to guess, he’s been hacked by malicious actors who doctored much the content being ascribed to him and that you can’t believe all you here.
Finally, Hartley acknowledges the legitimacy of the previous video of him propositioning a woman. Sounding sheepish and embarrassed, he offers, “I’m not going to deny that,” and offers that he did it because he is a “broken man.” Still, he does deny that he ever forced himself on anyone to rape them, insisting he’s going to sue anyone for defamation who repeats that vicious lie.
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Seems we need to be asking here what the proper boundaries should be in seeking to expose the deeds of darkness that these wolves engage in.
Take no part in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. (Ephesians 5:11-12)
At what point in “bringing the goods” do we cross the line into salacious reporting?
Oh, good grief – that’s awful. This guy is the poster child for church wolves everywhere. Thank God his morally reprehensible acts have come back on him.
Um, he should have seen this coming….