Kansas City Church Raising Funds To ‘Redeem’ Scandal-Plagued IHOPKC’s Property
A burgeoning multi-ethnic church based just east of Kansas City is raising $2 million to purchase two key properties owned by the scandal-plagued International House of Prayer Kansas City.
These include IHOPKC’s former sanctuary and a nearby property that matches the description of a former children’s center, but neither were officially listed. Leaders at The City KC, located in Raytown, leapt at the possibility of moving to prime real estate in Grandview, 11 miles away in Kansas City’s southern suburbs.
“Two incredible properties in Grandview, Missouri sitting on more than 38 acres of land have become available,” The City KC Pastor Armour Stephenson III said in a fundraising video this week.
The first, a 52,000-square-foot building with a 1,400-seat sanctuary, is the former Forerunner Church on Grandview Road. Another unspecified property “a few blocks away,” he said, has 30 acres of land with a building with a large auditorium, classrooms, offices, and a full commercial kitchen. This was IHOPKC’s Children’s Equipping Center.
“This is a redemptive moment,” Stephenson said. “The very spaces the enemy once tried to destroy, God is now positioning his people to redeem, to bring purpose and power back into the places that were always meant for his glory.”
At first, Stephenson requested $500,000 to secure the two properties.
But he later added a segment to his video saying he’d met with IHOPKC’s chief financial officer and now needed $2 million. The church hopes to raise the money by Dec. 15, according to its fundraising website.
“We need a little more cash,” Stephenson said in his video, “actually, a lot more. . . . Before you panic, I want you to hear me out. This ain’t no setback, baby. This is a time for our faith to be stretched.”
Stephenson didn’t state whether the $2 million is a full cash payment or a down payment. TRR reached out to Stephenson, but he didn’t immediately respond.
TRR also reached out to IHOPKC’s CFO Eric Oppriecht and Executive Director Joseph Taylor, but neither responded.
TRR couldn’t find any public sale listings for IHOPKC’s properties in this area. However, Jackson County records show a $848,000 market value for Forerunner Church’s property, with an additional $415,000-valued parking lot next to it. The building and 28-acre property that used to house IHOPKC’s now-closed Children’s Equipping Center, also on Grandview Road, is valued at over $1.1 million, county records show.
Jackson County property listings show six additional IHOPKC-owned properties throughout Kansas City and outlying suburbs to also house its prayer room, offices, and now-closed IHOP University.
Property sales
IHOPKC has been dwindling in size since October 2023, when accusations surfaced that its founder Mike Bickle sexually abused multiple women, including minors.
A third-party investigation reported that he abused 17 women and that other IHOPKC leaders “shielded perpetrators.” At one point in 2024, IHOPKC was bleeding $500,000 a month and would have to let go of 90% of its staff to continue, The Roys Report (TRR) previously reported.
Plans were to close its ministry completely and open under a new name to avoid legal liability, which the church ultimately didn’t do. IHOPKC is also being sued by an adult on behalf of a minor who was allegedly abused at an IHOPKC-hosted youth retreat.
The church now is apparently selling off its real estate. Given its history with abuse, former IHOPKC staff are calling for the 24/7 ministry to be above-board in handling these property sales.
“I would like it to be transparent because they are a tax-exempt organization,” said former prayer room staffer Susan Tyrrell. “Because they don’t even have to file a 990 as a church, I have lots of concerns, absolutely.”
Tyrrell has been researching and documenting IHOPKC’s building sales, including a sale of IHOPKC apartments last year, for her Substack Dr. Denouement.
Last year, Forerunner Church, one of the properties The City KC hopes to purchase, closed, along with all its other ministries except for its nearby prayer room.
But “the enemy” will not deter IHOPKC’s buildings from fulfilling God’s work if Stephenson, who also goes by Pastor AD3, has anything to say about it.
‘Sacred ground’
Stephenson said in his fundraising video that The City KC has been outgrowing its church building for the past few years and needs a new space. He also has a vision to transform both Kansas City and the world through a campaign called Aroma.
“The AROMA Campaign is how we turn vision into reality — by building a house big enough for generations to encounter Jesus, discover purpose, and spread His fragrance across Kansas City and beyond,” the church’s website states. “It’s not just about raising money. We are also raising capacity — for Jesus to change everything, everywhere.”
These IHOPKC properties are a key piece of making this happen, Stephenson said in his fundraising video.
“They are sacred ground for the next season of revival, discipleship and leadership development in Kansas City and even beyond,” Stephenson said.
This article was originally published by The Roys Report.
Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado.