“The full impact of IHOP on Grandview is growing daily, and playing a major transformative role in the City’s future. Many in the community feel that, because it is drawing new people, enthusiasm, homebuyers, and purchasing dollars to the City, that the IHOP movement may be one of the largest, most significant occurrences in the City for the past three-four decades.”
Earlier this week, I went to the Mike Bickle’s International House of Prayer (IHOP) at midnight and poked around for a couple of hours. There was a gigantic 24/7 prayer room filled mostly with teenagers, many of whom appeared to be of high school or college age. One young man I encountered, who was meditating on the personality traits of Jesus, told me that several of the young, trendy crowd were interns.
A band played hypnotic Christian music while the audience of 100 or so youth engaged in a diverse set of worship rituals. Some were seated, as if they were in a traditional church setting. Others danced and skipped, like they were in some sort of fundie rave. One youth twirled a purple fan, as if he were at a gay circuit party. About a quarter of the participants walked in a trance-like state through the aisles muttering to themselves — a practice that I had not seen before. Some of these youths walked non-stop for over an hour, with no signs of stopping to rest.
While the indoctrination of youth to the ghastly ideas of a dangerous cult was disconcerting, it wasn’t the only eyebrow raising experience. When I left the gigantic prayer room, I took a stroll outside the strip mall converted into the IHOP Mission Base. Once I moved past the prayer center there was a coffee shop and then a bookstore, which is all standard mega-church fare. I was a bit taken aback to see a fully decked out IHOP police car — as if this intolerant cult, which is key to the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), also known as the 7 Mountains Movement, had designs on self-government.
I walked a bit further and there were administrative offices which led to a fairly impressive media center. I had come to the end of the strip mall and was stunned to find Glad Heart Realty, which made me wonder if the fundies were trying to take over Grandview and turn it into the next Colorado Springs. With only 25,000 residents, IHOP could probably take over the politics of the entire city with a politically organized and motivated influx of 5,000-10,000 new residents. This would allow them to impose a form of Christian Sharia on the town and use it as a model for other small suburban cities.
Here is what the city wrote about the IHOP coming to town a few years ago:
The organization purchased 125 acres of land immediately adjacent to Interstate 49 in northern Grandview in 2009. Its future plans include an approximately 30 million dollar plus phase one investment that will include moving the core activities of its Mission Base (headquarters) to the new site. The initial activities include a 2500 seat 24/7 prayer room, a 5,000 seat weekend church and conference facility, and apartments for housing students and missionaries. International House of Prayer leadership intentions are that the new campus ultimately will result in a new village-like hub for the activities of the Mission Base as well as add new life, new activities and excitement for Grandview.
Grandview was extremely pleased in the IHOP decision to make the City the movement’s new “home.” Since the decision was made in 2008, the City has seen a rapid influx of IHOP-associated individuals and a “quickening” and positive upswing in hope and optimism for the future.
Perhaps this explains having a real estate firm ensconced on IHOP’s refurbished strip mall.
There is nothing illegal about a religious cult buying property. America is a free country and people can freely move anywhere they choose. However, the experience in Colorado Springs shows that many residents were not thrilled about having their town be overrun with intolerant fundies that changed the character of the town. According to NPR:
Not long ago, Colorado Springs was a fairly small typical Western town with a mix of military people, blue-collar workers and a few colorful characters looking to escape city life. But today, it’s a booming city that’s home to more than 100 evangelical Christian organizations.
Haggard came to Colorado Springs in 1984, and found what he calls a pastor’s graveyard. Only 10 percent of the people went to church and, what he says were pagan-style religions had a good-sized following.
“The mega suburban churches weren’t here at all, and there was a high percentage of New Age and satanic type of activity,” Haggard says.
Perhaps the people of Grandview truly want to become the next fundie haven. Or, maybe they don’t.
In any case, they should be aware of what is happening. Not only is IHOP located there, but they have an incestuous relationship with radical cleric Lou Engle’s The Call, which is in nearby Overland Park, KS. Additionally, Grandview is home to the notorious “ex-gay” organization Desert Stream Ministries, which has a worldwide reach with its Living Waters “pray away the gay” program. This group is known for practicing spiritual warfare with its leader, Andy Comisky writing:
“Satan delights in homosexual perversion because it not only exists outside of marriage, but it also defiles God’ very image reflected as male and female…Another related source of demonization is the homosexual relationship itself…That attachment and communion are indeed inspired, but their source is demonic.”
Beware Grandview and Kansas City. You have an aggressive, militant, angry, fundie cult growing under your nose. It’s time to wake up before you become the next Colorado Springs. Don’t be caught flat footed wondering, “How did this happen?”
Consider this your first warning. I’ll leave you with a few videos of the New Apostolic Reformation’s leaders and prophets. Folks, meet your potential new neighbors:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpy7iilu3rI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOjK8W15e_k&feature=fvst
