I am deeply disappointed in this story. The implication that IHOP was connected is damaging to the school that has utterly CONDEMNED the action and is a student body and faculty crushed with grief. Your small part of Hood's statement is accurate but buried at the bottom. This group CAME to IHOP and had nothing actually to do with it. It's a place anyone can come, and maybe that hurt them, but outside the victim's family, I don't think anyone's suffering more.

IHOP distanced itself from Tyler Deaton but yet listed him as a group coordinator until November 4 when they removed his name from their board.

This is a very sad story and real investigation is underway at this point in time. Sorry for Bethany, sorry for her family. Not sorry for IHOP as this sexual perversion happened in the past with two other leaders an yet Mike Bickle retains close contact with them. Very sad.

Friends - run, don't walk from IHOP.

This person may have been rogue in the group, but for years it's been clear that the leadership has neither the maturity nor discernment to be in their positions. Add the weak understanding of both scripture and spiritual matters and this is a movement best to avoid.

One party's perversion of religion and religious practices does not imply that the every group they associate themselves with is also guilty. For example, Jim Jones was part of the Disciples of Christ mainline denomination. This doesn't in any way imply that the Disciples of Christ shared his warped lifestyle, beliefs or practices. Nor will you find the practice of poisoning yourself in the doctrine of the Disciples of Christ. Just because a gang of street kids comes to your school, it doesn't mean your school caused them to be a gang of street kids. Is it fair to imply that Mike Bickle, who's devoted his life to study of the Bible and prayer is immature or unqualified because of the evil practices of this deceived group from Texas?

I'm wondering if the 'woman pastor' whom the murderer was confessing to, actually knew of the sexual assaults beforehand and if so, why she didn't report them?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why is IHOP so controversial? It's not even a theological thing, everything about this ministry and Mike Bickle is and always has been in negative limelight? Could it be the Lord trying to expose them?

Well done Carol! This group of people have been living in community for many years, going back to Southwestern University in Texas. Should they be to blame because this group was leading campus sanctioned worship, prayer & bible study times? I should think not, unless there was a witnesses who kept quiet like at Penn State. But that doesn't seem to be the case at SWU nor IHOPU.

This is just another example of the high water of darkness that pervades the whole earth right now. And no area of society is immune, including deeply religious institution's. Is the whole Catholic Church evil because of the sexual sins that have happened in the last decade?

@ Carol....if Micah Moore was a former drug addict alcoholic turned successful doctor after IHOP, I'm sure IHOP and their supporters would be first to show off their "fruits". If the fruit's rotten, it's no longer theirs?

And which place do you think it's more likely to pick up a religious sex cult: Southwestern University, a secular liberal arts school...or IHOPU, an unaccredited, already cult-like bible "college" with a leader that obsesses about Song of Solomon? Although it's all speculation, I think the circumstantial evidence suggests Deaton et al were far more involved in and inspired by IHOP than IHOP will ever care to admit.

As a regular attender at IHOP-KC (but not on staff or anything) ... leadership started seeing red flags BEFORE Micah Moore went to the police and IHOPKC reported it to the police that there was suspicious activity regarding the death of Bethany Deaton.

For example, the day of Bethany's murder, pastoral leadership visited Tyler and those close to Bethany as soon as they heard of the "suicide." They found it strange that no one was grieving the loss of a friend they had know from Texas for at least 6 years. Does that sound strange to you??? It does to me and it did to leadership, and they went to the police who also stated that THEY were seeing red flags too and they didn't think this was an open and shut case. It was confirmed by other cult members (who have since left the group) that they were told that they couldn't grieve. Again, does that sound strange to you???

This side of the story isn't coming out at all in the news or blogs and furthermore, no one is getting Bethany's side of the story; I haven't seen anyone report how the parents haven't heard from her in over 9 months including not being ALLOWED to attend the wedding of her and Tyler. No one is reporting her side.

More is going to come out ... I also find it very interesting that (another thing you won't hear in the news) a large group of IHOPU students were completing a 21 day fast for breakthru on the day that Micah Moore confessed ... coincidence, hmmm. There is a lot more going on here that we don't see, but the Lord does ... the enemy isn't going to win this one.

With all sensitivity, Bob, the last thing this situation needs is to be darkened by conjecture, hypothetical reasoning, and lies. Everyone involved was deceived (self or otherwise). The value of truth, now, should be obvious.

I don't know everything, but I can confirm that Bethany's family (the Leidleins) attended the wedding earlier this year. While I appreciate your concern for her story, let's focus on truth and pray for grace. The weight of these events is nearly unfathomable.

To claim disdain against a religious organization becuase they shared in some negative limelight begs that the details be examined to even make such a presumption and cannot be a statement in and of itself to determine the biblical validity of a religious organization.
If anything we know that this gives opportunity to the liberal media and those who already fundamentally disagree with various doctrinal differences to "kick em when their down" in a vulnerable situation that conveniently draws attention away from the real details and facts to appeal to their own agendas.
Also we know that that all legitimate biblical ministry will most assuredly come to see the day of these so called "wolves in sheep clothing" type of situations. Jesus said that they would come in among believers, and the fact that they are sheep clothing implies their hiddeness. So situations like these arising amongst a body of believers who have no association with the cult members is inevitable according to the scripture. This is not to say that if a ministry has not experienced this that they are invalid. That is not what I am saying at all. But it certianly does not invalidate a ministry of whom it has happend.
Its funny how people demand invasion of privacy when a tragedy like this happens yet before or after demand that their privacy be protected and not violated. If the leadership did not fully know what was going on all along and someone thinks they should have, then they are really saying that ihop should be like a cult in order to expose a cult or ensure a subcult never forms. This is highly illogical reasoning. If they were to keep that tight of tabs on everyone then why ever trust the holy spirit or the maturation process of a believer.
Its very tragic what has happened, yes. But careful consideration needs to be taken to really understand the facts of the situation and to make an assessment, and even at that, all the facts are not even out and yet many are passing judement. This should not be so.

I think IHOP is part of the great apostasy of the end times. They are practicing "mystery religion" from Babylon with the mantra type singing, believing what angels say over the word of God, etc etc.
I'm not at all surprised about the sexual perversion and murder.

@Jay...can you at least concede my first point? That if something overwhelmingly positive happened with that Texas group, IHOP would be the first to take credit. It seems whenever something scandalous happens in religious institutions, they're first to say "they don't represent us", liberal media, yadda yadda. You can't have it both ways...either your parishioners represent you or they don't.

I'm waiting for all the facts myself, but in the meantime I'm not going to ignore the facts already on the table, all pointing to Tyler Deaton as far more involved with IHOP than IHOP has admitted to date.

Even if the "IHOP helped catch the killer" theory is true, and I've read nothing outside of comment sections to suggest it, it still implies IHOP and the Deaton clan were in close contact up to and after the murder, which IHOP and many of their supporters still won't admit.

I look forward to their scheduled statement today, and hope they don't choose to bear false witness to protect their image.

Just finished reading their statement, and they've stuck with the beyond-convenient "printer error" story, but it still doesn't all add up: If Deaton was not a part of small groups structure, only attending one meeting in May...why is the small groups leader checking up on them in June and October? What business would they have investigating an "entirely independent" group?

They admit they had concerns about this group, but won't address what those concerns were, only what they weren't: conveniently, nothing related to this case.

If Deaton had a leadership role or was more involved than IHOP suggests, the truth will come out..unless they run a tight enough ship to keep thousands of mouths shut. I now look forward to Tyler and his lackies' testimonies in court, because I strongly believe they won't match up with IHOP's account.

It is not difficult to know why IHOP checked on some of their students after a "suicide" Bob. That isn't a particularly damning question. I think the claim IHOP is making is that nothing this group was doing secretly was condoned by them. They had no idea that this group was having sex together and doing the twisted things that they were doing. IHOP would never condone the actions of this group as you well know. They stand very strongly for purity and for living sold out lives for God. You should rethink your tone.

Just because some people were doing bad things and were also a part of IHOP doesn't mean they IHOP is implicated any more than God is implicated in Adam and Eve's sin in the garden or in Cain's murder of Abel. Were the sick things going on in the Corinthian church is the "fruit" of Paul's ministry? All this means is that evil is pervasive and can even come in and stain beautiful things.

It does not surprise me that IHOP-KC and distancing themselves from this, it does not surprise me that Shelly Hundley a woman that was also molested from chioldhood all the way through her teenage years did not see this coming since she is has no creditials whatsoever. It amazes me how IHOP-KC will do this over and over again. Please I was part of their leadership before IHOP became IHOP-KC (because of a lawsuit mind you with IHOP the pancake house) and so many mind games from leadership to the many children that are pawned yearly to beleive the crap they shoot. I am closer to my heavenly Father today and Jesus because I did leave and stopped worshiping the leaders, bickle the worship teams in the prayer room and on and on and on.....please! Instead of walking in love (which by the way they have no idea what this is since they have never actually been loved by Papa) they walk in seperation, we are elite we are betterwe are chosen...oh please thank you for writing this piece thank you Lord for finally after so many years starting to open the eyes of city officials and the police and parents oh God open the eyes of those parents that are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to bring these children to wolves for the eating....please!

@rick there is a lot of comments on here that are not even true. Bethany's parents had heard from her in the past 9 months, her parents were not only at the wedding her father walked her down the aisle. I think you people need to get your facts straight before arguing a point you do not even know.

Mike in Seatle. I can't tell if you being sincere but if you are, I can hear your bitterness and hate for this group. I'm glad that you say that you are closer to our Heavenly Father but you cannot harbor that kind of bitter judgments and hate and have any hope of seeing eternal life. you have to forgive them just as Christ forgave you and gave his life for you. I'm sorry for your real or perceived offenses during your time at IHOP-KC but I ask you to please let go of the unforgiveness and bitterness and let Christ be the judge. thanks for listening.

IHOP, while not necessarily a cult itself, is a breeding ground out of which it is easy for cults to grow.

IHOP's theology should be a good enough reason distance one's self from them. Sexual assault and murder by one of their own, on the other hand...

After reading the comments above, I can see that many are full of hurt and bitterness and pain. It is painful to me to see all of the bitterness and accusation coming from this whole situation... especially in these posts here. I humbly implore you to read the following verses before commenting further and to ask the Father to reveal His heart for the situation.

Romans 12:19, 1 Corinthians 13, John 13:34-35, 1 John 3:16-18 ,2 John 1:6