Lately resigned Kansas Metropolis Worldwide Home of Prayer worship chief Misty Edwards, who denied in January that she was a sufferer of abuse by ministry founder Mike Bickle, has been accused of getting a long-term relationship with fellow worship artist Kevin Prosch, who allegedly blackmailed her throughout the relationship.
Edwards, recognized for albums like “Relentless,” denied the allegations in The Roys Report, which first reported them on Wednesday. She additionally mentioned she resigned from her employees function at IHOPKC final week with plans to maneuver to Israel and serve in prayer homes there.
The allegations in opposition to Edwards come from Brent Steen, a former worker of IHOPKC and Bickle's private Pals of the Groom ministry. Steeno mentioned Edwards was additionally serving as his supervisor when she informed him in December 2021 in regards to the relationship with Prosch, which allegedly started round 2014 earlier than Prosch and his second spouse divorced in 2016.
Throughout this time, Prosch and Edwards have been mentioned to be ingesting alcohol and utilizing medication. They have been reportedly charged as soon as along with public intoxication throughout a visitors cease in 2018.
Steeno supplied proof to TRR, together with textual content messages supporting his declare that Edwards confessed to him that she had an on-and-off affair with Prosch that started round 2014. Edwards informed him that her relationship with Prosch turned coercive over time after Prosch recorded her revelation. a secret relationship with one other man that she was “deathly afraid” to make public.
A former IHOPKC worker shared his account of the confession in a timeline he wrote for lawyer Boz Tchividjian, who represents Bickle's alleged victims, in keeping with TRR.
Steeno mentioned on the time of his interview with Edwards, he was expressing remorse for the last decade he spent in a rundown state promoting medication and residing immorally. He mentioned he was attempting to show his life round when Edwards informed him she too had a previous and revealed her relationship with Prosch.
Prosch, who was reinstated in 2002 after pleading responsible to adultery in 1999, reportedly confessed to the affair he had with Edwards final October in a three-way name with bestselling writer and Bible trainer Joel Richardson and Pastor Jose Diaz and former administrative physique. a member of FOTB.
Nonetheless, when requested in regards to the allegations, Prosch reportedly informed TRR, “I didn't inform anybody (the second secret), I didn't inform anybody that Misty and I had an affair, I gained't (sic) have something to do together with your [expletive] story.”
A police report and video from a 2018 visitors cease referenced by Roys present Prosch and Edwards have been charged with driving below the affect and public intoxication. Prosch, who was proven shirtless and failed discipline sobriety exams, was additionally charged with failure to cease at a cease signal and dashing.
Edwards, who was alone within the automotive with Prosch, was proven making an attempt one discipline sobriety take a look at however practically fell into the officer. A police report mentioned she was too intoxicated to proceed discipline exams.
At first she informed officers, “I had been ingesting slightly, sure,” however later mentioned she had been ingesting “loads of wine and some vodkas.”
Edwards acquired a deferred sentence for the costs, a courtroom doc reveals. Prosch additionally acquired a deferred sentence, but in addition needed to full a DWI schooling program and paid greater than $2,000 in fines and charges, in keeping with courtroom data.
Within the report, Steeno mentioned he disclosed what Edwards shared with him to IHOPKC leaders in 2022, however Edwards continued to serve on the chief management group for 19 months. Steen's alleged ringleaders took revenge on him.
In a joint assertion final October, IHOPKC founding member Dwayne Roberts, former IHOPKC government management group member Brian Kim and former church pastor Forerunner Wes Martin, who at the moment are a part of a group of former IHOPKC leaders referred to as the Advocacy Group, claimed that after they first confronted IHOPKC leaders about allegations of abuse by a number of Jane Does in opposition to Bickle over “a number of many years” whereas not being handled critically.
They claimed they tried to debate the allegations instantly with Bickle “within the spirit of Matthew 18:15-17” earlier than assembly with the IHOPKC management group, however have been rebuffed. They allege that Bickle additionally tried to intimidate, isolate, manipulate and discredit his alleged victims.
On January 16, Edwards issued a joint assertion on behalf of herself and 4 different ladies misidentified as Bickle's victims, alleging that members of the advocacy group had bullied them and tried to get them to create a story in opposition to the division that was not true.
“Many people alleged Jane Does have remained silent for months by way of three IHOPKC investigations and extreme struggling. Whereas different voices determined to shout loudly and urgently, we remained silent, wishing to keep up no matter measure of privateness we might. left after our lives have been invaded by the abusive conduct of these engaged in a calculated 'Jane Doe' marketing campaign waged within the title of 'love, transparency, justice and advocacy,'” the assertion mentioned, criticizing the protection lawyer. group.
“Whereas the narrative of the various feminine victims represented by the 'advocacy' group has been introduced, the true story that has not come out is what number of of those victims have been involuntarily labeled as such and had their narratives constructed by others who imposed our lives on us, that we have been pressured to defend. It was painful, humiliating and traumatic for all of us.'
Some Christians who responded to the revelation of Edwards' difficult relationship with Prosch, akin to All Henny, vice chairman of The Witness, a black Christian collective that “exists to deal with the fundamental considerations of black Christians,” raised considerations about how the connection between Prosch and the singer was framed.
“I consider the lady within the article ought to be held accountable for any abuse or wrongdoing she has dedicated,” Henny wrote. “Nonetheless, accountability should be seen by way of the lens of the dynamics of clerical sexual abuse and the facility of thoughts management. in high-control, high-demand teams. We can not adequately perceive or body her actions with out taking these items under consideration.”
She argued that primarily based on the proof within the report, Edwards was “extremely prone to be a sufferer of sexual abuse” and mustn’t have been named.
“We don't inform victims' tales with out their consent. We don’t make victims right into a story whereas overlooking the actions of their abusers,” she added.
“The article presents the blatant abuse of this lady as if she have been main a 'double life' and never the sufferer of a serial philanderer who, by his personal admission, is expert at manipulating ladies into sexual relationships with him by abusing his place of affect and energy over them.” she mentioned.
“In 1999, Kevin Prosch admitted that he used his 'gifting' to get ladies to have intercourse with him. These relationships represent clerical abuse. How do we all know the lady talked about in that article wasn't equally manipulated? Particularly since she appears to have been led to consider that she might marry this particular person.”
Henny pointed to Prosch's alleged blackmail of Edwards.
“Kevin Prosch has been blackmailing this lady for the previous six years, if not longer. The lady with whom he had a earlier sexual relationship moved in with him to acquire a blackmail merchandise. She did something [Prosch] he needed to realize his belief.” It's not explicitly acknowledged, but it surely appears to closely indicate sexual favors,” Henny mentioned. “I doubt she washed his socks. That’s abuse. Dot. Even when nothing sexual ever occurred.”
Roys experiences that Edwards was determined to erase the recordings from Prosch's units and moved in with Prosch for 2 years to realize his belief. Steeno claims Edwards informed individuals she was transferring to Israel as a “entrance” for transferring in with Prosch.
“[S]he was so determined to erase the tape that she moved in with Kevin and did no matter he needed to realize his belief,” Steeno mentioned.
Contact: leonardo.blair@christianpost.com Comply with Leonard Blair on Twitter: @lebloir Comply with Leonard Blair on Fb: LeoBlairChristianPost