I was 11 when my parents moved me and my older brother to Grandview to be close to the headquarters of IHOP. I experienced extensive fear based brainwashing/teachings and became a very disturbed and anxious child. I attended a small school that was highly regarded by IHOP owned by a local couple. For 4 years I was taught ancient greek, catechism, bible verse memorization and that I would be one of the many children that would battle the antichrist when the “end times” came. They neglected to teach me math, science and literature which greatly hindered me later on. As for my relationships with worship leaders and other members there are several instances that stick in my mind. In the summers I would attend IHOP camps, one night I remember there was an hours long worship session (like any other night) and I was exhausted being only 11 or 12 and having done camp activities all day. I had sat down during the session and then was forced to stand up and move to the front to worship. I was ostrocised by this camp counselor and was treated like I was turning away from god and being a bad follower. I was unable to get anyone to contact my parents to pick me up. Another time when I was also 11 I was approached by a prominent figure of the church and was accused of letting the devil possess me after my parents had mentioned in passing that I amused them by pretending to be an alter ego named “Jessica” that I made up who had a raspy voice and crawled at them on the ground (really I was inspired by seeing the character gollum on lord of the rings lol). I was crushed and convinced myself that I was an evil child, I never did it again and never told my parents why. I was manipulated at 13 into doing manual labor at a horse ranch that specialized in “horse therapy” where I fed them and mucked large pieces of land in freezing temperatures in exchange for a measly 30 minute “riding lesson” where I never even sat on the horse once for a 5 month period. I became very anxious and plagued for years by the ideologies taught in my time there: that everyone I knew who did not believe (my extended family) was going to die an awful death and burn for eternity, the devil hated woman the most and would target them in the end times, I should be willing to die and be tortured if someone should force me to choose between that or rebuking christ, homosexuality is disgusting and evil, abortion is murder even if the woman was under danger of medical conditions, and many more intense fanatical ways of thinking. My parents, my brother and I all left the religion together in 2015 and moved out of state. We left behind long time family friends and my aunt, uncle and cousins who refused to speak to us again. It took me years of healing and mental work to move forward and even at 23 I struggle. I still think of my time at IHOP often and my memory of everything before that period is nonexistent probably from trauma and the brainwashing. I’m sharing my story to spread the truth and to confirm that IHOP KC is a cult and is very dangerous. They take advantage of young and vulnerable people and control their time, finances and their bodies.
- Child2012-2015