"This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." (Isaiah 66:2)

Because I have been teaching the Bible for 40 years, I need to pray regularly for the ability to "tremble" at His word. I cannot allow Bible verses to become ordinary or mere teaching points. By the grace of God, I woke up the other day with some scriptures that convicted me deeply—almost to "trembling".

"I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37)

A fear of God was upon me as I thought about words that I have spoken carelessly. There is a pride and self-centeredness that causes me to speak too much in general. Those who have had the greatest impact on me have been people of few words. Sadly, I have not become one of those people yet. Lord, have mercy.

There are days when I want to stop speaking altogether, knowing that I will give account for these careless words. Wisdom eventually takes over, and I realize that ultimately what I need is to be sanctified. By His grace, I hope to speak fewer words each year with more precision and love.

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." (James 1:19)

I am often criticized for being slow to respond or not responding at all when others question or criticize me. There are two main reasons for this:

1. I'm sad to say that my initial responses are filled with pride, self-preservation, hurt, and even anger. I'm still so immature in this area. My elders have cautioned me to be slower to speak/respond. Please pray that I will be more loving.

2. Biblically, I am commanded to only speak words that give grace to those who hear (Eph. 4:29). Sometimes this means words of rebuke to those who are clearly in sin. Other times, it means words of comfort and encouragement to those who are hurting. But because of the internet, my words often extend far beyond my immediate audience. This complicates matters in many ways. In complex or sensitive situations, the public forum is not always the best place for these conversations to take place. I hesitate to release things publicly that might be unhelpful for some people, or lead them to dwell on the wrong things.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8)

I have had several requests these past few years to make public statements about those I once endorsed who no longer walk in integrity. I have been slow to respond for some of the reasons stated above, and I understand that this may have caused some confusion. It is my hope in this statement to provide clarity in a way that brings grace and avoids stirring up strife.

I have watched hundreds of leaders fall over my 40 years of ministry. Each time, it feels like a kick in the stomach. Years of immorality are uncovered, false prophesies are exposed, or greed is brought to light. It is devastating. It should cause us all to grieve and examine our own lives.

It is right and biblical that when a leader falls, their sin is exposed and made public (1 Timothy 5:19-21). I'm grateful for those in the body who lovingly and publicly expose sin so that others aren't led astray by those people.

I have been at this for a long time. In the age before the internet and social media, when a leader was caught in unrepentant sin, it was assumed that those who previously had endorsed him or her no longer stood by those statements in light of the new information. Only in recent years has it become the expectation that everyone who ever publicly affirmed someone as a brother or sister must publicly denounce them if they fall. For the sake of clarity, please know that of course I do not continue to endorse people like Mike Bickle who have been caught in unrepentant immorality. But if I were to make public statements every time I was wrong about someone I once trusted, sadly, it would be a very, very long list.

I understand that some people see it as apathetic or irresponsible to refrain from commenting on these situations. But I would ask you to consider that after issues have been disclosed about someone, there may be some of us who remain silent, not because we don't care, but because we believe there is already too much focus and discussion about these people. I've seen leaders get pressured by others to say things that God may not be leading them to say. I have fallen into this trap as well. Again, I believe it is important and necessary for scandals to be exposed publicly. I just don't see a biblical mandate for everyone to weigh in on them.

Some assume that I don't speak about these people because I am embarrassed to admit I was deceived by them. That's really not an issue for me. I publicly admit I have been fooled hundreds of times in my life. I have wrongly trusted many leaders. Hopefully, I have become wiser, but I will still make mistakes.

I was formed in a Christian circle that was overly critical of everyone, writing people off for very small issues. I've seen how amazing, godly brothers and sisters in the Lord have been torn down. I believe it grieves God's heart. However, I also recognize that there are devastating and far-reaching consequences when ungodly leadership goes undetected and unchecked.

I know that my endorsements of leaders who have later fallen have added to the hurt and heartbreak experienced by the Body, and for this, I sincerely apologize. To those who have been victimized, deceived, or discouraged by these leaders, I am praying that God will bring supernatural healing and comfort in the way that only He can. I also want to apologize for specific careless words I spoke when I said that people were "so foolish" for ditching Mike "because you heard something from a friend." When I said that, I had in mind common theological critiques and unverified criticisms. In light of everything that came out afterwards, I regret saying that, as I realize I could have discouraged people who had legitimate concerns or given the impression that silence is best when there is real abuse or unrepentant sin.

I don't take my words or responsibility as a Christian leader lightly, and I am striving by His grace to walk out my calling in integrity and the fear of the Lord. I want to grow in both my desire for unity and my powers of discernment. Please pray for me as I try to walk in this difficult tension.

I want to end this statement by pointing you to something that is truly praiseworthy. I have been meditating on this passage quite a bit lately. This is the hope that "will not put us to shame" (Rom 5:5). Please take time to "dwell" on this:

Psalm 103:10-13

"He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him."

A Statement from the Network Elders of We Are Church

We, as Network Elders of We Are Church (Kevin Kim, Rob Zabala, Sean Brakey, and Joe Moore), are aware that several individuals with whom Francis previously had differing degrees of public association have since been exposed for serious sin. These revelations have raised understandable questions. Did Francis know about any of these issues while he was associating with these men? Why has he not addressed these concerns up to this point? We want to address these questions clearly and honestly.

At the outset, we want to say clearly: Francis did not have knowledge of hidden moral failure at the time of his associations or endorsements. Had credible information of that nature been known to him at that time, he would not have partnered with or endorsed these individuals in the way he did.

At the same time, we recognize that Francis' public words carry influence. In hindsight, some of his comments gave credibility to leaders who later proved to be deeply untrustworthy. For that, we are deeply grieved.

Francis sometimes spoke strongly in defense of certain leaders, particularly when seeking unity, which may have unintentionally overshadowed or minimized concerns from others. Looking back, we recognize that some sincere believers were raising legitimate questions. Those voices deserved to be heard more carefully. We are sorry for the confusion, hurt, and loss of trust that these situations have caused.

Most importantly, we want to acknowledge the people who were harmed by the leaders involved in these situations, particularly those who trusted the public support given by Francis. We recognize that many people have been deeply hurt by leaders Francis once associated with.

Scripture speaks with particular seriousness about leaders who harm the vulnerable (Matthew 18:6). We grieve deeply for anyone who has been abused or manipulated by spiritual authority. Protecting the vulnerable and confronting abuse must always take priority over protecting reputations or institutions.

For those who have been personally harmed in these situations, we grieve with you. We wish we had seen deception earlier and been able to prevent some of the damage that occurred. We also trust that the Lord is able to redeem even this. We pray that the Lord will comfort, draw close, and pour His goodness out over you in Jesus' name.

The Broader Context

Scripture reminds us that deception can exist even within the church. In Matthew 13:24–30, Jesus shares a parable about wheat and weeds growing together in the same field. The enemy sows weeds among the wheat, and they grow side by side until the harvest. Unfortunately, we are living in that tension. Wheat and weeds grow together. The enemy works craftily. And it is not always easy to tell the difference, especially from a distance.

One challenge of modern ministry is that many relationships are formed at a distance, and we often are required to make judgments about people whose lives we don't consistently see up close. For most of human history, the people you evaluated were those in your proximity. If you didn't know them personally, you likely knew someone in your everyday life who did. Today, connections often form through stages, screens, or occasional meetings. That distance makes it much harder to truly know someone's character.

Francis' Relationship with Mike Bickle

Over several years, Francis had multiple conversations with Mike Bickle, leaders within IHOPKC (International House of Prayer - Kansas City), Mike's wife, and pastors and leaders outside of IHOPKC who had known him for decades. The consistent testimony Francis received was that Mike was a man of strong character and deep devotion to Jesus. Before speaking at the first One Thing Conference with IHOP, Francis asked many well-respected ministry leaders outside the charismatic tradition if they had concerns about him speaking at IHOP's event and sharing the stage with Mike Bickle. Consistently Francis heard from people that, though they may disagree with certain points of Mike's theology, they were minor and that Mike was a man of strong character and deep devotion to Jesus.

Francis' observation of Mike's life appeared consistent with that testimony. He lived sacrificially, drove a simple car, was paid a modest salary, and appeared to have a healthy marriage, according to his wife. Staff members consistently spoke positively about his character and theology. From everything Francis could see and verify at the time, Mike's life seemed to match his message.

As elders, we also looked into criticisms surrounding IHOPKC. We read articles, watched videos, and examined the theological concerns raised online. The most common criticisms centered on NAR (New Apostolic Reformation) association, prophetic culture, and specific end-times theology. The NAR accusations were directly refuted on IHOPKC's website. As we evaluated these concerns that were publicly available at the time, we did not see anything that warranted breaking the relationship with Mike or IHOP.

We also sought out conversations with those who took issue with the ministry. We did not hear compelling, verifiable concerns that would have caused us to halt the partnership at that time. Most importantly, we did not even get a hint or suggestion about a possible moral failure from Mike Bickle prior to 2023.

Sam Storms, a long time pastor and one of Mike's closest friends for many years, has similarly stated that he was unaware of moral concerns prior to 2023. Here is Sam's explanation: https://www.samstorms.org/enjoying-god-blog/post/a-brief-word-of-clarification-concerning-my-apology-to-the-body-of-christ

That does not remove responsibility from anyone, but it does illustrate that even those in the closest relationship to him did not see what was hidden. When Francis first heard about the allegations about Mike in 2023, Francis got on a plane to confront Mike in person with Sam. Mike refused that meeting. It was Chris Reed who stopped them at the door. This action from Francis became public knowledge soon afterwards.

Francis' Endorsement of Mike in July 2021

In July 2021, Francis brought several of us elders to Kansas City to gather with Mike Bickle and Andy Byrd. Mike decided to invite Chris Reed and others to participate. None of us, including Francis, had previously met Chris Reed. We only became aware of him shortly before that trip through Mike sharing about some prophetic words Chris had given.

During that trip, Francis publicly spoke positively about and strongly endorsed Mike Bickle. Clips of that message have circulated widely online (clip starts here: Investing in the Next Generation | Francis Chan at the Send Pre-Rally). In hindsight, Francis regrets that endorsement in light of what was later revealed in 2023.

When Francis said, "You're going to ditch all of that because you heard something from a friend?", he was addressing the reality in 2021 of people rejecting Mike based on theological and prophetic disagreements, not hidden moral failure. Again, we were not aware of any moral accusations prior to 2023.

In 2023, former IHOPKC leaders came forward with testimony from a credible woman detailing serious misconduct. That was the first time Francis, or any of us, became aware of allegations of that nature. From that moment, Francis refused speaking engagement requests from IHOPKC and immediately stopped endorsing Mike or the ministry of IHOPKC in any way.

Chris Reed

During the July 2021 gathering, several of us elders personally observed Chris Reed give prophetic words that were highly specific and were hard for us to explain apart from the supernatural. At the moment, we assumed his gift was legitimate. We were also operating largely based on IHOPKC leadership's endorsement of him.

In hindsight, this highlights an unfortunate pattern. In a desire to trust and give the benefit of the doubt, we trusted other people's endorsements.

Some have claimed Francis endorsed Chris Reed in this clip: Investing in the Next Generation | Francis Chan at the Send Pre-Rally. We do not believe that is an accurate characterization. Francis' comments were meant to challenge people not to distance themselves from someone who has a prophetic gifting solely because they reject charismatic gifts. He was attempting to stir faith in people in regard to prophecy, not issue a formal endorsement of Chris Reed. At that time, Francis had very little personal knowledge of Chris and had actually just met him, which he states at 20:14 in the message.

We recognize that public words carry weight, and we understand how those comments could be perceived as a broader affirmation than intended, however. For that reason, we want to be clear: We do not endorse Chris Reed and have never intended to do so.

We continue to believe, and experience, that the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to the church, including prophecy. We hope that each of you would continue to believe this truth, despite how the Enemy will use different situations like these to discourage us from it. At the same time, Scripture commands that prophetic claims must be tested carefully (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21; 1 John 4:1). No gift or experience should ever place someone beyond evaluation or accountability.

Francis' Often Overlooked Warning

In the same July 2021 message, Francis exhorted the five leaders present, including Mike Bickle and Chris Reed. He directly warned them to guard against pride, greed, sexual compromise, pornography, and anything that would damage their marriages or the body of Christ. He said plainly that if they fell, it would result in Francis having to "take a hit". He pleaded with them not to "screw this up." You can find the clip starting here: Investing in the Next Generation | Francis Chan at the Send Pre-Rally

This context is important. Francis was not blindly celebrating leaders without caution. He was actively warning them, as he understood the unfortunate patterns in Christian leadership today and the importance of a holy life. It is heartbreaking and deeply disappointing to look back on this moment and see Francis lovingly warning them while some were already living with hidden sin and deception, to which they said nothing.

One IHOPKC leader commented she noticed every time Francis visited IHOP or a One Thing Conference, he brought some form of rebuke or challenge. She appreciated that he was not afraid to speak into their culture. Francis' heart was not passive endorsement, but engagement with the hope of strengthening unity and holiness. We believe Francis has a lot to bring to that space, but it is so sad to see how terribly things went within a few years of the 2021 event.

Lessons Learned

Francis has often shared that he came from a background known for being highly critical and quick to distance from others over theological differences. In later years, he felt deeply convicted about Jesus' call to unity in the body of Christ. In seeking to move away from hyper-criticism, he acknowledges now that he probably swung too far in the opposite direction, being overly trusting in certain associations.

There was a sincere zeal to defend those believers who had been ostracized and to model unity across differences. But in hindsight, that desire, while rooted in good, contributed to some mistakes in judgment.

Francis has been encouraged by us, as well as so many other respected leaders in the larger church, to not only speak where he already agrees with people, but to speak in places where correction might be needed. When Francis sees issues, his instinct is to have conversations directly in the hope that engagement will produce needed change rather than public critiques.

However, we recognize and have learned more that relational engagement must be paired with stronger structural discernment and clearer boundaries regarding endorsement.

Institutional Patterns and Our Structure

There is an unhealthy pattern in much of the modern church of showing preference to well-known leaders and protecting institutions. Exposure can threaten ministries, jobs, and reputations. Because of that pattern, many people understandably struggle to know who to believe.

We Are Church is intentionally structured in a way to continually strengthen accountability and ensure that no individual, including Francis, operates without meaningful oversight. To that effect, Francis is not a governing elder in this network. He submits to the network elder group. Moreover, only one of the four network elders works for Crazy Love Ministries; the other three do not work for Francis. Consequently, decisions are not centralized around one personality.

Our Perspective on Francis' Character

Three of the four network elders have walked closely with Francis in deep relationships for over thirteen years. We have seen him in everyday life, in a variety of seasons, and in conflict when no cameras are present.

We can say with confidence:

• Francis loves Jesus in his day-to-day life as much, if not more, as he does publicly.
• Francis seeks to walk in humility and is open to correction. He has regularly reflected on his own mistakes and strives to align his teaching and actions with Scripture.
• One of Francis' strengths, and sometimes weaknesses, is that he trusts people and sees the best in them. This has led to many strong and meaningful relationships, as well as devastatingly painful disappointments.
• Despite being burned many times, through circumstances that would lead many people to drift towards skepticism and distrust, he authentically maintains optimism and faith in a way that seems supernatural.

Integrity does not mean perfection, and definitely not perfect discernment. A sincere man can still be deceived. But we have not seen duplicity in Francis' life. We understand in today's world how difficult it is to know who can be trusted. But at the end of the day, our hope is not that people place their trust in Francis or us. Though he is truly a godly man of high character, he is still a man who misses the mark. He's not worthy of praise. He's not someone you can rest your faith on.

Only Jesus is. Let's fix "our eyes on Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).

Closing

Francis met with us, and we prayed and discussed the recent criticisms that are being brought up by various voices. We also had a chance to read Francis' letter of apology. In this letter, as a group of elders, our desire is not merely to defend a friend and fellow minister by providing context that the general public may not have, but to pursue greater holiness, humility, discernment, and unity in the body of Christ.

Come, Lord Jesus.

The Bible ends with that cry in Revelation 22. As we consider the state of the church and our own shortcomings, we join in that cry. We desperately need Jesus.

Come, Lord Jesus.