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The elders we are addressing are:
– Brian & Grace Kim
– Troy Lee
– Don & Kathy Shooster
– Bradley & Savannah Eigenberg
– Corey Russell
– David Townsend

OUR PETITION

It is with a heavy heart that we bring a formal charge against Brian Kim as Senior Pastor and the members of the Elder Team listed above, calling for either a third-party investigation or their resignation. Our goal is to follow a biblical process, with the hope of fostering healthy church leadership, structure, and shepherding of congregants at House Denver.

The charges we bring fall under the broad categories of spiritual, emotional & pyschological. More specifically:

• Lying and deceiving individuals, both privately and from the pulpit
• Prioritizing the ‘mission’ over people
• Gaslighting those who disagree or ask questions (see definition at end)
• Neglecting and showing no remorse or repentance toward those they have hurt or wounded
• Removing individuals from roles/positions without communication or explanation
• Bullying, demeaning, and mocking church members
• Providing a platform and leadership roles to individuals engaged in sexual immorality, adultery, and spiritual abuse
• Engaging in triangulation, gaslighting and causing division between church leaders and members
• Establishing fake ‘Leadership,’ ‘Elder’ and ‘Oversight’ teams that lacks true authority
• Brian & Grace making unilateral church decisions without involving elders or leadership
• Lack of transparency with finances & entity structure
  
  *See here for definitions of terms like spiritual abuse, gaslighting & triangulation.
  

STEPS TAKEN TO DATE IN ACCORDANCE WITH BIBLICAL PROCESS
Jonathan & Dana Wield and several others made numerous attempts to follow the biblical process of going directly to Brian Kim, bring an Elder in and other pastors.

1. Jonathan & Dana Wield met with the Kims in August 2023, but these conversations went poorly and ultimately resulted in their refusal to engage further.
2. Jonathan Wield asked Kathy Shooster, an Elder, to mediate a conversation, but she denied this request (see emails here & here).
3. Local pastors Peter Young (Bridgeway Church), Mike Polhemus (The Rock Church), and JR Polhemus (The Rock Church) were asked to mediate a meeting by Scott & Lauri Lane between eight former elders, leaders, and staff members who had brought allegations against Brian Kim. However, only six of those former members were allowed to attend a meeting in May 2024. At the end of this meeting, the three pastors asked the six former members to “trust them with the process” and “not talk about it with anyone.” We never agreed to remain silent, knowing they were biased and too busy to undertake a thorough and credible process. However, they proceeded ahead with an unclear and unspecified ‘process.’ None of the pastors spoke with or met with any of the dozens of members who had left the church. Instead, they deferred to the House Elders to conduct an “internal investigation,” which unsurprisingly resulted in the elders declaring themselves innocent.

Commentary on the Leadership Counsel Team (LCT)

The three pastors mentioned above — who referred to themselves as the Leadership Counsel Team (LCT) — were intended to serve as unbiased local leaders who could help bring reconciliation and address the allegations brought forward by the eight former elders, leaders, and staff members against Brian Kim. However, their involvement proved unfruitful due to their lack of availability and clear biases.

• Peter Young is the only one of the three who has apologized for mishandling the situation. He admitted to Jonathan & Dana Wield on multiple occasions that he never intended to investigate, as he was too busy and lacked the necessary resources. He later revoked his request for silence and stated that he was okay with the matter being made public and with calls for a third-party investigation.
• Mike Polhemus met with the House Elder Team at least once in the summer of 2024 and instructed them to investigate themselves. He then wrote a letter summarizing their findings (according to Peter Young), which has since been used as evidence that “no issue exists”—despite the fact that neither Mike nor Peter conducted an actual investigation or had any conversations with former members. Additionally, Mike has a clear conflict of interest: his worship pastor is Brian Kim’s brother-in-law, and Corey Russell (another House Elder) is a personal friend and frequent speaker at his church.
• JR Polhemus was revealed—after the May meeting—to have been privately counseling the Kims, a fact he failed to disclose to anyone, making him extremely biased. Even Peter Young was unaware of this, indicating that Brian and Grace Kim also failed to disclose it. Furthermore, during the meeting, JR shared the following story:“I had a similar situation when bitter people left my church in Grand County. They caused disruption by sending a letter to members of the church. But God took care of them. They died.” This statement strongly implies that JR believes the six former members are simply bitter and suggests that God would punish—or even kill—those who cause disruption. It is deeply concerning that none of the House Elders or other pastors addressed this remark. To date, JR Polhemus has not apologized for these disturbing comments but has still been invited to speak at House Denver.

Additional Shortfalls in Accountability and Truth

Those of you who have been at House Denver for a while may be wondering why we haven’t mentioned the “Oversight Team” that was announced on January 14, 2023, consisting of Mike Bickle, Michael Freeland Miller, Banning Liebscher, and Lou Engle. The reason is that we do not believe this team ever truly existed, despite claims made by Brian Kim that evening. In March 2024, Michael Miller told Jonathan and Dana Wield that he “did not know what the oversight team was” and that “they had never even talked or met as a team.” Since then, Michael Miller has let Brian know that he is not on the ‘oversight team’, and Mike Bickle was removed after the allegations of him were made public. We are unsure if Michael Miller’s removal has ever been announced.

Next Steps and Call to Action
Due to the lack of a real Oversight Team and the absence of meaningful change despite following the above process, we now believe the appropriate next step is found in 1 Timothy 5:19-20.

“Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.”

We also believe that the behavior and sin exhibited by Brian Kim, which we are addressing, are not new. We have heard multiple accounts from individuals who have experienced the same abuses — specifically from Brian Kim—over the past decade, stemming from his time at IHOP, and later in Colorado Springs (running Antioch Center for Training and Sending – ACTS). We feel a responsibility to speak out so that his toxic leadership does not continue to inflict great pain and trauma on those he is supposed to be leading, causing significant harm and even leading some to leave the faith.

Therefore, we are requesting a third-party investigation into the above charges to be conducted by GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment)—a professional and unbiased third party.

We see this as the necessary next step to bring closure to our part in this process, and we would trust the conclusions and recommendations of GRACE if the House Elders agree to this investigation.

Our Intentions

Our heart in bringing this charge is not to cause pain, division, or revenge. Our desire is to protect the sheep and prevent further harm to those entrusted to Brian’s leadership and the leadership team surrounding him.

We are not claiming that Brian and Grace Kim are evil people. However, we believe they have unrepentant sin, a lack of maturity, and significant gaps in communication and leadership. Additionally, they have not taken the time to address the unhealthy traits they learned from their spiritual father, Mike Bickle. If left uncorrected, we believe this behavior will only intensify, leading to more victims.

We are also not claiming that Brian and Grace Kim should be permanently disqualified from ministry or leadership positions. Instead, we hope they will submit to a process that enables them to learn, quickly repent, change their behavior, and grow in their leadership abilities. We view this as a restorative process, not a punishment.

Concerns Regarding the Current Elder Team

Similarly, we believe the current Elder Team has played a significant role in “protecting the pastor” and perpetuating a ‘pragmatic‘ culture that prioritizes the mission of building a large organization over caring for the congregation. This has resulted in turning a blind eye to sin, character flaws, and the harm being done to individuals they are responsible for protecting and caring for. We believe they are functioning as what the Bible refers to as “hired hands” rather than true shepherds (John 10:11-13). Therefore, we believe they should step down and allow for mature, seasoned elders to step in and care for the congregation.

A Call to the House Elders

House Elders: If you have done nothing wrong and have nothing to hide, we implore you to grant our request and engage GRACE to conduct a third-party investigation.

Email us your decision to: [email protected]

Below is a list of individuals who agree that a third-party investigation is the appropriate next step. This does not mean that each of them has personally experienced or witnessed all of the above allegations, but rather that they recognize the need for transparency and accountability. The ultra majority have stated they have personally witnessed or experienced the stated behaviors of Brian Kim & the House Elder Team. Some of the signers have experiences from up to a decade ago, showing a long term pattern of behavior.

The ‘Anonymous’ members have disclosed their names, but don’t want them shared publicly and many would speak with a third-party.

1. Jonathan Wield // UR Denver & House
2. Dana Wield // UR Denver & House
3. Scott Lane // UR Denver & House
4. Lauri Lane // UR Denver & House
5. Jayce Meyer // UR Denver & House
6. Liza Meyer // UR Denver & House
7. Abby Randall // UR Denver & House & IHOP
8. Roman Randall // UR Denver & House & IHOP
9. Makenzie Hernandez // ACTS
10. Sam Bartolome // UR Denver & House
11. Michael Thomas Miller // UR Denver
12. Sara Miller // UR Denver
13. Rick Fernicola // UR Denver & House
14. Kenzie Fernicola // UR Denver & House
15. Pam Dixon // UR Denver
16. Kristen Steadman // UR Denver
17. Anonymous // ACTS
18. Anonymous // ACTS
19. Daniel Pindak // UR Denver & House
20. Anonymous // House
21. Anonymous // House
22. Brandon Russel // UR Denver & House & IHOP
23. Cassidy Miller // UR Denver & House
24. Alexandra Straughter // UR Denver & House
25. Charles Straughter // UR Denver & House
26. Corriere Hernandez // UR Denver & House
27. Grace Stailey // UR Denver & House
28. John Standerfer // UR Denver & House
29. Emily Standerfer // UR Denver & House
30. Hannah Hamid // UR Denver
31. Anonymous // UR Denver
32. John Hansen // UR Denver & House
33. Anonymous // ACTS
34. Anonymous // ACTS & IHOP
35. Anonymous // UR Denver & House
36. Laura Manning // UR Denver & House
37. Chris Manning // UR Denver & House
38. Anonymous // ACTS
39. Amy Joyner // UR Denver & House
40. Anonymous // ACTS
41. JP Dixon // UR Denver & House
42. Anonymous // ACTS
43. Kelli Dixon // UR Denver & House
44. Anonymous // UR Denver & House
45. Phillip Erickson // UR Denver & House
46. Nancy Erickson // UR Denver & House
47. Alysia Oldacare // UR Denver
48. Gardner Fletke // UR Denver & House
49. Emily Fletke // UR Denver & House
50. Kathleen Reder // UR Denver
51. Clifford Reder // UR Denver
52. Susan Tuma // IHOP
53. Alyssa Sexton // UR Denver & House
54. Alyssa DeGraff // IHOP
55. Karis Ranta // UR Denver & House
56. Elizabeth Erickson // UR Denver
57. Andrew Bullard // Gate City Church
58. Joy Bullard // Gate City Church
59. Jenna Sanford // ACTS
60. Anna Waters // ACTS & IHOP
61. Nicole Cress // UR Dallas & Frisco
62. McKinley Soult // UR Denver & House
63. Kristin Soult // UR Denver & House
64. James Griffith // ACTS & IHOP
65. Anonymous // Missionary
66. Anonymous // Missionary
67. Raven Stapleton // ACTS
68. Rachel Cavanaugh // UR Dallas
69. John Cavanaugh // UR Dallas
70. Danae Bacchus // UR Denver & House
71. Matthew Bacchus // UR Denver & House
72. Anonymous // IHOP
73. Anonymous // IHOP
74. Volkan Kaysar // ACTS & IHOP
75. Maggie Kaysar // ACTS & IHOP
76. Anonymous // ACTS
77. Julie Huth // ACTS & IHOP
78. Wesley Huth // ACTS & IHOP
79. Anonymous // ACTS
80. Anonymous // ACTS
81. Anonymous // ACTS
82. Anonymous // YWAM
83. Anonymous // UR Dallas
84. Jennifer Johnson // UR Dallas
85. Jennifer Verdery // IHOP & Gate City
86. Erich Verdery // IHOP & Gate City
87. Keilani Echevarría // ACTS
88. Gracia Nope // IHOP
89. Jordan Kates // ACTS
90. Ashley Ruckman // ACTS & IHOP
91. Rico Ruckman // ACTS & IHOP
92. Emily Elston // Other
93. Ben Behmer // ACTS & UR Denver & House
94. Paula Behmer // ACTS & UR Denver & House
95. Anonymous // IHOP
96. Anonymous // IHOP
97. Andrea Eaves // ACTS & IHOP
98. Preston Eaves // ACTS & IHOP
99. Marie Evans // UR Denver
100. Shannon Smajda // UR Denver
101. Tiffany Barnhill (Darcie) // ACTS
102. Bethany May // UR Denver & House
103. Wyatt May // UR Denver & House
104. Christopher Kim // UR Denver & House
105. Kathryn Kim // UR Denver & House
106. Anonymous // ACTS
107. Travis Maxwell // UR Dallas
108. Anonymous // IHOP
109. Anonymous // ACTS
110. Amanda Mauchly // ACTS
111. Anonymous // ACTS
112. Anonymous // ACTS & IHOP
113. Danielle Groppi (Warren) // ACTS & IHOP
114. Sam Bydlon // UR Denver & House
115. Anonymous // ACTS & IHOP
116. Anonymous // ACTS
117. Conner Lloyd // UR Denver
118. Amanda Taron // UR Denver
119. Anonymous // IHOP
120. Stephen Roark // UR Dallas
121. Vanessa Tellez // UR Dallas
122. Anonymous // House
123. Luke Peters // House
124. Jessica Martinez // UR Dallas
125. Anonymous // UR Denver & House
126. Anonymous // ACTS
127. Anonymous // ACTS
128. Anonymous // ACTS
129. Rebecca Gray // IHOP
130. Tara Schorr // IHOP
131. Baylor Griffin // ACTS
132. Charity Griffin // ACTS
133. Anonymous // UR Dallas
134. Anonymous // ACTS
135. Anonymous // IHOP
136. Anonymous // IHOP
137. Kelly Clinger // IHOP
138. Anonymous // UR Frisco & UR Dallas
139. Anonymous // UR Frisco & UR Dallas
140. Janet Wood // UR Denver & House
141. Tobias Koch // UR Denver
142. Bruce Buchholz // UR Denver & House
143. Suzanne Buchholz // UR Denver & House
144. Leslee Streif // UR Denver & IHOP
145. Eric Streif // UR Denver & IHOP
146. Anonymous // Other
147. Anonymous // Other
148. Gabriel Jacobson // Other
149. Madeline Murphy // UR Denver & House
150. Anonymous // Other
151. Anonymous // UR Denver & House
152. Talyah Shooster // UR Denver
153. Anonymous // UR Dallas
154. Anonymous // GateCity Church
155. Anonymous // Gatecity HOP
156. James Kufeldt // ACTS & IHOP
157. Emily Kissell // IHOP
158. Anonymous // UR Dallas
159. Emily Schwarz // ACTS
160. Anonymous // GateCity HOP
161. Anonymous // GateCity HOP
162. Julia Berge // ACTS & UR Denver & House
163. Anonymous // Other