In the late 1970s, a new controversial movement suddenly appeared on the United States religious landscape. It went by the name of the Boston Church of Christ. Later it moved its headquarters and became officially known as the International Churches of Christ (ICOC). During the 70s and into the 1990s, the ICOC was one of the fastest growing new religious groups in the United States and Canada. For several decades, religious observers watched this offshoot sect of the mainline Churches of Christ grow from only 30 original members to tens of thousands of adherents.
Much was published and said in the media about the ICOC’s doctrines and practices. Consequently, the church earned a reputation, both in secular and religious circles, as controversial, and even at times abusive. During that time, I received hundreds of inquiries from pastors, parents, and relatives of people who had fallen under the ICOC’s sway. This two part article will examine the history and controversial beliefs of the ICOC, provide a biblical analysis of its doctrine, and review what has happened to it in the 21st century. We will start with a survey of the ICOC’s history.
In the spring of 1972, 17-year-old Kip McKean (born May 31, 1954) was a freshman at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Though somewhat religious, it was not until he was baptized that year into Gainesville’s then dynamic Crossroads Church of Christ that McKean says his life truly changed. Crossroads was a part of the mainline Churches of Christ denomination. It was at a time nationally when the Jesus Movement was at its peak. The Churches of Christ, like other denominations and movements, benefitted from the evangelical exuberance of the period. McKean, however, became disturbed by what he felt was the lack of any real commitment of the church’s members.
So, after his graduation from college in 1975, McKean went to serve as a Churches of Christ campus minister at Northeastern Christian College in Philadelphia, Pa. He then left the next year to begin a ministry at Eastern Illinois University. That campus’ ministry grew under McKean’s charismatic leadership. Nonetheless, he felt a growing disenchantment with what he saw as the shallow spiritual condition of most mainline Churches of Christ.
In 1979, the Lexington (Massachusetts) Church of Christ invited McKean to serve as the pulpit and campus minister (Churches of Christ do not call church leaders pastors) of their congregation. That year, McKean and 29 others in Lexington committed themselves to restoring what they believed was true biblical Christianity to the world. ICOC leaders pointed to that event as the foundation of their new “restoration” movement. It should be noted that Churches of Christ usually refer to their movement, which began in the 19th century in the United States under the leadership of Barton Stone, Thomas Campbell, and Alexander Campbell, as the “Restoration Movement” of authentic Christianity to the world. So McKean saw his ministry as sort of a restoration of the restoration.
The next few years, McKean and his team developed a philosophy of radical discipleship and designed an effective strategy for expansion. Thus, over the next two decades, the church grew rapidly as ministers were sent from the mother church to cities worldwide including London, Chicago, New York City, Toronto, and Moscow. In 1983, McKean’s church began to hold regular services in the spacious Boston Opera House, so it changed its name to the Boston Church of Christ (BCC). About that time, McKean also began to teach that only those who were baptized by immersion and were submitting to his concept of discipleship (i.e.: a member of his church) were actually saved. Thus, he required all new members of his movement, even those coming from other Churches of Christ, to be rebaptized.
Consequently, because of its rapid growth, leaders from many Churches of Christ congregations studied the BCC’s techniques of discipling and missions. However, criticism soon arose concerning the BCC’s centralized organization, its authoritarian leadership, and its heavy-handed discipleship methods. All mainline Churches of Christ are independent, and no denominational hierarchy exists. Over time, McKean and his movement gradually distanced itself from the mainline Churches of Christ. In 1988, a major cord was cut when the Crossroads Church of Christ in Gainesville, where McKean began his ministry, formally broke fellowship with his BCC.
Nonetheless, the BCC movement continued to expand nationally and internationally. In 1990, the church moved its headquarters from Boston to Los Angeles, Calif. McKean turned over leadership of the Boston congregation to his brother Randy McKean. The next year he officially renamed the movement the International Churches of Christ. In 1993, it officially disassociated itself from other Churches of Christ.
In 2002 the movement faced a leadership crisis. Kip McKean was forced to resign as world leader of the ICOC, ostensibly to focus on strengthening his marriage. Actually he had been asked in 2001 by the church’s elders to take an extended leave of absence. His authoritarian leadership style and the fact that his children had withdrawn from the movement led to that ultimatum. McKean, nonetheless, took a ministry position at an ICOC congregation in Portland, Oregon. In 2006, following his unsuccessful attempts to regain his position in the national leadership, McKean was formally disfellowshipped from the ICOC.
McKean, unfazed, soon after started a new movement he called the International Christian Church. The first congregation, the City of Angels International Christian Church in Los Angeles, was begun in 2007. McKean accused the ICOC of forsaking its original mission, and now refers to his new organization as the “SoldOut Discipleship Movement.” McKean considers the International Christian Church to be the true legacy of his original Boston Church of Christ. His website states: “Let ‘history speak for itself’ as you read the historical account of two movements – the Boston Movement and the SoldOut Movement – which in fact are one-in-the-same movement with the same core convictions of its leader.” (https://www.kipmckean.com/articles/ )
Meanwhile, the ICOC continues to function with a new and less authoritarian structure. Nonetheless, the ICOC still has a somewhat centralized ecclesiastical pattern of many congregations which are led by a central board of elders. To its credit, it has made great strides to correct the abuses of its early discipling methods. Today it claims about 130,000 members worldwide.
Early in the 21st century, the group made some efforts to reconcile with the mainline Churches of Christ. In 2004 and 2005, Abilene Christian University (Abilene, Tex.) and Harding University (Searcy, Ark.), colleges historically associated with the Churches of Christ, hosted meetings of ICOC leaders with mainline Church of Christ scholars to address some of the differences the two groups still held. Some fences were mended. For instance, the ICOC apologized for saying that Church of Christ believers not in their congregations or not baptized exclusively in their movement were not Christians.
Of course, both groups generally still regard those baptized in other Christian denominations as unsaved. We will address this sectarian practice and other theological issues regarding the ICOC in the next installment, along with biblical analysis.
© 2021 Tal Davis
THIS CHURCH OF CHRIST MOVEMENT IS DIABOLICAL, EVIL TO THE CORE, THEY CAUSED A LOT DAMAGE TO THE LIVES OF A LOTS OF PEOPLE IN THE BOSTON AREA AND AROUND THE WORLD, IN THE 90s THEY WERE VERY ACTIVE IN MASSACHUSETTS I HAD A LOTS OF DEBATES WITH THEM, THEY WERE BRAIN WASHED BY THEIR CULT LEADERS, THE ABUSE PEOPE EMOTINALLY, AND FINACIALLY THEY STEAL PEOPLES MONEY BY SEIZING THIER PAYCHECKS AND CONTROLLING THIS LIVES. THEY ARE NOT CHRISTIANS. THE OTHER DAY I MET ONE OF THEM STILL AN ACTIVE MEMBER , HE WAS SUPPOSDLEY SOUL WINNING, I BROUGHT THE CHURCH PASS, HE TRIED TO EVADE FROM IT, BUT I DIDNT LET HIM GET AWAY, I GAVE HIM A BIG LECTURE ABOUT HIS CULT. THE DIDNT KNOW WHAT TO SAY BECAUSE EVERYTHING I WAS SAYING WAS TRUE.
I HOPE THEY DISAPPEAR FROM THE FACE OF THE EARTH. THEY DONT HAVE THE TRUE GOSPEL.
You are off the cliff. Though some people within the church may rub you the wrong way personally. Bet you can’t argue with the fact that the Bible backs up the movement because the Bible, especially the gospels are the guide.
Humans are fallible but not the Word of God.
Compared to islamic teachings, hadiths , qur’an, and history in general. You’ll discover who is really satanic
The International church of Christ is not part of the churches of Christ. They formed their own church and separated themselves from the church of Christ . So, let’s not
1 Corinthians 2:11 ‘For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man that is in him? In the same way, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.’
I was a member of this evil, dangerous cult (will not glorify them and dare use the word church, an abomination before God) that from the top down twisted the Holy Scriptures to their own means to devastating effect, every remaining element of them that exist now are children of the devil, Satan, lucifer or that ancient serpent that wriggles on the ground.
I was in the London Church of Christ in the early 1990’s and invited to one of their meetings on a bus. They used to meet in the Wimbledon Odeon, rented out venues and in people’s houses during the week. I was made to give up my evening study that I never gained at school. I had to give up my time even when exhausted from work and having a physical condition, made to do things I would rather not do. I was made to give large sums of money that I gave from my job (1 Corinthians 4:12 – those so called leaders who spouted from their pulpits and lived in big houses who had nannies paid for them, shopping delivered to them and all the rest of a cultish trimming – I akin myself to Paul the apostle, the only rational thing that kept me sane and have some self-respect as the opposite had, leeching off the poor foot-soldiers such as I), a tenth of my salary by standing order each month to the cult pot. Once or twice a year give a special contribution, I remember parting with thousands of pounds. Remembering one of the so-called leaders saying now my mother had died, she is in hell. Literally a few days after her funeral. God forgive them for they know not what they say!
Looking back now and not realising it I was totally brainwashed, even to this day I struggle with what I experienced in there. I am not out for revenge writing this by the way as I believe through God, Jesus, Holy Spirit can guide some of these poor brainwashed souls out of that cult. Romans 12:19 -> Deuteronomy 32:35 Proverbs 25:21-22 this is the one when they are released from the capture of the devil, the enemy duly has taken them captive.
The whole lineage of that cult needs to wiped from the earth and it is my prayer that anyone who is affiliated with it needs to RUN away from it. I heard through other ex-members quite a long time ago tragically some committed suicide, had severe mental health problems and long-term psychological damage, in short, they ruined lives.
My hope and prayer that some of these souls still believing the lie and are hood-winked by the devil to remain in there, God can provide a way out for them. Nobody knows the mind of God and or even his judgement as all motives and life history will be examined on an individual basis, only God knows the heart.
In the precious name of Jesus, I pray.
I was disfellowshipped from the Chicago ICC. I had tried for several years to get the 2 top leaders to have an open discussion in front of the congregation, using the Bible to determine if some aspects of the doctrine being taught was godly. Once they realized I knew the scriptures and they couldn’t intimidate me, they did their best to keep condemning “negative attitudes” in the church.
I warned the evangelist on multiple occasions that GOD’s consequences for refusing to repent would be disastrous for the church. Over the next 2 years the church lost almost half its members as the 2 top leaders refused to show any humility and only grew more hateful. They would preach to husbands a demonic doctrine that “It’s always the husbands fault” for problems in a marriage because the husband is the leader of the family, & GOD always blamed the leaders for an unfaithful people. They would expect the husband to grovel and beg them for correction, allowing the wife to abuse her husband if she felt so inclined, or brand the husband as arrogant.
Yet as the church continued to disintegrate, this same demonic duo kept blaming the members for ‘secret’ sin. They kicked me out for constantly reminding them of their own hypocrisy. Unfortunately I made it easy for them by not shouting out during Sunday services what they were doing. I noticed during this time that sermons no longer included the once reverent plea “If I’m teaching or doing anything that is contrary to GOD’s word, show me and I will change it!” How the mighty have fallen.
I heard recently that a whole family of top church leaders have left the Chicago congregation. It’s so sad that ICC leaders refused to learn from the past. Kip McKean in the 2010 Jubilee apologized for allowing leadership in the ICOC to place themselves on a pedestal, and convinced of their spiritual superiority, deigned themselves too exalted to be corrected by lower status plebes. The pain continues.
I was baptized in 2010 in icoc. I had a great experience, but as is life, over the years I had difficulty with some people. My journey in Christianity has been of trial, error, success and God’s grace. I know the church did some bizarre things in the 90’s but I ensure you, if you are looking at a church that will support you through trials and help you learn the Bible, and learn to follow God’s word, then ICOC is a great church to help you follow your faith deeply and truly.
I left the Chicago Church of Christ in the 1990s; and still the abuse left deep scars. The friendships I lost, and relationships I missed out on were tragedies.
Somehow, ICOC church leaders managed to recover from a period of public humiliation…and so the Church bought them lavish homes in upper class areas they couldn’t otherwise afford.
So then it was actually a grift. Tear down the many, to benefit the few…and convince everyone it is necessary and right.
I know some members who got out in time, and recovered well. Others had their lives ruined irretrievably, beyond their worst nightmares. I’m in the middle.
Kathleen:
Thank you for your story. I am sorry you suffered at the hands of false teachers. I hope you have found your peace in an authentic unhindered personal relationship with Jesus.
–Tal Davis