International Church of Christ
The International Church of Christ, is a break-off of the Church of Christ denomination founded in 1979 by Kip McKean. Its origins may be traced back to 1967 in Gainesville Florida and the teaching of Charles Lucas in his program called Multiplying Ministries, which was very successful. McKean began his ministry in the Crossroads Church of Christ in Florida and eventually became frustrated with his Churches of Christ denomination, claiming it to be engrossed with hypocrisy and insincerity. He was offered the pulpit at a struggling Boston-area congregation called the Lexington Church of Christ in 1979. It is here McKean implemented his ideas for a more devoted form of Christianity to remedy the hypocrisy he supposedly witnessed in his denomination. Under McKean’s leadership the church was renamed ‘Boston Church of Christ’ and became the spearhead for his new ICC denomination, which was also referred to as the Boston Movement.
This group is also known under the names The Boston Church of Christ, The Crossroads Movement, Multiplying Ministries, The Discipling Movement, The San Diego Church of Christ, etc.
In June 1989, McKean stepped down as Boston Lead Evangelist to assume a new position as World Missions Evangelist for ICC. The next year, he moved to Los Angeles, where he continued to lead the movement for over a decade while also serving as Lead Evangelist of the Los Angeles International Church of Christ. [1] McKean resigned from his formal ICC position in 2002, however, "senior ICC leadership has not announced a single initiative for change across the movement. [2]
The teaching of ICC
The following synopsis is borrowed from the Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry.
The international Church of Christ is Orthodox in most of its theology. It accepts and affirms the following doctrines.
- The Trinity is one God and three persons: Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
- The deity of Christ
- The deity of the Holy Spirit.
- The physical Resurrection of Christ
- The Bible is the inspired word of God and the ultimate source of authority.
- Baptism is for adults only.
- there is a literal Hell.
- Satan is a literal fallen Angel.
Aberrant Doctrines/Practices:
- Baptism, by immersion, is essential to salvation.
- Baptism must be as a true "disciple" or it is not valid.
- Baptism must be performed in the International Church of Christ to be valid.
- Being a disciple is necessary to be a Christian.
- There should only be one Church in each city or town.
- The ICC is the true remnant of God's people as the true Church.
- Only ICC baptized members are saved.
- Sin lists of disciples are often kept.
- Heavy influence into the personal lives of disciples.