International Christian Churches
Encyclopedia
The International Christian Church (ICC) is a group of restoration movement
nondenominational congregations led by Kip McKean
and split off from the International Churches of Christ
(ICOC). It is often still associated with the International Christian Churches; however, there is no affiliation between the two types of churches other than their historical background. The International Christian Churches are nearly identical to the International Churches of Christ before the ICOC removed Kip McKean, dismantled their centralized leadership structure, and replaced it with a leadership structure based on service teams. There are service teams to oversee the Shepherding (Shepherds are leaders that resolve big disputes between members or congregations) needs of the ICOC, made up of Elders, a service team to oversee the evangelization of the world, made up of 16 evangelists and their wives from around the world. Service teams also oversee the Campus, Teens and education of Full Time Ministry Staff. (see www.icocco-op.org for a thorough description). There are currently 15 congregations of the International Christian Church in the United States and 35 total congregations worldwide.
During these days Elena and I have been coming to grips with the need to address some serious shortcomings in our marriage and family. After much counsel with the Gempels and Bairds and other World Sector Leaders as well as hours of prayer, we have decided it is God's will for us to take a sabbatical and to delegate, for a time, our day-to-day ministry responsibilities so that we can focus on our marriage and family. . McKean had stepped other evangelists down from leadership positions for "Family problems", yet was having a difficult time applying the same standards to himself. Therefore strong action was required from his central leadership team to bring Kip to resign his position.
It was later revealed that the International Church of Christ had forced him to take the sabbatical, in a sort of coup d'etat staged by the top leaders who had always had their hearts set on returning to mainline theology. The International Church of Christ dismantled the system of centralized leadership in favor of pursuing the congregational autonomy found among the mainline churches of christ. The ICOC labeled Kip as a “false prophet,” and later, “divisive.”
On November 6, 2002, Kip McKean resigned his World Evangelist leadership position with the International Church of Christ. He cited family problems and apologized for his own arrogance. McKean indicated that his sins "have weakened and embittered many in our churches," and "these sins have surfaced in my family as well as the church."
In 2003, Kip McKean was invited to lead the struggling Portland International Church of Christ. The Portland church had been severely weakened as the International Church of Christ had dismantled its central leadership and turned toward a more mainline theology. Both Kip and the Portland church had been through recent times of crisis, but Kip was successful in rebuilding the Portland church and he began to reestablish his influence in the ICOC.
As Kip began to produce dynamic results at the Portland congregation, he began to go on the offensive against many of the other congregations of the ICOC. In one such situation at the World Missions Jubilee in 2004, Kip asserted that if a congregation was not growing numerically then it was lukewarm, and if it was lukewarm then its leader was a false prophet. He began calling the "remnant" of the true disciples out of the ICOC congregations and alluded to the re-planting of new congregations. With Kip's influence growing once again, he was attempting to restore the theology and centralized structure that the ICOC had started dismantling just a few years earlier. Many congregational leaders throughout the ICOC saw Kip's comments as disrespectful, divisive, worldly, and selfish. He was accused of "unwholesome talk" when he called the ICOC leaders to repent from lukewarmness quoting Revelation 3. They informed Kip that his actions must stop or unity with him would be impossible. In September 2006 Kip McKean was disfellowshipped, and made the decision to break all ties with the International Church of Christ and start the International Christian Church under his new “Sold out Disciples Movement”, which would be headquartered in Portland. To read more about the International Churches of Christ go to www.icochotnews.com or www.disciplestoday.org
If someone was dissatisfied with their current congregation and contacted Kip, he would invite them to visit the Portland church and persuade the individual to plant a new congregation in their city, encouraging them to "call out a remnant" from their former congregation. The individuals who plant the new congregations would contact the members of their former churches and tell them that their church was now dead and if they had any hope of doing their best for God they must come and join the new "Sold Out" congregation. This movement has taken hold in more than 30 cities throughout the world so far. more plantings are scheduled for the future, in what is called "The Crown of Thorns Project".
In April 2007, Kip McKean and his wife left the Portland International Christian Church to plant the City of Angels International Christian Church in Los Angeles. Kip and his wife were accompanied by 40 other leaders from the Portland congregation.
This is the official website of Kip McKean – the World Missions Evangelist for the City of Angels Church and Leader for the SoldOut Discipling Movement.
Restoration Movement
The Restoration Movement is a Christian movement that began on the American frontier during the Second Great Awakening of the early 19th century...
nondenominational congregations led by Kip McKean
Kip McKean
Thomas "Kip" McKean is a former minister of the International Churches of Christ, and is a current minister of the City of Angels International Christian Church and head of the International Christian Churches organization, also known as the "Portland/Sold-Out Discipling Movement".-Early life and...
and split off from the International Churches of Christ
International Churches of Christ
The International Churches of Christ is a body of co-operating non-denominational, religiously conservative, and racially integrated Christian congregations, an offshoot from the Mainline Churches of Christ. This group is known for and has a long history of showing charity to the poor...
(ICOC). It is often still associated with the International Christian Churches; however, there is no affiliation between the two types of churches other than their historical background. The International Christian Churches are nearly identical to the International Churches of Christ before the ICOC removed Kip McKean, dismantled their centralized leadership structure, and replaced it with a leadership structure based on service teams. There are service teams to oversee the Shepherding (Shepherds are leaders that resolve big disputes between members or congregations) needs of the ICOC, made up of Elders, a service team to oversee the evangelization of the world, made up of 16 evangelists and their wives from around the world. Service teams also oversee the Campus, Teens and education of Full Time Ministry Staff. (see www.icocco-op.org for a thorough description). There are currently 15 congregations of the International Christian Church in the United States and 35 total congregations worldwide.
History
On November 12, 2001, Kip McKean wrote that he had decided to take a sabbatical from his role as the leader of the International Church of Christ. He issued the following statement:During these days Elena and I have been coming to grips with the need to address some serious shortcomings in our marriage and family. After much counsel with the Gempels and Bairds and other World Sector Leaders as well as hours of prayer, we have decided it is God's will for us to take a sabbatical and to delegate, for a time, our day-to-day ministry responsibilities so that we can focus on our marriage and family. . McKean had stepped other evangelists down from leadership positions for "Family problems", yet was having a difficult time applying the same standards to himself. Therefore strong action was required from his central leadership team to bring Kip to resign his position.
It was later revealed that the International Church of Christ had forced him to take the sabbatical, in a sort of coup d'etat staged by the top leaders who had always had their hearts set on returning to mainline theology. The International Church of Christ dismantled the system of centralized leadership in favor of pursuing the congregational autonomy found among the mainline churches of christ. The ICOC labeled Kip as a “false prophet,” and later, “divisive.”
On November 6, 2002, Kip McKean resigned his World Evangelist leadership position with the International Church of Christ. He cited family problems and apologized for his own arrogance. McKean indicated that his sins "have weakened and embittered many in our churches," and "these sins have surfaced in my family as well as the church."
In 2003, Kip McKean was invited to lead the struggling Portland International Church of Christ. The Portland church had been severely weakened as the International Church of Christ had dismantled its central leadership and turned toward a more mainline theology. Both Kip and the Portland church had been through recent times of crisis, but Kip was successful in rebuilding the Portland church and he began to reestablish his influence in the ICOC.
As Kip began to produce dynamic results at the Portland congregation, he began to go on the offensive against many of the other congregations of the ICOC. In one such situation at the World Missions Jubilee in 2004, Kip asserted that if a congregation was not growing numerically then it was lukewarm, and if it was lukewarm then its leader was a false prophet. He began calling the "remnant" of the true disciples out of the ICOC congregations and alluded to the re-planting of new congregations. With Kip's influence growing once again, he was attempting to restore the theology and centralized structure that the ICOC had started dismantling just a few years earlier. Many congregational leaders throughout the ICOC saw Kip's comments as disrespectful, divisive, worldly, and selfish. He was accused of "unwholesome talk" when he called the ICOC leaders to repent from lukewarmness quoting Revelation 3. They informed Kip that his actions must stop or unity with him would be impossible. In September 2006 Kip McKean was disfellowshipped, and made the decision to break all ties with the International Church of Christ and start the International Christian Church under his new “Sold out Disciples Movement”, which would be headquartered in Portland. To read more about the International Churches of Christ go to www.icochotnews.com or www.disciplestoday.org
If someone was dissatisfied with their current congregation and contacted Kip, he would invite them to visit the Portland church and persuade the individual to plant a new congregation in their city, encouraging them to "call out a remnant" from their former congregation. The individuals who plant the new congregations would contact the members of their former churches and tell them that their church was now dead and if they had any hope of doing their best for God they must come and join the new "Sold Out" congregation. This movement has taken hold in more than 30 cities throughout the world so far. more plantings are scheduled for the future, in what is called "The Crown of Thorns Project".
In April 2007, Kip McKean and his wife left the Portland International Christian Church to plant the City of Angels International Christian Church in Los Angeles. Kip and his wife were accompanied by 40 other leaders from the Portland congregation.
M.E.R.C.Y Worldwide
MERCY, Maximizing Efforts for Relief Care and Youth, is a benevolent organization led by the International Christian Churches that normally partners with different community organizations to help people in need. Mercy was founded in 2008. The leaders, in each church, are MERCY Ambassadors. There are different branches in over 6 continents. MERCY is very similar to HOPE Worldwide but there is no affiliation between the two.Sold Out Disciples Movement
Kip McKean uses the term "sold out" because "so many have cheapened the word 'disciple'". "Sold out" is the slogan he uses in his new congregations to refer to the doctrine of "total commitment." McKean states, "To be 'fully committed' is to be sold-out." The Sold Out Discipling is a re-branding of the Discipling practices that the International Church of Christ has become known for;however, this time the emphasis is on not making the same mistakes of he past, recently McKean stated at the "2010 World Missions Jubilee": "In my lesson, The Promised Land – On The Second Try, I taught that the Israelites failed miserably on their first attempt to enter the Promised Land, because of their lack of faith – which manifested itself in disobedience, grumbling and rebellion. However, God gave them the Promised Land on the second try, because of their “wholehearted” devotion! Prayerfully, everyone who attended now has deep convictions that though we in our former fellowship sinned and fell short, this “second time” through a “sold-out” faith, righteous living, and merciful discipling relationships, God will lead the SoldOut Movement to evangelize the nations in THIS generation!External Links
- City of Angels International Christian Church official website
- Portland International Christian Church official website
- Chicago International Christian Church official website
- Washington, DC International Christian Church official website
- Empire City International Christian Church official website
This is the official website of Kip McKean – the World Missions Evangelist for the City of Angels Church and Leader for the SoldOut Discipling Movement.