2003
- December 16, 2003 ICOC, 'mainline' leaders to meet at ACU, The Christian Chronicle
In a historic meeting, leaders of the International Churches of Christ and leaders of the "mainline" churches of Christ will participate in a three-part dialogue at Abilene Christian University's Bible Lectureship Feb. 22-25...
...Three daily sessions will examine "Who Are the International Churches of Christ?"; "Our Shared Story"; and "Prospects for the Future."...
- January 31, 2004 Former ICOC'er suspicious of meeting's motives, Letters to the Editor, The Christian Chronicle
My wife and I left the ICOC (NYCCOC-Rockland, NY sector) after more than eleven years in that group... All of us felt conscience bound to flee this organization after a fateful meeting in June, 2003 when we were told no more inquiries into the organizations finances were going to be tolerated...
...I will, however, caution those within the Mainline Church of Christ it is my experience this group and it's leadership will say anything to achieve its agenda, at this juncture its very survival...
- November 30, 2003 God on the Quad, by Neil Swidey, Globe Staff, Boston Globe, Magazine, Massachusetts
...distancing themselves from the controversial Boston Church of Christ...
- November 24, 2003 Outside United States, will ICOC merge with us? - by Erik Tryggestad, The Christian Chronicle
As International Churches of Christ outside the United States struggle to find direction after a shake-up in the church's leadership, reactions from "mainline" churches of Christ range from cautious optimism to outright avoidance...
...The ICOC once boasted congregations with thousands of members in Asia, the United Kingdom and the former Soviet Union. But since the resignation of Kip McKean, many of of the churches have lost their missionaries and staff...
- November 24, 2003 Reaching the world at our dorm steps, by Erik Tryggestad, The Christian Chronicle
..."Evangelistic tenacity" has yielded positive and negative results for campus ministry. In the 1980s the Crossroads and Boston movements - now the International Churches of Christ - swept across many college campuses, leading to hundreds of conversions. But the movements' aggressive, controversial discipling techniques soon became unwelcome, campus ministers said.
Despite the split between the two groups in 1987, campus ministers told the Chronicle that many state schools do not distinguish between "churches of Christ" and "International Churches of Christ." So several campus ministries have adopted names such as "Christian Student Center" which omit references to churches of Christ. This is partly to indicate that students outside churches of Christ are welcome, but also disassociates the ministries from the ICOC.
Several ministers said that their ministries are still recovering from the stigma associated with ICOC groups...
- November 15, 2003 Q&A with Flavil R. Yeakley, Jr., ICOCNews
Flavil R. Yeakley, Jr., co-author and editor of the book, The Discipling Dilemma, responds to questions regarding the relationship between the International Churches of Christ (ICOC) and mainstream Churches of Christ.
Dr. Yeakley is a Professor in the College of Bible and Religion at Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas...
...Before I moved to Harding University in the summer of 1990, I served as President of the Association for Psychological Type (the professional organization of Myers-Briggs users). In that capacity, I traveled throughout the United States, Canada, and the U.K. Everywhere I went, counselors who work with cult victims told me that they were seeing more victims from the Churches of Christ (ICOC) than any other cult-except for the Church of Scientology, which is the worst of all. They told me about suicides, divorces, emotional breakdowns, and ruined lives...
- October 22, 2003 Will the ICOC hold together in spite of all?, by Lindy Adams, The Christian Chronicle
Despite speculation that the International Church of Christ (ICOC) might disintegrate as the result of leader Kip McKean's confession of wrong and subsequent resignation last November - and the resulting fallout - leaders in the movement maintain that the bulk of that body will survive.
Such assertions were solidified after a meeting of church leaders in Dallas Oct. 3-5 attracting more than 500 participants including McKean, church World Sector leaders, church elders and members.
The ICOC, previously know as the Crossroads and Boston movements, and the mainline churches of Christ parted ways in the early 1990s. The ICOC has been accused of aggressive discipling techniques and of bordering on being a cult...
- The following link will take you to an archived version of the ABC13, KTRK-TV Web site.
- October 8, 2003 Church volunteer accused of sexually assaulting five-year-old boy, ABC13, KTRK-TV, Texas via the Wayback Machine
10/08/03 - HOUSTON) - A 31-year-old church volunteer is in the Harris County jail, accused of sexually molesting a five-year-old boy left in his care.
Harris County prosecutors say Melvin Jiles was caring for the little boy while his parents attended a function at the International Church of Christ in Friendswood. The alleged incident happened last November at the little boy's home...
...Authorities say anyone who came into contact with Jiles should contact Friendswood police. In the meantime, the church has no comment.
- October 1, 2003 Let us prey, The Guardian, UK (United Kingdom) (...Involvement with a cult can cause lasting damage. Sarah Cope-Faulkner, now 34, became a member of the now disbanded International Church of Christ during her second year at Edinburgh University in the early 90s. A member of the Christian union, she lost friends after her first year when various fallings-out occurred and she found herself in a shared house with strangers. When "Jodie" invited her to a Bible study group, she found herself flattered by the offer of friendship from this slim, pretty young woman in jeans and trainers, and was touched by her apparent care and interest...)
- September 18, 2003 My God is your God or you're going to hell, by Dan Perry, Gazette Staff, The Gazette, The University of Western Ontario, Canada (Ryerson University's run-ins with the International Church of Christ have been well-documented in the past few years and this year is proving no exception...
Ron Petter, minister of the Hamilton Church of Christ, said the confrontation at Ryerson may be a little overblown...
..."Some people [from ICOC] stepped over their boundaries, so Ryerson brought in a lawyer and slapped them down," Petter explained.
Petter is responsible for campus ministries at McMaster University and the University of Waterloo and stated he has not seen such problems on those campuses under his jurisdiction.
While Petter said he could only speak for his charge, he confirmed ICOC adherents are encouraged to share their faith, but contrary to many journalists' perceptions there is no organized recruitment program...)
- September 18, 2003 Recruit through choice, not fear - Editorial and Opinions, The Gazette, The University of Western Ontario, Canada (For some at Ryerson University, freedom of religion doesn't exist and neither does freedom from religion.
Students on the campus in downtown Toronto have been subjected to fanatical recruitment drives by the International Church of Christ, mainly during O-Week; often a time when religious groups recruit heavily on university campuses...
...Fanatical religious drives such as the one at Ryerson only infringe upon this important right of choice. Yes, university students are old enough to make a choice, but they shouldn't have to face harassment...)
- September 16, 2003 Praying on Ryerson students, by Sheila Nykwist, The Eyeopener, Ryerson University, Canada (Although they are not allowed at Ryerson, a banned religious group is recruiting on campus...
...Although they did not identify themselves as such, Leo later found out the boys who approached him were members of the International Church of Christ...
...Ryerson is among the many universities in the Canada and the United States that bans the Church of Christ from recruiting on campus. The church did not comment on the ban prior to the publication of this article...
Ryerson actively warns students about the potentially traumatizing effects of becoming involved with religious groups that practice aggressive recruiting tactics...)
- September 23, 2003 Banned group responds, by Sheila Nykwist, The Eyeopener, Ryerson University, Canada (Second-year engineering student Chris Pang made the switch about six months ago... Instead, he gathers in an auditorium at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education with other Toronto Church of Christ members in what he feels is a more loving, and accepting atmosphere.
"Our church is not a regimented cult like [last week's article] made it sound," says Pang, referring to a feature piece in last week's Eyeopener.
He claims practices such as aggressive recruiting, pressure to make donations of time and money and an over-zealous devotion to the church are no longer issues...
...According to Pang, the Toronto Church of Christ has gone through a change since last March...
..."Maybe some things did go badly,"says Pang. "Let me be the first to apologize if anyone was offended. Everyone in the church feels really bad about it. I hope they can forgive us.")
- September 1, 2003 ICOC will 'take aspirin and ignore the cancer' - Letters - The Christian Chronicle
- August 29, 2003 UW's fight against a harmful faith, Mike Kerrigan, Imprint staff, Imprint, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada (As frosh week approaches, preparations are being finalized for a theological battle that is waged on campus each year. Officially targeted as 'aggressive religious recruiters', the university utilizes the Feds, residence dons, frosh leaders, campus police and countless others to execute a multiple-front attack on those who would proselytise UW's newest students. Although there are always various fringe groups that pop up, increasingly most of the effort is expended to counter a single, seemingly unstoppable group: the International Church of Christ. Entire conferences are held to train university officials how to stop the growth of this church on their campuses...)
- August 24, 2003 ICOC's McKean issues new paper, by Lindy Adams, The Christian Chronicle (Portland, Ore. - PORTLAND, ORE.
A position paper, "From Babylon to Zion," by Kip McKean has added to widespread conjecture about the present state of the International Churches of Christ (ICOC).
McKean, longtime charismatic head of the International Churches, resigned as leader in November. The ICOC is successor to the Crossroads and Boston movements.
In the new document, posted at www.portland.ucd.net, McKean presents a detailed report on the ICOC's status and a plan for addressing its problems, including a definition of his view of congregational autonomy...)
- November 3, 2003 Concern with McKean's organization, Letters, The Christian Chronicle (In "The Second Front" of your September 2003 issue, a news item was published about ICOC's Kip McKean and his new position paper. I downloaded that paper, and while there are many items to write about, I want to make reference to his using...)
- July 23, 2003 "Pay No Attention to the Men Behind the Curtain" finds common themes in recent messages from San Francisco, New York and Portland. Includes a report on ICC founder Kip McKean's new letter, Revolution through Restoration III - RightCyberUp
- July 13, 2003 From Babylon to Zion: Revolution through Restoration III by Kip McKean
(Link to full text article written by Kip McKean)
(To my brothers and sisters in all the congregations of the International Churches of Christ:...
...In most of our larger congregations in the United States, over half of the full-time ministry and administrative staff have left the ministry in the past year and a half...
...In most places the International Churches of Christ (ICOC) are no longer an advancing, growing movement of God...
... gradually, in the LA years, my constant short-term growth goals created pressure on the ministry staff that translated to hurtful pressure on members. When combined with a legalistic mindset, disciples were made to feel they could never measure up, too often wondering if they were fruitful or even saved. This robbed them of their joy as disciples. In seeing the need to build a model church, I wrongly compelled far too many good leaders and other disciples from numerous congregations to move to LA. The problem was exacerbated because I did not communicate my gratitude to these other churches, and then I expected them to duplicate our efforts after taking some of their most effective soul winners. For this I am deeply sorry...
...Therefore it gives me great joy to announce that by God's grace we have recently begun to lead the church in Portland, Oregon...
...For the past several months, Elena and I have served the campus ministry at Long Beach State...
...Prayerfully this fall, through a cooperative effort of the San Francisco and Portland Churches, the Spirit will plant a new congregation in the city of Eugene, home of the University of Oregon. Then early next year we will plant a house church in Corvallis, home of Oregon State University. ...)
- July 2003 Future of Controversial International Church of Christ in Question, Jeremy Reynalds, Charisma Magazine Online (The group, considered by many to be a cult, reportedly has been in 'chaos' since its top leader stepped down
The only thing that seems certain about the controversial International Church of Christ (ICOC) is that the organization is in a state of flux.
A recent leadership change and a widely circulated letter by a British leader critical of the group's practices are provoking speculation about the organization's direction and future...
...also known as the Boston Church of Christ, is considered by many to be a cult. Claiming more than 100,000 members, the ICOC has been banned on at least 40 college campuses...)
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