Taken Captive: The 2019 International Church of Christ Report

By Joseph Franklin

As a former educator, journalist, and leader within the International Churches of Christ, Franklin examines the 2003 scandal that rocked their movement and peeled away nearly a third of their worldwide followers. The 2019 ICOC Report, aptly named Taken Captive, attempts to answer the question, “Has the ICOC truly changed since the crisis?” To answer that question Franklin employs methods such as targeted interviews with the group’s most influential leaders, personal visits, and research of post-2003 movement materials including sermons, movement study series and articles. The author takes a deep dive into apologetics and the incremental psychosocial manipulation that dominates the group. Undergirding this work is the defining doctrine of true biblical Christianity which is justification by faith alone in Christ alone. This report is the first of its kind and marks three years of painstaking investigation and research.

This second installment in a comprehensive 6-book series examining the sect makes use of current statements of belief and practice voiced by their own leaders and contrasts them with sound biblical teaching. A significant amount of content and teaching undergird the report with concise citations and quotations from a number of renowned theologians and evangelical teachers such as John Piper, John MacArthur, Bob L. Ross, Martin Luther, R. C. Sproul, C. H. Spurgeon and J. Vernon McGee.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joseph Franklin
• Release date: Nov 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9781370641987

Joseph Franklin

Joe Franklin is an accomplished teacher and life skills instructor with a Masters in Special Education. In his writing, he combines his passion for learning, education, and mentoring with an even greater passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ. He became a Christian as a young man, but after being recruited into the International Church of Christ (ICOC), he spent several years journeying down an unscriptural and psychologically manipulative path.

Book preview

Colossians 2:6-23

Spiritual Fullness in Christ

⁶ So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

⁹ For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ¹⁰ and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. ¹¹ In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

¹³ When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,¹⁴ having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Freedom from Human Rules

¹⁶ Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. ¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. ¹⁸ Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. ¹⁹ They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

²⁰ Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: ²¹ Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!? ²² These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. ²³ Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Taken Captive

The 2019 International Church of Christ Report

By: Joe Franklin

Year of Authorship: 2019

Confronting Authoritarian Abuse & Religious Captivation

Awareness and education are the primary weapons against the subtle tactics of groups who employ coercive psychological systems, manipulation, and excessive guilt in order to recruit new church followers and keep others in line.

Grace & Healing Series

Disclaimer: The citations, links, and videos that I have used to convey my thoughts do not necessarily represent or reflect my views in all areas of faith or Christian living. When theology or sound doctrine is in view, I am flexible and creative enough to cite those sources that keep to orthodox Christian teaching in the essentials even though these sources/authors may not represent my views in all areas. It is ultimately up to the reader to research, investigate, and use their critical and independent judgment. All email correspondence with ICOC leadership has been used with permission. In addition, all the interviews that were conducted were done with full disclosure. I let each individual know that I was gathering information and investigating the nature of all the changes that occurred in the ICOC after the bottom fell out of the movement in 2003.

The mention and/or inclusion of a group or leader within this book does not define that group as a cult and/or an individual mentioned as either destructive and/or harmful. Instead, such inclusion simply reflects that this group or person has generated some interest and/or controversy. All uses of the word cult and equivalent phrases/statements are strictly the opinion of the author(s). All uses of the phrase mind control, thought reform and similar phrases are strictly the opinion of the author and do not indicate that all groups and individual members mentioned in this book are utilizing mind control tactics. Readers must exercise their own judgment in choosing and/or reviewing this material and then critically evaluate any views or opinions the author may express. Some may find this material controversial.

Books by Joe Franklin

GRACE AND HEALING: EVALUATING THE INTERNATIONAL CHURCHES OF CHRIST

Poisoned Fruit

Taken Captive

Unmasked

How Pietism Deceives Christians

Unholy Gatekeepers

House of Cards

Copyright © 2019 by Joe Franklin

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Visit the author’s website at www.sparrowministry.com. Email [e-mail].

Cover Art by Jeffrey Mardis © 2018.

Illustrations by Dreamstime.

Edited by Janice Franklin.

All scriptural quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2002, 2011 by the International Bible Society, and Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

Digital book(s) (epub and mobi) produced by Booknook.biz.

Special Credits

It would not be possible to list every person who has influenced my Christian understanding, but I want to name a few key individuals to whom I am eternally grateful for their knowledge and wisdom.

Marshall Gupton

B.A. in Philosophy and Religion from the University of Chattanooga

M.Div from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Church pastor from 1972 until 2018; hospital chaplain; church planter

Dr. Mark L. Strauss

Vice-chair, the Committee on Bible Translation (CBT), NIV Bible Translator

University Professor of New Testament, Bethel Seminary San Diego

Ph.D. University of Aberdeen

Affiliation: Converge Worldwide (formerly Baptist General Conference)

Mark Strauss has taught at Bethel Seminary San Diego since 1993. He is the author of a textbook on the Gospels (Four Portraits, One Jesus), commentaries on Luke and Mark and various other books on hermeneutics and Bible translation. He joined the CBT in 2005.

Retrieved from https://www.biblica.com/niv-Bible/niv-Bible-translators/

Dr. Jeannine K. Brown

Professor of New Testament, Bethel Seminary

Ph.D. Luther Seminary

Affiliation: Converge Worldwide (formerly Baptist General Conference)

Jeannine Brown began teaching New Testament at Bethel Seminary in 1995, specializing in biblical hermeneutics, the gospel of Matthew, and 1 Peter. Her publications include Scripture as Communication, Becoming Whole and Holy, Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels, and Matthew (Teach the Text Commentary series). Dr. Brown joined the CBT in 2009.

Retrieved from https://www.biblica.com/niv-Bible/niv-Bible-translators/

Chris (Christopher) Lee

BS, Aeronautics and Astronautics (Aerospace Engineering), MIT, 1997

Former member and Bible Talk leader, Boston Church of Christ, Metro Campus Ministry (Harvard, MIT, Tufts)

M.Div., Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, 2005; intern, Park Street Church, Boston, MA 2001-2003

Director, REVEAL.org 1997-2005; Executive Director 2005- present

Have talked with scores of ex-leaders, thousand+ ex-members of the ICOC

Pastor Richard Burkey

Senior Pastor of Christ Lutheran, La Mesa, CA – Developing dynamic disciples

B.A. in Theology and Biblical Languages from Concordia University – Chicago, IL

M.Div. from Concordia Seminary – St. Louis, MO

D. Min. from Fuller Theological Seminary – Pasadena, CA

Table of Contents

Introduction

SECTION 1-A     Overview of ICOC Theology

SECTION 1-B     Group Dynamics

SECTION 1-C     Vocabulary and Key Concepts

SECTION 2         Current Events

SECTION 3         The Report – Introduction

SECTION 4         The Report – Main Findings

SECTION 5         How to Evaluate the Research

Appendix 1       Corporate Repentance

Appendix 2       Religious Captivation Examples

Appendix 3       Facebook Posting Campaign

Appendix 4       Facebook Reviews Breakdown

Appendix 5       Quotes from ICOC Members

Appendix 6       Post-Kriete Testimonials

Appendix 7       Charlotte Contribution Form

Appendix 8       ICOC lesson on Stoking Us vs. Them Thinking

Appendix 9       The ICOC Misunderstands the Nature of the Gospel

Introduction

Essentially, all these reorganization efforts amounted to little more than a smoke-screen and public-posturing, the overall goal of which was to camouflage their largely unchanged goals and purposes of systematic subjugation of individual believers and ultimately a large segment of the collective Body of Christ. Modifications were primarily only cosmetic, aimed at defusing the controversy and rehabilitating the public image. The players were basically the same, and certainly the fundamental teachings and practices were nothing more than only slightly moderated. When the dust settled, the only thing that had changed was not the plan itself but the method of implementation, which was now even more covert and esoteric than before. ¹

Thought reform hinders a person from thinking critically…it is part of the complex web of religious captivation that still permeates the ICOC.

The above quote did not come from observers reflecting on supposed changes in the International Churches of Christ (ICOC) after revelations of widespread abuse leaked during the 2003 Henry Kriete crisis. Kriete, a former London ICOC evangelist, wrote a letter entitled Honest to God, initially intended for church leadership but leaked on the Internet. The letter shook the movement to its core. ² It became the catalyst for many to see the inner workings of the organization and leave, and spawned their world administrative headquarters, now officially based in Los Angeles, together with other churches, to issue various vague and hedging apologies in an unconvincing attempt to reconcile the systemic abuse, false teaching, unhealthy group dynamics, and systematic thought reform ³ that had been prevalent during the previous twenty plus years. On the contrary, the above quote is referencing the Shepherding Movement, a group that experienced a similar rebuke from the Christian community and whose influence helped shape the ICOC’s authoritarian and unbiblical discipling system, which is still in practice today.

In my estimation, the 2003 Kriete Letter shone a spotlight on the group, basically saying, We’re a cult, we’re abusing people, we need to fix this. This report looks into the nature of those assessments and the oft repeated claim of change by ICOC followers. Information gathering, interviews, research of movement sermons and the monitoring of social media were conducted between 2016 and 2019.

Thought reform hinders a person from thinking critically. It is manipulation. As such it is a key distinctive and part of the complex web of religious captivation that still permeates the ICOC. There is a difference between critical thoughts and being a critical faultfinder. The movement often blurs the two. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. (I Thess. 5:21-22). This report will show that Movement headquarters and pillar churches also failed to acknowledge the systematic thought reform that McKean ushered into the group and has kept that behavior shaping program in place for four decades. Hence the saying, You can’t change what you won’t admit to rings true for the new ICOC.

Although I don't like using the word cult publicly to describe the ICOC I will use that term on occasion, because they continue to display cultic characteristics, both theologically and psychologically. I will also use the following synonyms: totalistic group, legalistic and authoritarian church, thought reform practicing Christian organization, abusive church/sect, cult of Christianity, and new religious movement (NRM). This NRM, prior to the Henry Kriete Letter (2003), exhibited all of the classic signs of being a cult as described in Lifton's Criteria. Today it’s a mixed bag, with gradations of deception and exclusivity, and a more artful presentation of the same basic philosophy of the McKean era. Ryan Britt’s 2001 essay, Mind Control in the ICC uses the eight criteria for a mind control environment and highlights how the ICOC’s methods parallel these criteria. His essay is relevant here, as mind control and thought reform are one and the same. The reader should decide whether or not the group is healthy and gospel-centered. This author believes they are neither, as this report will demonstrate.

The ICOC has made no such admission to their flock.

In his book, Charismatic Captivation, author Steven Lambert reveals the doctrines and practices of the discipling/shepherding movement and why they were erroneous. He notes that at least three and possibly four of the five original proponents of the Discipleship movement have to varying degrees admitted the doctrines were flawed, erroneous, and wrong. ⁴ The ICOC has made no such admission to their flock. Both groups have claimed that excesses, or abuse in application, were the result of overzealous devotees, a type of victim blaming. ⁵ Lambert’s point on a tactical organizational restructure also mirrors the ICOC’s recent history, in that both groups went underground as scrutiny increased. He says, Despite all the public posturing and feeble claims of moderation, the Discipleship leaders and the majority of their devotees were essentially unrepentant and their fundamental practices and beliefs remained virtually unchanged. ⁶

Incidentally, a helpful YouTube video called "Debunking ‘The ICOC is different now’" myth is worth a listen. It was posted in 2018 by a very thoughtful former member who took great pains to listen, read about, and peruse a wide array of movement websites and sermons examining the nature of these professed changes.

Awareness and education are the best weapons against the subtle tactics of groups who employ coercive psychological systems, manipulation, and excessive guilt to recruit new church followers and keep current members in line. As Christians, we also have the benefit of prayer and the word of God to help steer us into truth, not to mention the indwelling presence of our Lord. The crisis-driven reforms of the ICOC in most, if not all, their congregations were cosmetic, not theological. The subtle and deceitful doctrines that undergird the worst abuses remained, with only a tweaking or softening of the applications. ICOC discipling (mentoring/training) still remains unbiblical, dangerous and harmful, but it’s not as formalized across the entire movement as during the McKean era.

Evidence of Current Thought Reform

In the Disciples Today article, Hong Kong Church: My Journey to Freedom in Christ By Teddy Lo – Hong Kong, China 26 Feb, 2019, Kevin Lo introduces his son Teddy’s testimony, Below is Teddy’s testimony of how he built his personal relationship with God. The notion that a person builds a relationship with God to be saved is common in the ICOC. In a March 1, 2019 article on Disciples Today promoting a singles conference, the following statement is made, Whether you’ve been a disciple of Jesus for years or you’re seeking to build a relationship with God for the first time, ANCHORED aims to resonate with singles from all walks of life. (Join Singles for ANCHORED Weekend in Atlanta By Jillian Gillis – Atlanta, GA, USA, 01 Mar, 2019).

I’ve broken down Teddy Lo’s testimony into individual points and put it in a table, with his testimony in the first row, pertinent scriptures in the middle row, and in the last row an explanation of the manipulation technique being used. Bolding is mine. I’ve quoted a significant portion of the article so the reader gets a good feeling for what the ICOC is teaching and practicing. You can read the article in its totality on Disciples Today (see Appendix 6 for Post-Kriete Testimonials).

It is clear from this young man’s testimony that his salvation has been placed in the hands of the ICOC disciples who studied the Bible with him. Their indoctrination of Teddy Lo, who is by no means an anomaly, is not limited just to confession and appeals to the condition of one’s heart, but can be seen as coercive persuasion in other subject areas (see Poisoned Fruit, 1.1 to 1.11; also How Pietism Deceives Christians: Deceptions 1-4).

A long-time member of the ICOC wrote the post below on the International Church of Christ Facebook page on May 26, 2019. Note the widespread confession culture she describes. (bolding is mine)

"Hello.... The practice of talking about the sin, or issues of a brother or sister within the church with other brothers or sisters for the sake of seeking advice…instead of going straight to the source first.. In my eyes that is soo wrong in so many levels. I think it does more damage than help.

Why do we keep this practices? I have been a disciple for 19 years and this is the one thing that bothers me the most. Been a military family we have been part of different churches and this is a practice that we see everywhere we go..

Why? I would love some input with scriptures. Thank you in advance."

Why was it so agonizingly difficult for Teddy Lo to come to salvation? Why does the ICOC continue their culture of confession despite the damage being done? I’d like to quote the following excerpts from Keith Stump’s Control Mechanisms in the ICC, Section IV: The Crux of the Matter. Stump does an excellent job getting at the heart of the ICOC’s problems, problems that I see exemplified in the conversion example above. Note that when Stump refers to the ICC, he’s referring to the International Church of Christ (ICOC), not the International Christian Church (ICC).

States Stump: (bolding is mine)

"The crux of the matter, that element of the ICC that empowers the control mechanisms, is the doctrine that one must be totally committed in order to be saved. As I have already demonstrated, this doctrine is not merely being well-committed nor fully devoted. In practice, the doctrine becomes a matter of being committed BEYOND the capacity of a human being WHILE it is SIMULTANEOUSLY maintained such a level is the minimum level necessary for salvation. As long as this doctrine remains intact, no amount of leadership change nor other reforms will stop the abuse of the ICC.

But, one might say, does not the Bible teach that one must love God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength? Yes, it does. But it does not teach that one must do more than that. The ICC teaches that one must be committed beyond one's capacity – even if it does not officially say so in such terse terms. Therefore, in practice, the doctrine of total commitment morphs into a commandment to be devoted to the ICC (supposedly God, but redirected onto the ICC, as mentioned in Section I) with more than all of one's heart, mind, soul and strength. Since no one has that to offer, the members are left in a state that not only leaves them vulnerable to abusive control, but actually causes them to seek out such domination.

The key word to consider here is totally. It is not possible to be totally focused or devoted to anything, especially as presented by the ICC. No matter how well one performs at a given task, a next level can always be imagined. In the ICC, nothing is ever enough, no achievement is ever sufficient. Even if someone somehow manages to do a particular task well enough for the ICC, then there are countless other tasks that will be found lacking. It would be one thing if such a commitment were viewed as a lofty ideal to be emulated – that is not what happens in the ICC. Rather, these ideals are presented as being actually attainable. Consider this: In the ICC view, how many people must a member baptize in order to have done enough? How much self-control is sufficient? How good of a job must one do at evangelism? How good is good enough for a marriage to be? How out of himself does a member have to be to have been so adequately? The answer is simply this: no level of any good thing is sufficient. When this belief is coupled with the expectation that these unattainable levels actually must be achieved as the minimum requirement for salvation, the member is left in constant fear of failing God and not making it to heaven.

But why does this doctrine empower abusive control? There are two key reasons why. The first is that the concept of what it means to be totally committed is kept vague and nebulous – it means whatever the ICC wants it to mean. The second factor is that the totally committed doctrine is coupled with the doctrine that one must not only attend to his own commitment but also ensure others are so committed. This doctrine applies to all other members, not just those a member might be leading. If any member is found to be lacking in his commitment, the ICC members are compelled to enforce whatever is lacking – and there is always something to be found in every member that is lacking. As members grow in their acceptance of the various demands placed on them, not only do they spread such commitment requirements on to others, but they add their own twists to them. This situation creates a self-sustaining means for increasing demands on the group. The leadership is the key element in propagating the demands, but others do it also. What inevitably results is abusive control. The obsessive yearning to be totally committed creates increasingly impossible precepts which must be enforced, which create the abusive control, which then amplifies the demands, which then increase the abusive control. This process is never-ending, although there are times (particularly when there have been unusually high numbers of members leaving the group) when the load is lightened up a bit. Therefore, the level of demands and control rise and fall periodically, rather than rising indefinitely. Nevertheless, whether at a time of high demand or a low one, the level of expectation is kept beyond the reach of any human being." ²³

Neither myself, nor anyone I’m aware of, has seen even one staff member fired for teaching false doctrine.

Other than a looser discipling setup, the practices, doctrines, and tactics of the post-Kriete organization are essentially the same as in the McKean-led ICC (International Christian Church), begun in 2006 and currently numbering about 7,000 followers.²⁴ ICOC leadership now has a broader power base, as they ply their talents and experience in a variety of venues, such as marriage and family counseling, mental health counseling,²⁵ or spreading disciple-making literature through books as freelance teachers and speakers. Some of them are still on staff, though a number of leaders were let go due to shrinking dollars. Neither myself, nor anyone I’m aware of, has seen even one staff member fired for teaching false doctrine. None have been released for unorthodox teaching or perverting the gospel with a works salvation-type theology. Leadership can spin it any way they like but, truthfully, leaders left their posts because members started voting with their feet after the bottom fell out of the movement in the aftermath of the Kriete Letter.

The spin goes something like this: It was about 15 years ago that the movement underwent a re-alignment, getting rid of many of their leaders, including Kip McKean who left to start another movement. This is what an Independent Christian Church leader told me as he avoided my question on why he was allowing current ICOC leaders to speak at his non-ICOC disciple making conference. He had determined, after discussion and investigation into these men, that they had distanced themselves from all of those things in the past.

If this is so, why does the group hold to the same pre-baptismal curriculum of McKean, and why have they not admitted to violating Galatians 1 to their churches? (see 2.1). Why can’t anyone on the face of the earth find even one sermon or piece of literature that confirms leadership having confessed their bad doctrine and theology to their members? Why hasn’t even one biblical elder begun accountability, restoration, and restitution counseling with the hundreds of ICOC leaders who used hyper-authoritarianism to yoke a legalistic discipleship upon their flock for decades? Why hasn’t the group acknowledged the damaging thought reform that McKean ushered into the church, and promised to stop manipulating the flock?

A number of international ICOC teachers have established websites and are involved in apologetics. One such teacher, Dr. John Oakes, is president of a 501c3 called the Apologetics Research Society (ARS). He has authored a number of kingdom books and travels extensively, promulgating the group’s teachings and distinct beliefs. He has a number of lessons on his teaching website that I took the time to review and analyze (see Appendix 8). In light of the group’s oft repeated claim that they go by the Bible only I was surprised to find that his lessons contained serious errors both doctrinally and theologically, and heavily weighted toward eisegesis.

I made contact with Dr. Oakes in the hopes that he would defend some of his bold claims and teachings in a YouTube debate format with Matt Slick, President and Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM.org). Dr. Oakes turned down the invitation on the grounds that Mr. Slick had used rhetoric that he didn’t like in a similar debate with Tim Kernan, a leader within Kip McKean’s new movement (Slick had correctly identified Kernan’s theology as ‘salvation by works’ and called him out on it). Persistent as I am, I invited Dr. Oakes to defend his views with Thomas Ross of faithsaves.net. Mr. Ross is an experienced defender of the gospel and was more than willing to debate Dr. Oakes. That too was turned down. I also invited Dr. Oakes to participate in an internet discussion on the topics he is promoting globally with Dr. Mark L. Strauss, Professor of New Testament at Bethel Seminary in San Diego. The web hosting site for such conversations is called Respectful Conversations. I received no response to that invitation, which remains open.

As detailed in Section 2.25 and Appendix 8, Dr. Oakes teaches ICOC members that Christians outside their movement are lost and damned because they have not been obedient to the ICOC’s correct baptism criteria (see 1.25). With the Parable of the Wedding Banquet as a reference, he uses the analogy of rescuing people from burning buildings as a way to urge his audience to save their Christian friends from eternal damnation. But after seeing Dr. Oakes’ unwilling response (on three separate requests) to share this life saving message with a large, international audience and have his views recorded on YouTube for posterity, I can't help but come to the conclusion that he is expecting the average church member to act a certain way but does not act the same way himself. Not only is this inconsistent, it’s hypocritical.

I have initiated a debate challenge between Thomas Ross and Dr. Douglas Jacoby (ICOC) and Jacoby indicated a willingness, but nothing has happened in nearly a year of communication.

Before continuing with the report, I would like to point out that Paul was willing to meet with the leaders of the Jerusalem church (Gal. 2:2, 6) and let his ministry be examined by others. He was open and ready to change anything that was wrong. How difficult and embarrassing it must be for the ICOC faithful when they read factual reports such as this, only to find that their leaders are either unwilling or simply unable to defend their Restoration Movement views and other disciple doctrines with other believers.

Movement-wide Cover-up

In February 2004, nearly forty years after Chuck Lucas introduced the mainline Churches of Christ to a virulent strain of authoritarian discipleship, the ICOC openly admitted for the first time, in Abilene Christian University’s 2004 - 86th Annual Bible Lectureship, Come to the Water that they had been falsely teaching the gospel. In the Lectureship, Gordon Ferguson stated, I think we violated Galatians 1. I think we preached the gospel plus performance productivity to the point that it became a different gospel. ²⁶ The four ICOC representatives at this historic meeting, together with some 40 ministers and elders (Ferguson, 2004) went back to their prospective congregations and kept silent about this sin, as far as I know. It was business as usual as they joined hands to clean up their gospel departure without being held accountable (see Unmasked: ICOC Guilty of the Galatian Error for a full report).

Greg Marutzky, Mike Taliaferro, Al Baird, Steve Statin…all refused to answer my questions…

I contacted those who attended the historic meeting through email; Greg Marutzky and Mike Taliaferro (reps for the ICOC) did not respond to two separate requests. I contacted Al Baird multiple times through the West Region of the LA church, and through his personal email, and did not receive a response, then made another attempt after I discovered that Dr. Baird is now in Arizona; I am still awaiting his comment on the cover-up. I also made attempts to contact Roger Lamb through the Disciples Today website and did not receive a response. Gordon Ferguson responded to my query with vague, generalized comments, but felt the ICOC wasn’t as bad as the Judaizers who were deceiving the Galatian Christians. The others, including Steve Staten, Chair of Church Discipline for the ICOC and a member of the Teachers Service Team, refused to answer my questions via email or privately by telephone.

They have distanced themselves through avoidance, deception, spin, and time (15 years and counting), as the group claims to have changed ²⁷ without actually changing. One need only look to Chuck Lucas and the Crossroads Movement to find such obfuscation and cover-up. While some church leaders attribute the Movement and their re-alignment as the impetus for getting rid of many of their leaders, the facts tell otherwise. The ICOC did not get rid of anyone due to the promulgation and promotion of heretical teachings but was forced to let them go due to the fallout from all the systemic abuse and financial corruption leaked by the Henry Kriete Letter.

2002 brought the resignation of ICOC founder Kip McKean. Shortly thereafter, the pro-McKean faction, officially known as the International Christian Churches (ICC) and the larger anti-McKean faction, known as the ICOC, with a functioning cooperative agreement, emerged as two distinct groups.

Christianity Today

The claims of change which materialized shortly after the Kriete Letter are contradicted by numerous independent sources and former members outside the group. In a February 26, 2003 Christianity Today article by Timothy R. Callahan entitled ’Boston Movement’ Founder Quits: Facing growth problems, controversial group changes leadership structure Don Veinot Jr., president of Midwest Christian Outreach, an apologetics ministry in suburban Chicago, is quoted as saying the following:

McKean's resignation letter is significant because of what it doesn't say, Veinot said. The letter from Kip does not say his teachings are wrong, but that Kip did not live them himself. ²⁸

In the letter, McKean is not speaking about his new faction, the ICC, but is speaking to his leadership within the ICOC, of which his tenure spans some twenty-three years. More importantly, he is resigning as World Sector Leader and CEO of the ICOC without admitting to doctrinal or theological error.

ICOC Administrative Headquarters

Even more compelling is that the ICOC’s pillar church, the Los Angeles International Church of Christ, with a peak membership of nearly 10,000 members at one point, issued an officially sanctioned Open Letter in 2006. The letter serves as a historical account of the reasons why the ICOC booted McKean.

In this letter, Movement leaders make one more attempt to distance themselves from their founder and rid themselves of him once and for all, publicly marking him for deceitful and divisive actions and leading an effort to divide God's Church, ²⁹ but his teachings, practices, and biblical interpretations, especially with regard to disciple’s baptism, baptismal cognizance and works-based salvation were not mentioned, but were rather retained! (Online source). The ICOC rejected their founder but kept his system in place, minus a few inconsequential changes.

ICOC leadership has been telling the public, We’ve changed since the late Chuck Lucas first said it in 1967.

This is about self-preservation and continuing the same quasi-gospel content, perverted Bible teachings and deceptive recruitment that marred the McKean era. The ICOC’s justification for their discipleship doctrine rests on the idea that "Discipleship is God’s plan to mature and grow the church." Top ICOC teacher Gordon Ferguson has a book out on this foundational but erroneous premise. ³⁰ Ironically, after four decades of the ICOC’s brand of discipleship, much of its membership remains trapped in spiritual infancy and many have lost their faith altogether, the opposite of what was promised, yet leadership refuses to admit this and repent. General apologies with non-specifics are not enough and do not qualify as biblical repentance and accountability.

Background

The upheaval that commenced in 2003 led to a corporate restructuring and some easing of authoritarian practice, opening a new chapter for the ICOC; the group jettisoned their founder, Kip McKean, yet retained his beliefs, doctrines, and overall practice. This attempted reboot by McKean’s second-stringers is being viewed by many who follow the group with much skepticism, and for good reason.

The ICOC’s practice of Christianity continues to be extreme and unbiblical. Heavily influenced by the viewpoints ingrained in the McKean era, they have superimposed onto the gospel new meanings and practices that affect the essential teachings of the Church.

By perverting one of the essential doctrines of the Christian faith the ICOC reveals itself to be, theologically, a cult of Christianity. Like most quasi-Christian sects they deny salvation by grace through faith. To them, baptism and other ICOC criteria are necessary for salvation. In addition, they continue to demonstrate many of the psychosocial characteristics of a thought reform practicing sect – authoritarianism, elitism, systematic manipulation (thought reform), and a willingness to misrepresent Bible doctrines concerning grace, salvation, and baptism.

They also continue to foster an us versus them mindset and a baptism (salvation) that is so rigid and dependent on their own criteria that no one else can be considered a Christian who is not in one of their churches. If it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck, and looks like a duck…chances are, it’s probably a duck.

It should be noted that the ICOC espouses a number of other unorthodox theological distinctives by omitting them from their teachings, redefining and confusing them, or simply overlooking them. The group promised to bring in expository teaching in order to combat the errors of the McKean years, and although ICOC Teachers may be doing that in their spheres of influence, it doesn’t appear to be Movement-wide.

The term cult of Christianity commonly refers to groups, organizations or churches whose official Statement of Belief sounds orthodox, even evangelical, but who add aberrant, heterodox, sub-orthodox and/or heretical teachings to such an extent that the essential doctrines and creeds of the Christian faith are negatively affected (examples: Seventh-day Adventist Church, International Church of Christ, Hardline Churches of Christ). With groups like the ICOC, the distortion of Christian doctrine is subtle, yet damaging.

Since both the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS, Mormon Church), and the Jehovah’s Witnesses deny the deity of Christ, they should not be considered a Christian group, and therefore cannot be considered a cult of Christianity.

Another common designation for the ICOC is the term pseudo-Christian religion. Again, quasi-Christian groups don’t deny the Trinity or the deity of Christ, but they reject other core tenets of the faith to such a degree that they violate the gospel and other essentials of the faith (examples: Christadelphians, ICOC, Hardline Church of Christ [Campbellites], Oneness Pentecostals – Oneness, Jesus Only, Seventh-day Adventists, Snake Handlers, The Way International – Grace Communion International [those that didn’t really change], and Word Faith/Prosperity). ³¹

Trusting in anything other than Christ and his finished work for our standing is legalism. The New Testament speaks of those who seek to circumvent or supplement the satisfactory atonement of Christ by a subtle perversion of the doctrine of justification by faith alone. Christ’s opponents, who were guilty of such treason, trusted in their own righteousness, based on their zeal and commitment to the law of God. These were the Sadducees, Pharisees, and scribes. Likewise, the apostles addressed legalism in the book of Galatians (Judaizers), Colossians and Revelation, which talks about the Nicolaitans (Rev. 2:6, 15). These bad actors made occasional appeals to grace, but they self-righteously twisted the scriptural meaning of grace (Ro. 11:6) to fit their system of worship. In the end, they did not submit to God’s righteousness, which is by faith (Ro. 10:3-4).

In Unmasking the Cults, Alan Gomes gives important criteria for dealing with the unpopular, but necessary, defense of the historic Christian faith. This is one of the tasks of apologetics, which seeks to counter heresy with sound doctrine. I recommend reading a brief overview on the topic called "Heresy vs. The Essential Doctrines of The Christian Faith." ³²

The Apologetics Index defines Heresy as follows:

[d]octrine which is erroneous in such a way that Christians must divide themselves as a church from all who teach or accept it; those adhering to heresy are assumed to be lost, although Christians are unable to make definitive judgments on this matter. The opposite of orthodoxy. Adj.: heretical."

– Source: A biblical Guide To Orthodoxy And Heresy, Christian Research Journal, Summer 1990, by Robert M. Bowman.

…a Greek word signifying (1) a choice, (2) the opinion chosen, and (3) the sect holding the opinion. In the Acts of the Apostles (5:17; 15:5; 24:5, 14; 26:5) it denotes a sect, without reference to its character.

Elsewhere, however, in the New Testament it has a different meaning attached to it. Paul ranks heresies with crimes and seditions (Gal. 5:20). This word also denotes divisions or schisms in the church (1 Cor. 11:19).

In Titus 3:10 a heretical person is one who follows his own self-willed questions, and who is to be avoided. Heresies thus came to signify self-chosen doctrines not emanating from God (2 Pet. 2:1).

– Source: Heresy, Easton Bible Dictionary" ³³

As the various factions within the group continue to tear it apart from within, it appears as though there will only be a kinder and gentler version of the McKean era without the in-your-face legalism, abuse, and authoritarianism of the past. As put forth in the opening of the report, the new ICOC is simply more subtle, less overt, and, in some ways, more dangerous. They are Christian in appearance without being Christian in biblical theology and practice. In my view they are, at best, a borderline cult, as they have not only rejected salvation by faith alone but also engendered a number of psychological issues in their members. This shows itself in group pressure, persuasive techniques (thought reform), manipulation and a complex system of carrots and sticks, all of which assault the believer’s self-autonomy, decision-making, assurance of salvation and freedom in Christ.

One should realize that there are different levels of authoritarianism and accountability depending upon the ministry and stage of life the person’s in. Data from the report show that there are higher expectations from, and greater control exerted toward, members in the teen, campus, and singles ministries. This is especially evident in the area of holding each member accountable for cold contact evangelism.

SECTION 1-A     Overview of ICOC Theology

Overview of ICOC Theology

In this section, I will cover the following:

Many have spoken out about this movement, yet few are able to identify the gospel, the group’s departure from it, and provide a theological refutation aimed at the faulty foundation of this church. I will not neglect that here (for those who wish to learn about the ICOC’s other distorted teachings and Bible interpretations, I recommend reading, Unholy Gatekeepers. That is where I cover their heretical baptismal regeneration doctrine in detail). Christians who have not learned discernment easily fall prey to those who distort the gospel.

Their faulty discipling model will initially be covered in A Case Study: Covenant Relationships. The fruit of their false man-centered gospel and salvation will show up throughout the entire 2019 ICOC Report, especially in Appendix 6 Post-Kriete Testimonials.

There are many other psychological, sociological and spiritual problems that could be documented. However, these are only the symptoms of the real problem that lie at the root: the promulgation of another gospel. It is well documented that the ICOC disagrees with evangelical Christianity's understanding of the doctrine of justification by faith alone. It is the doctrine of justification by faith alone (the essence of the gospel) that sets evangelical Protestant Christianity apart from the Stone/Campbell/Scott Churches of Christ and the International Churches of Christ. A denial of salvation by faith alone results in the teaching that salvation is obtained and maintained by our own works. The ICOC continues to place a strong emphasis on the necessity of works for salvation. That which they lift up above the cross has come back to smite them and is the very thing that has taken them captive.

Their pet doctrines, uniqueness, and practices are all reinforced through their rigorous Bible study training. All age groups – kingdom kids, pre-teen, teen, college, single and marrieds – are subjected to the group’s unorthodox curriculum in one form or another. These idiosyncratic and aberrant beliefs are widespread, reaching into every nook and cranny of the group. Hence, reference to them in the form of hyperlinks and citations will be commonplace throughout the report (please let me know if these links fail).

Even more concerning than a man-centered gospel and the practices that grow out of it is the ICOC’s continued belief that they are the one true church. Although the group has decentralized in some areas, they still have a loose cooperation and agree with each other on core teaching and practice. In other words, what is practiced in one church is almost 100% practiced in the others. The variations aren’t significant. They believe that they have rediscovered the ancient gospel and have restored the biblical format of first century Christianity, as witnessed by an oft repeated mantra: "Discipleship is God’s plan to grow and mature the church." Their members are unaware that they are merely rehashing what American Restoration founders said and did 150 years ago. The ICOC is also the latest in a long line of parachurch organizations, campus groups, and denominations to be damaged by discipleship training, accountability partners, and ritualized confession of sin. The Stone-Campbell-Scott Movement comprise the Churches of Christ while the likes of Campus Crusade, the Shepherding Movement, Maranatha, and the Navigators have abandoned personal discipling due to its inherent abuses and systemic deficiencies.

Much confusion persists within the Christian Church, as a whole, regarding the nature of the gospel. The gospel, said Paul, is the work of God changing you from the inside out. The natural man sees only with a natural eye. He or she is impressed with mere outward appearances. The ICOC has perfected the art of looking good and sounding orthodox without having their foundation anchored in the pure gospel of grace. Uniformity can easily be mistaken for unity of the Spirit. When a visitor experiences the love bombing of an ICOC member, then comes to a church service, where everyone seems to be marching along in perfect unity, they are emotionally drawn. Seeing Bibles being opened and meeting tons of new, instant friends is very attractive to them. Many current ICOC members will tell of the first time they came to a church service or outdoor event, and after seeing the activity and experiencing the personal attention they eventually become convinced that this is the true church. The group understands the emotional needs of seekers and deliberately sets out to woo them. When a person’s emotional needs are met their discernment is often dulled. Through their relationships, the ICOC still insidiously coaxes their followers into believing they are the remnant church, the closest restoration of first century Christianity, though they are more subtle on this point than they used to be. All other groups have it wrong, have the wrong baptism, exercise easy believism, and are apostate.

1.1 James and Paul

I will pay specific attention in this report to the role that faith plays in obtaining the new life (Romans 3-5). When Paul writes, No one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law (Ro. 3:20), and then declares that we are saved by faith without the deeds of the law, he is discussing how one obtains initial salvation. James says that we are saved by faith, which shows itself in works. Both James and Paul view good works as the proof of faith–and definitely not the path to salvation (see also 1.18, 1.19 and 1.20).

God’s plan of salvation excludes ALL works, including baptism and works-demonstrations of faith, repentance, discipleship, and lordship, as allowable in obtaining salvation. The ICOC disagrees, even though Scripture does not allow for their works of obedience which they attach to these otherwise valid Bible principles and ideals. Nearly all cults teach that salvation is obtained through a combination of a person's faith plus works. Likewise, high-demand groups almost always teach that eternal life is based at least in part on doing a certain list of good deeds or works of obedience. But it’s at this point that the members of such groups – whether Worldwide Church of God, Seventh-day Adventist, International Churches of Christ, etc. – resort to the book of James to defend their belief that works are necessary for salvation.

The ICOC’s understanding of justification is problematic. Let’s dive deeper into this issue.

This is excerpted from Faith Works: The Gospel According to the Apostles, by John MacArthur. He deals with ALL works here: Mosaic, man-made, meritorious, and the good deeds of OBEDIENCE that Abraham did prior to the Law being given and before he sacrificed his son Isaac. I am stressing this point because the ICOC has redefined Romans 4:3-5 and taken Romans 3-5 and James 2 out of context by saying that Paul meant that only Mosaic Law was excluded in obtaining salvation, along with brazen works of merit. They do claim, however, that Paul really required works of obedience in obtaining salvation and that most other denominations have got it all wrong about justification by faith.

The specific article that I am going to reference here is Does James 2 contradict Romans 4? which is not talking about Mosaic Law or meritorious works, but rather the broad category of works in general. MacArthur is expounding upon the greater law principle that the ICOC and other high-demand