Kip McKean

Thomas Wayne "Kip" McKean II (born May 31, 1954) is an

Thomas McKean
American former minister of the International Churches of Christ
and is a current minister of the City of Angels International Personal details
Christian Church and World Missions Evangelist of the Born May 31, 1954
International Christian Churches, also known as the Indianapolis, Indiana,
"Portland/Sold-Out Discipling Movement".[1] United States
Spouse Elena Garcia-
Early life and family Bengochea
Children 3
McKean was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He married Havana-
born Elena Garcia-Bengochea on December 11, 1976. Bengochea Education University of Florida
is a Women's Ministry Leader in the City of Angels International Website www.kipmckean.com
Christian Church. They have three children. (http://www.kipmckean.
com)
Early work
McKean was baptized in 1972 while a freshman at the University of Florida in Gainesville. His mentor,
Charles H. "Chuck" Lucas, was the evangelist of the 14th Street Church of Christ at the time.

In 1976, McKean was hired as campus minister for the Heritage Chapel Church of Christ, located at
Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Illinois.

Lexington Church of Christ

McKean moved to the Boston area in 1979 and began working in the Lexington Church of Christ.[2]: 418
He asked them to "redefine their commitment to Christ," and introduced the use of discipling partners. The
congregation grew rapidly, and was renamed the Boston Church of Christ.[2]: 418

The International Churches of Christ

In the mid-1980s, McKean became leader of both Boston and Crossroads Movements, eventually splitting
from mainstream Churches of Christ, to become the International Church of Christ (ICOC).

The movement was first recognized as an independent religious group in 1992 when John Vaughn, a
church growth specialist at Fuller Theological Seminary, listed them as a separate entity.[3] Time magazine
ran a full-page story on the movement in 1992 calling them "one of the world's fastest-growing and most
innovative bands of Bible thumpers" that had grown into "a global empire of 103 congregations from
California to Cairo with total Sunday attendance of 50,000", and which also raised concerns about
authoritarian leadership, pressure placed on members, and whether the group should be considered a cult.[4]

A formal break was made from the mainline Churches of Christ in 1993 when the movement organized
under the name "International Churches of Christ."[2]: 418 This new designation formalized a division that
was already in existence between those involved with the Crossroads/Boston Movement and "mainline"
Churches of Christ.[2]: 418 [5]
In 1990, the McKeans moved to Los Angeles to lead the Los Angeles International Church of Christ,
where they presided through the 1990s.[6]

Resignation from the International Churches of Christ

Beginning in the late 1990s, McKean's moral authority as the leader of the movement came into
question.[3] Expectations for continued numerical growth and the pressure to sacrifice financially to support
missionary efforts took its toll. Added to this was the loss of local leaders to new planting projects. In some
areas, decreases in membership began to occur.[7] At the same time, the realization was growing that the
accumulated cost of his leadership style and associated advantages were outweighing the benefits. In 2001,
McKean was asked by a group of long-standing elders in the ICOC to take a sabbatical from overall
leadership of the ICOC.[3] On 12 November 2001, McKean wrote that he had decided to take a sabbatical
from his role as the leader of the International Churches 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.[8]

One year later, In November 2002, McKean announced his resignations from his roles as World Missions
Evangelist and leader of the world sector leaders.[9] He cited ongoing family problems, apologized for his
own arrogance and said that his sins "have weakened and embittered many in our churches", and "these
sins have surfaced in my family as well as the church."[10] A year earlier one of his children had left the
church.[11] Referring to this event, McKean said: "This, along with my leadership sins of arrogance, and
not protecting the weak caused uncertainty in my leadership among some of the World Sector Leaders."[11]
Additionally, his over emphasis on numerical goals, not seeking discipling in his own life and claiming
God's victories as his own, were cited by McKean as the reasons for his resignation.[12]

His resignation was acknowledged by a letter from the elders the following day.[13]

After a period leading an ICOC congregation in Portland, Oregon, he started a new church separated from
the ICOC. This movement was named the International Christian Church by him.[14] The period
following McKean's resignation from leadership and departure was followed by a number of changes in the
ICOC.[3]

International Christian Church

On 15 October 2006, McKean published in the Portland church bulletin the first of a three-part series
entitled, "Partners in the Gospel."[15][16][17] Though the names "Portland Movement" and "Sold-Out
Discipling Movement" had been used for over a year, these three articles were the first formal
announcement of the birth of the International Christian Church. It was only after this October 2006 date
that any church affiliated with the Portland Church changed their name to ICC.

Since 2006, the congregations under McKean's leadership have been called the International Christian
Church.[18]
In April 2007, McKean and his wife Elena left the Portland International Christian Church to plant the City
of Angels International Christian Church in Los Angeles. McKean and his wife were accompanied by 40
other leaders from the Portland ICC.[19]

In 2008, McKean began the benevolent arm of the movement: Mercy WorldWide.[18] [20]

In 2012, the founding of the International College of Christian Ministries (ICCM) occurred. "Bachelor’s,
Master’s and Doctorate Degrees are granted according to the SoldOut Movement’s convictions."[18][21]

The ICC via their Good News Network broadcast claims a worldwide membership of over 10,000 as of
May 2022. Video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSudRT8ko2o) on YouTube

In late 2022 and early 2023, McKean was named as a defendant in several federal lawsuits alleging that the
International Churches of Christ and the International Christian Church "covered up sexual abuse of
children as young as three years old and financially exploited church members".[22] The federal lawsuits
were withdrawn by the plaintiffs in July 2023[23] and replaced by four Los Angeles Superior Court Cases
with similar claims of sexual abuse of minors [Cases Nos. 23STCV16423, 23STCV16430, 23STCV18426
and 23STCV24432].[23][24]

Author
McKean's publishing house, Soldout Press International (SOPI) has printing a variety of content by himself
and others within the ICC.[18]

McKean has written a short book entitled Go Make Disciples: The Dream.[25] He has also written First
Principles Study Series[26] and Second Principles: Survey of the Old Testament.[27]

See also
Churches of Christ
Restoration Movement

References
1. "Kip McKean.org » Biography of Kip McKean" (http://www.kipmckean.org/). kipmckean.org.
Retrieved 2008-09-02.
2. Douglas Allen Foster and Anthony L. Dunnavant, The Encyclopedia of the Stone-Campbell
Movement: Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Churches/Churches of Christ,
Churches of Christ, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 2004, ISBN 0-8028-3898-7, ISBN 978-0-
8028-3898-8, 854 pages, entry on International Churches of Christ
3. Stanback, C. Foster. Into All Nations: A History of the International Churches of Christ. IPI,
2005
4. Ostling, Richard N (May 18, 1992). "Keepers of the Flock" (http://content.time.com/time/maga
zine/article/0,9171,975536,00.html). Time.
5. Leroy Garrett, The Stone-Campbell Movement: The Story of the American Restoration
Movement, College Press, 2002, ISBN 0-89900-909-3, ISBN 978-0-89900-909-4, 573
pages
6. "Short history of the ICOC" (https://web.archive.org/web/20021211100838/http://icoc.org/icoc
main/whoweare/history/history.htm). Archived from the original on December 11, 2002.
Retrieved 2017-05-06.
 7. Wilson, John F. "The International Church of Christ: A Historical Overview." Leaven
(Pepperdine University), 2010: 1-5
8. "International Churches of Christ" (https://web.archive.org/web/20021214174427/http://www.
upcyberdown.org/icocmain/Documents/11_02/mckean_resignation.htm). 14 December
2002. Archived from the original on 14 December 2002. Retrieved 27 December 2016.
9. Kip McKean, Kip McKean Resignation Letter (https://web.archive.org/web/2003120316183
1/http://www.upcyberdown.org/icocmain/Documents/11_02/mckean_resignation.htm),
November 6, 2002
10. "Boston movement' founder quits" (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2003/march/15.26.htm
l). Retrieved 27 December 2016.
11. McKean, Kip (2005-08-21). "The Portland Story" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070927224
407/http://www.portlandchurch.org/archives/archives.php?langID=1&artID=1). Portland
International Church of Christ. Archived from the original (http://www.portlandchurch.org/arch
ives/archives.php?langID=1&artID=1) on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
12. "Kip McKean Resigns" (https://www.cesnur.org/2002/mckean.htm).
13. Al Baird and Bob Gempel, Elders' response to McKean Resignation (https://web.archive.org/
web/20021214174508/http://www.upcyberdown.org/icocmain/Documents/11_02/elders_res
ponse.htm), November 7, 2002
14. Harding, Ron. "The Biography of Kip McKean" kipmckean.com. June 18, 2012
15. Kim McKean, Partners In The Gospel (Part 1) (http://www.upsidedown21.org/1.1/inc/service
s/iframed/archives_service.php?langID=1&artID=155&call=1), UpsideDown21 (http://sermo
ns.usd21.org/) (accessed 12/06/2013)
16. Kip McKean, Partners In The Gospel (Part 2) (http://www.upsidedown21.org/1.1/inc/services/
iframed/archives_service.php?langID=1&artID=158&call=1), UpsideDown21 (http://sermon
s.usd21.org/) (accessed 12/06/2013)
17. Kip McKean, Partners In The Gospel (Part 3) (http://www.upsidedown21.org/1.1/inc/services/
iframed/archives_service.php?langID=1&artID=159&call=1), UpsideDown21 (http://sermon
s.usd21.org/) (accessed 12/06/2013)
18. Harding, Ronald (15 October 2020). The Untold Story: Chronicles Of Modern-Day
Christianity. SOPI. ISBN 979-8698411703.
19. "Author explores past experiences with Boston movement" (http://www.christianchronicle.or
g/article/author-explores-past-experiences-with-boston-movement). Retrieved 27 December
2016.
20. "Mercy Worldwide Splash Page Splash Page" (http://www.mercyworldwide.org). Retrieved
5 July 2023.
21. "International Christian Church Splash Page" (http://www.iccm.global). Retrieved 5 July
2023.
22. Yeung, Ngai; Moskow, Sam (2023-02-28). "Church leaders concealed sexual abuse of
young children, lawsuits allege" (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-28/church
-sexual-abuse-allegations). Retrieved 2023-09-26.
23. Marks, Andrea (3 August 2023). "This Church Promised to Save Their Souls. Defectors Say
It Was a 'Cult' " (https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/icoc-members-alleged-
abuse-cult-behavior-1234798928/). Rolling Stone. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
24. "Case Summary - Online Services -LA Court" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Ch
urches_of_Christ). Los Angeles County Superior Court-Case Search. Retrieved
November 11, 2023.
25. McKean, Madaline Evans, Debby Miller, Sheila Jones, Kim Walters, Kip (1997). Go Make
Disciples: the Dream (https://books.google.com/books?id=GVswAAAACAAJ&q=kip+Mckea
n+%22go+make+disciples:+the+dream%22). Woburn, MA: Discipleship Publications
International. ISBN 1577820460.
26. Lewis, Hans Rollmann, Warren (October 2005). Restoring the First-century Church in the
Twenty-first Century: Essays on the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement (https://books.g
oogle.com/books?id=VH9LAwAAQBAJ&q=kip+Mckean+%22first+principles%22&pg=PA53
2). Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 532. ISBN 9781597524162.
27. McKean, Kip (1996). Second Principles: Survey of the Old Testament (https://books.google.c
om/books?id=gpXZPQAACAAJ&q=kip+Mckean+%22Second+Principles:+Survey+of+the+
Old+Testament%22). Woburn, MA: Discipleship Publications International.
ISBN 9781577820000.

External links
KipMcKean.org (http://www.kipmckean.org/), Official Website of Kip McKean.

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