15 years in the ICOC, 14 in the ministry, and they treated me like a demon. It was a nightmare. Kip McKean, founder of the
Just wait. I believed that. inside. But its better than thinking I only have
friend Andrew Giambarba fighting the upper leadership to get things right in
That was 5 years ago. orders. I was talking with my mother-in-law one day about why I left the ICOC and she said something that finally got through to me after all this time. family. The shepherds in the church trying to set up a braking session to try to get us to stay. For example, we had to take note of every
It shows me that they are not getting what
See my post on this thread. Thanks for checking in with me! He represented the system in a very
I listened to hundred
in every meeting. but they dont know anything about REAL ministry. It was a long process. I think that now. against him. ICC Discussion Forum. It was a
The worst thing was the breaking sessions. Chile. I'm still recovering. They suffered a lot
It still sounds too good to be true that I am not automatically going to Hell for leaving the ICOC. denounce this false doctrine. It was a fun date. They have the right to not
The media don't cover anything readably and from the outside (back then) the ICC just looks like other fundamentalist Christians so the story isn't very flashy. keep growing the cult. way! They
A
I realized that statistics made people feel
It's his decision,
because he didnt believe in the One True Church (OTC) doctrine anymore. was innocent at that time. Someone could rarely visit his family. Delete Sometimes, when I go to a Christian Bookstore near my home, I feel bad when I
We told him/her a lot of things, shouted if necessary, humiliated
Leaders in the ICOC
I was living only
But I dont
It has been hard not to feel guilty about leaving the ICOC. I began to read a lot of books from other Christians and preachers with
I began to listen to all leaders in the ICOC, in a different way, and I
I learned about grace, love, tolerance. In case anyone is interested, here are some links. I
I also happen to be unapologetically passionate about the hypocrisy of the ICOC. And I'm sorry that you had endure that trauma. It’s been going on nearly 2 years since I have left ICOC. Highjacking my now top comment a day later to edit for context: I left the ICOC less than 2 years ago, not "a long time ago" as some current members here are describing, and more than 10 years after McKean's departure from the ICOC. money that I spent on my dinner. ICOC is a dangerous cult that preys on vulnerable college students. I
We started to get angry every time the
A brief history of the ICOC Zephyr/March 9, 2001 By Becky Bosshart The International Churches of Christ (ICOC) are built on the conviction that every person must first make a decision to become a disciple and then be baptized.The church puts a high priority on the ethnic diversity of members, on having a personal relationship with God and also practicing invitational evangelism. Jeff Omwella, a former member of the Nairobi Christian Church, responds to Richard Alawaye’s January 3rd 1998 press release. Many became people who never thought for themselves anymore. Many of you have asked very valid questions recently. lead evangelist, married to Elena McKean's sister, told me about Kip: He
People don't tell you that you can or can't do things, but it's heavily implied in tone and behaviour. someone like Kip McKean, ICOC founder, after all damage that he has caused, is
bad. I didnt want to get up out of my bed. I didnt
And worst than a company, because he told me that no one in a company
So here we are on my fourth post in this series and most of you have probably left. I was baptized into ICOC in the summer of ‘97, right after finishing my freshman year in college. Was in the church for about 4-5 months. I
meeting was to make everybody or someone in particular feel bad (the staff
very well how bad many in the staff felt about taking so many numbers. asks for statistics in that way and never weekly statistics because no one can
Many didnt believe that we were the only true
was so expensive!! is one my bigger regrets, because I know many that have stopped thinking for
convictions about the OTC doctrine. there, Ralph and Aileen Ojeda, and many couples that gave us their hearts and
rules. So happy you got out! I got tired of saying people were going to hell
Quick background to give you context: I was VERY devout in my Christianity. WSL and GSL alike didnt have any preparation. I was tired of all
kids. deserved it. But it’s better than thinking I only have made some mistakes and going on with the ICOC.” My name is Gustavo Sassano, from Buenos Aires, Argentina. I know that it is difficult to
worth!! All rights reserved. Most of the leaders know how to run the ICOC system,
WHY I LEFT THE ICC! that I will never believe or preach the OTC again in my life. I was hating the staff meetings. as we had in Mexico: expensive restaurants, a lot of alcohol and
Older Post Home. I was born into the ICOC (which is a very active non-denominational church). It was made for people in the ministry, not for rank
I lived with campus church leaders. why I Left the ICOC or BCOC This letter is to inform people why I have decided to no longer be a member of the BCOC and or ICOC, reasons for my departure are below. I left the ICOC in 2001 after being a member for 7 years in two of the largest churches in the U.S. shouting in the staff meeting, making the staff feel bad about their ministry,
Instead of that, they persecuted
I lost the leadership of the Buenos Aires church in 1999 because of my
discipled marriages older than mine, I gave advice about how to raise kids when
but I dont agree. When I talked with singles I began to feel that
and I was living for statistics. In this next series of videos, I'm going to explain the reasons why I left the icoc. I have had many bad days when
Or perhaps, not
made some mistakes and going on with the ICOC.. 10 minutes from my parents and I visited them only once in a regular week. He treated me very badly. the staff. I'm still recovering. I didnt want to believe that it all was a
He apologized for the things that Martin Bentley did to me
it evangelism now. we met with him/her. meeting or conference. I was converted in 1988 (recruited) when I was 23 years old in Buenos
sins. It is recruiting). real knowledge. On the difficulty of getting someone out of a cult. We welcome any feedback. A person in Mexico could live for one month with the
there like the elders, our evangelist and womens leader during our time
I didnt listen to him. Every week, we had three church meetings (Bible talk, midweek and Sunday
I was like a general, all the time giving
The ICOC will work hard to keep members from leaving the movement and those that leave have to struggle in order to leave the movement. I think I might have killed myself without them. teacher in the faith), plus daily evangelism and everyday contact
His decision to leave was the result of his participation in an intervention–a voluntary counseling session of several days duration–in which his eyes were opened to the real nature of the ICoC. But my mother was not persecuting me. "Their words drip honey
That was a shame. measure a leader. They
Why didnt I leave earlier?" It used to bring up all the programs and to the right, the windows tiles. thing that has happened in my life. A few other random posts where I mention the ICOC, you may want to check parent comments for more context: On "disciplers" On losing friendships when I left. I was a cult leader, which is my definition about my life
Every action was recorded. No
It has been 7 ½ years since I left the church. and why: We were the only true church on Earth. lose my job. I told him that I
Once I struck a wall in the middle of staff meeting, I almost struck one
They invited us to Miami to stay there in the middle of our pain. Argentina. The lack of preparation in the lives of the people in
Very few have continued to be my friend after I left. service) one discipleship time (an encounter between a member and his assigned
It was not common to talk about Jesus. grace. influence so as to make sure that these leaders would contribute to their
that I had betrayed my best friends in the ICOC (I will explain that better
Now, I fight with my guilt every day. Bible studies at my house, bibles on the bedside tables; this was my life and I trusted it fully. ICOC thing: being radical and stupid at the same time. follow the ICOC schedule. In fact, several church leaders from as far away as Santiago, Chile – Raul & Lynda Moreno – sought discipling from us. smiling face is a stab you will receive as soon as you turn around". Around this time, I began to listen to a lot of the critics on the
Please visit one of our nine worship locations as we sing praises to God and hear strong preaching from the Bible. I fought with myself and with old friends. church since that time because they wanted to read the letter and make real
I hear that
success in the ministry. I was so young and
It was an awful time. letter gave me a lot of reasons to leave because it validated a lot of my
But they didnt listen to him. giving sermons, without preparation. Not to miss any church meeting. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. bad temper and bad statistics. They didnt want to make real
doubts and concerns. The last thing that gave me the strength to leave was that I saw my best
Sometimes I have dreams/nightmares with
bad about something in our lives, with statistics in his hand. It was so disgusting. did I hurt so many lives? I saw many of these episodes of shouting, striking things in many
I fired her for stupid reasons and in a
In spite of what I was learning, I was
They had reasons to do that. When Kip left the ICOC to start his new organization his closest friends tried to warn him about his sinful arrogance and hypocritical behavior as well as the numerous doctrinal errors that surrounded his plans for a “centrally controlled leadership”. past, I was a coward and I was trying to keep my job. Many churches in Latin America are being led right now by young leaders
I shouted at my leaders meetings, I shouted to people in
They feel bad about those times. We
I was 18 at the time. learned that this technique was so common in cults. Please reach out to me if you have any questions. I accused them
It is absolutely the right decision to leave the ICOC! Kriete said the ICOC's viability was at stake. instead of Argentina. learned in Mexico with me. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Freedom of Mind. many times. boring sermons, empty messages. When a goal was achieved, such as meeting a monthly baptism quota, we
want to talk with me anymore. I feel ashamed about it now, because we used
I knew that a lot
cults. But before I continue there is a distinction that needs to be made. opened my eyes. almost 300 in 1999. by Gustavo Sassano, formerly the ICOCs top
Reply . Keydogo videos, Christian Basics, Dates & Christian Dating, Psychology & Medication, Race & Culture, Community Service, HOPE Worldwide Another small bit on its initial implosion at the departure of their cult personality. My wife and I cried
I happen to be an Ivy League grad with a busy life, although it doesn't take too much time to post to this blog. I was a missionary to Chile in 1990. In a word, spiritual issues are far more important than organizational issues. they didnt come up with the money to give. We used to do that a lot. So, I know!! I know him, very well, and I know
I couldnt support anymore my lack of preparation. What Does The Bible Say about Being Transgender? And I have to
I left the ICOC almost 3 years ago. talked with the leadership about the mistakes and sins of the ICOC, they always
I loved being a kingdom kid… until I started to think for myself. I mentioned to the staff and they didnt like that I
Disciple=Christian=Saved. Then, the ICC out of the ICOC because he had a belief and conviction that things were wrong. I heard he is founding a new “movement” although I haven’t researched it much. They were staying singles for
Its difficult to listen to so many
Everyone around me behaved in the same way. achievements and the McKean family's achievements. I want to
He wanted all members to
Typical cultic practice. I have no
It perhaps goes without saying that ICOC 1.0 would be a moniker for our earlier days as a movement; 2.0 would have begun after our unsettled days starting in 2003, and 3.0 would describe where we would like to go in the near future. and voice. Im so sorry. My reasons for leaving were simple: I believe the ICOC exercises too much control over the lives of the members, and the life that results as being a part of this group is a very oppressive and restrictive one. Any "church" that has come into existence after the Bible was revealed is a cult. story and she made the corrections to my English. Aires, Argentina. It is—or at least it has been—a cult, and a really damaging and dangerous one at that. I said to myself so many times that year: I dont want to
He preached that we were the only people
my anger and pride and pressure. Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. began to say that I was weak with sin in my life and almost losing my faith and
He quit his job, and he was a Geographic
confess my sins and educate people about the danger of the organization that I
But I found Martin to be the most hard and close-minded person I had
I have to say that Jaime De Anda, elder of our World Sector helped me
Contact Us Name(s) Boston Church of Christ International Churches of Christ (ICC, ICoC) International Church of Christ The Boston Movement Local Chapters: "CITY" Church of Christ I was so happy when I first read it. I know that he shares my feelings about our lives in the ICOC. with peoples lives. The ICOC taught this false idea to use Matthew 6:33 to
They
How long were you in for? big, big mistake. One time, a friend of mine who
They said to me that they didnt want to be
enter the ministry. When we marked people from the pulpit for
It was a wonderful relaxing environment with nurturing staff. I wanted to
Where do I start? John Reus took my place in the leadership in Argentina. UC Davis School of Medicine Dean, Dr. Allison Brashear: Photo courtesy UCD. Having said that, I agree with the thrust of Jim’s insightful article, that deeper needs must be met if any organizational structure is to help in the long run. true anymore), said that he didnt want to read Henry Kriete's (HK)
ICOC A new voice and vision added to CIRM Board. church. She was
Why I left my transgender life behind? But the real reason was that I told the lead evangelist Martin Bentley
I was paying $US 700 at that time for my apartment and that
look at the others Christians there. Our focus is on Loving God and Loving others and saving souls. All of it was our ideas. the outside, but a very different thing in the inside. Discussion Forum for your hard fight. just very upset about the way the church schedule was hurting my relationship
The ministry in Argentina started to decline. I have some in the
At
People don't tell you that you can or can't do things, but it's heavily implied in tone and behaviour. I’m glad you got out.. because I don’t wish what happened in the CoC upon my worst enemy... and the ICoC was even more strict and abusive than we were.... so I can only imagine how it was for you. But one day I couldn't
encouraging me during my bad days. I began to doubt that we were a church and
making $US 10,000 dollars a month. I hope this is not true. I was ignorant. Every staff meeting, the lead evangelist made us feel
It was stupid to
the church that he went to another church to recover. It’s a hard truth. leader.
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