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** November 24, 2014
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UPDATED SPECIAL EDITION
The History Of The Spread Of Christianity In Modern Times
ATTN: If the pictures in this article are distorted, then click on the “view it in your browser” link located at the top right-hand corner of the page.
Dear <<First Name>>,
Greetings in the Lord from Washington DC! If you have read this article in the past year, perhaps you will simply want to scroll down to the newest chapter: 2014 – The Year Of Prayer. Otherwise enjoy the entire narrative or go to KipMcKean.com (http://www.kipmckean.com) .
In His service,
Ron Harding
A HISTORY OF THE SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY IN MODERN TIMES
By Ron Harding*
The primary purposes of this exciting narration are to honor God with the truth and to encourage those who have never had the dream – or perhaps have lost it – to share in Jesus’ dream of the “evangelization of all nations in this generation.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4) Since we live in an age in which the proliferation of information is often distorted, I have sought to carefully investigate and document with first-hand accounts – including my own – the incredible story of the spread of true Christianity from the 1970’s to this very day. Much of this rich history is intertwined with the life of my “partner in the gospel” Kip McKean – known as a preacher, missionary, reformer, theologian and humanitarian. Therefore, using many of his experiences as a timeline – his faith, his faults and his rekindled fire – allows a detailed rendering for this “orderly [historical] account.” (Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1)
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Kip McKean at Smokey Mountain outside
of Manila in 1989!
** Overview
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Dr. Thomas Wayne McKean II (May 31, 1954 – present) was named after his ancestor Thomas McKean, who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. (His mother nicknamed him “Kip.”) In 2003, Kip became the Evangelist for the Portland International Church of Christ. In October 2006, after a valiant three-year effort to bring reform to the crumbling International Churches of Christ, the Holy Spirit used Kip, soon joined by other valiant disciples on every continent, to initiate the new Portland / SoldOut Discipling Movement!
In May 2007, Kip and Elena McKean alongside 40 other disciples from Portland planted the City of Angels International Christian Church, which now has 1,200 at their Sunday Services! While leading the City of Angels Church, Kip serves as the “World Missions Evangelist” for the now fastest spreading Christian movement in the world! Another milestone was achieved in 2012, as decades of dreams and prayers were fulfilled with the founding of the International College of Christian Ministries where Kip serves as the President.
Of note in 1979, Kip and Elena were invited to lead the Lexington Church of Christ (later renamed the Boston Church of Christ). From these “30 would-be-disciples,” the Spirit ignited a movement of churches known as the Boston Movement and in 1994 renamed the International Churches of Christ. Kip’s tenacious embrace of Jesus’ radical dream “to evangelize the nations in a generation,” his bold theological reforms, his personal warmth coupled with his charismatic and uncompromising Bible preaching, allowed the Spirit to take the gospel from one small dying church in Boston to become almost 400 churches in 171 of the 196 nations of the world by the year 2000! Then as this noble effort was being tragically decimated in 2001, 2002 and 2003, God sent Kip on a rocky path of suffering and redemption. For two years, he wandered in a lonely, spiritual wilderness, which greatly humbled him. Yet, those dark days ultimately strengthened Kip’s resolve to fulfill “the dream.” Therefore in
2014, it is so amazing that in just seven years, God’s new SoldOut Movement has almost 60 congregations in 26 nations… and counting! From a historical perspective, no other preacher in the past century has been directly responsible for the planting of so many congregations around the world!
Concerning “the evangelization of the nations in this generation,” some have asked, “What is going to be different this ‘second time’ around?” This presupposes the question, “Can it be different this second time?” The answer in the Scriptures is a resounding yes! The first time the Israelites approached the Promised Land, their lack of faith led them to the dreadful desires to choose a different leader than the one God had chosen and to return to their lives of slavery in Egypt. This unbelief ultimately resulted in their death in the desert. The second time the Spirit led the Israelites to the border of the Promised Land, the Hebrew people – having learned to rely on God in their wanderings in the desert – now succeeded to make God’s dream and promise a reality. This same learning from the past prayerfully will be true for God’s new SoldOut Movement. As Kip preached at the 2010 Jubilee on the theme of The Promised Land on the Second Try, “Second is best because God rewards
the quest.”
Table of Contents
Overview (#_Toc185591988)
Early Life And Family (#_Toc185599045)
Marriage And Children (#_Toc185599046)
High School And College Years (#_Toc184522613)
God’s Preparation And Education (#_Toc185599048)
Revolutionary Theology (#_Toc185599049)
The Boston Movement Begins (#_Toc185599050)
Unprecedented Growth And Impact (#_Toc185599051)
The Boston Movement Plantings (#_Toc185599052)
Central Leadership – The World Sector Leaders (#_Toc185599053)
World Missions Evangelist – Sabbatical (#_Toc184522618)
The Cape Fear Psalm (#_Toc185599054)
The Destruction Of A Global Movement (#_Toc185599055) .
Fired By Men – Approved By God (#_Toc185599056)
The Spirit Moves The McKeans To Portland (#_Toc185599057)
The Portland Song (#_Toc185599058)
The Global Internet Ministry is Initiated (#_Toc185599059)
The Portland Controversy (#_Toc185599060)
The Birth Of The SoldOut Movement (#_Toc185599061)
The Spirit Takes The McKeans To Los Angeles (#_Toc185599062)
The Portland Church Is Led Astray (#_Toc185599063)
The Crown Of Thorns Project (#_Toc185599064)
God Gathers From The Farthest Horizon (#_Toc185599065)
The New Movement Multiplies (#_Toc185599066)
The Founding of the International College of Christian Ministries (#_Toc185599066)
2014 – The Year of Prayer (#_Toc185591111)
Faithful To The End (#_Toc185599067)
** Early Life And Family
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Kip McKean was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 31, 1954. Like many young men of the 1960’s, he was inspired by those who refused to compromise and were willing to sacrifice everything for a worthy cause. This temperament is also deep in the McKean family heritage, as they are called higher by the courage of one of their ancestors, Thomas McKean. As with all of the “Signers of the Declaration of Independence,” death threats were common. Interestingly, Thomas McKean not only was a “Signer” for Delaware, but also was “the President” of the Congress of Confederation – the highest office in the new United States of America – when news arrived from General Washington that the British had surrendered!
Kip’s father, serving as an admiral in the U.S. Navy, became a strong influence and an early role model for leadership and excellence. His mother, a very talented artist, nurtured in him a warmth as well as a character of resilience. Between the ages of seven and 16, every summer Kip alongside his beloved younger brother Randy and dear younger sister Dana spent one month with each set of grandparents – “Grampy and Grammy” and “Grandpa and Grandma.” Those days with his grandparents in Michigan and Indiana respectively heightened his sense of adventure and deepened his love and appreciation of family.
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Both of Kip’s parents – Tom & Kim – celebrate their 80th
Birthdays in the summer of 2008!
During his high school years – in Virginia Beach, Virginia; Winter Park, Florida; and Libertyville, Illinois – Kip was active in athletics, was selected to be a member of the National Honor Society, and also obtained the rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts. During these formative years, Kip’s heroes became John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. However, in time, Kip’s greatest hero became Jesus.
**
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Kip & Elena are married on December 11, 1976!
Kip married Elena Garcia-Bengochea on December 11, 1976. Elena was born in Havana, Cuba on September 2, 1955 and fled with her family to the United States in a boat in 1959. Growing up in Gainesville, Florida, Elena attended P. K. Yonge High School. She distinguished herself as an honor student, Student Body Treasurer, Captain of the Tennis Team, Captain of the Varsity Cheerleaders, and Homecoming Queen.
At 17, Elena was baptized into Christ the summer before her freshman year at the University of Florida on August 8, 1973. Kip and Elena met at the Crossroads Church of Christ and were married there. In 1981, they welcomed their first child – Olivia. Then in 1982 and 1984 respectively, Sean and Eric were born. Their strong characters of the McKeans’ children as well as their godly upbringing are illustrated by the fact that Olivia and Sean graduated from Harvard and Eric, though accepted at Harvard, chose to attend and then graduated from Stanford, where he served as Captain of the renowned Stanford Tennis Team. (Their educations were funded through the combination of the McKeans’ small savings, Kip’s parents, close friends of the McKeans, and scholarships – both academic and athletic, as well as financial aid.)
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The McKeans’ children in 1990 in Los Angeles!
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Eric, Olivia and Sean in 2008!
Through the years, through all their individual trials, the McKeans remain an extremely happy and tight-knit family. All three children have married and have very successful careers. Kip and Elena are now tremendously excited to be grandparents!
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“Abuelo Kip” and one of his beloved
granddaughters Scarlett!
** High School And College Years
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Prior to high school, Kip was not religious. However, at the end of Kip’s sophomore year in high school, he became very involved in a dynamic fundamental Christian congregation in Maitland, Florida – the Asbury United Methodist Church. Here he came to a deep personal faith in Christ and in the divine inspiration of the Bible.
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The Asbury United Methodist Church of Maitland, Florida
where Kip wasfirst influenced to study the Bible!
At the end of his freshman year at the University of Florida, he was invited to a college devotional sponsored by the 14th Street Church of Christ. (A year later, this congregation adopted the name of the Crossroads Church of Christ.) This congregation in Gainesville had begun a pilot program for campus ministry for the Mainline Churches of Christ just five years earlier. Some of the more progressive Mainline Churches of Christ desired to impact the secular college campus and initially modeled their efforts after Campus Crusade. They called this new program – led by Chuck Lucas – Campus Advance. Here Kip was taught to give up everything for Christ and be baptized for the remission of sins to become a Christian. As a 17 year old freshman, Kip made this commitment and was baptized at 1:30AM on April 11, 1972.
For summer vacation in 1972, Kip returned home to Chicago. He became very sick; boils covered the entire upper part of his body. Bandages were wrapped around his body for the next three months. He believes that at this time God was testing and humbling him, particularly through the scarring on his face. Of note, the members of the Mainline Church of Christ that he attended in the Chicago area never came to visit him while he was sick. This incident in his life sensitized him to meeting people’s needs, particularly visiting the sick. Later that summer, even though the doctors strongly advised him otherwise because of his weakened health, he returned to Gainesville so that he could once again participate in a strong fellowship of college Christians.
During his sophomore year in college, though involved in the High Honors Chemistry Pre-med Program at the University of Florida, Kip began to dream about becoming a campus minister. God reinforced this dream when his brother Randy was diagnosed with cancer in the spring of 1973. Kip baptized his brother six months later. (His sister Dana was baptized 15 years later.) Kip’s Christianity also led to conflict where he lived in the Sigma Chi Fraternity House. That same year, his stand for purity almost led to his dismissal from the fraternity. However, many of his fellow fraternity brothers rallied around him electing him “Tribune.” Also, during his three years of living in the fraternity house, he hosted a weekly Bible Study in his room, through which eight of his fraternity brothers were baptized into Christ. These events solidified Kip’s sense that God was calling him into the full-time ministry, thus sacrificing the much more lucrative lifestyle of a doctor.
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In 1973, Kip hears the voice of God and
decides to go into the ministry!
During his college years while attending the Crossroads Church of Christ, the vision of dynamic campus ministries throughout America was put on Kip’s heart. He was inspired by the powerful preaching of Chuck Lucas and his associate Sam Laing, as well as in their innovations derived from Biblical principles: “prayer partners” – based on the “one another” Scriptures, “counting the cost” with each individual before baptism from Luke 14:25-33, and evangelistic small group Bible studies called “Soul Talks.” At this point, the seeds of discipling were placed in his life as he personally saw how one man could affect another’s daily lifestyle and eternal destiny for God. During these early years of the “Crossroads Movement” – also known as the “Total Commitment Movement” – the Crossroads Church and the young ministers they sent out became more and more controversial within the Mainline Churches of Christ, because of these innovations. In some cases, these “Crossroads Ministry Chur
ches” were “disfellowshipped” or “marked” by the “other” Mainline Churches of Christ.
** God’s Preparation And Education
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Kip first served in the fulltime ministry as the Campus
Minister to Northeastern Christian College
beginning in 1975!
In June 1975, Kip graduated from the University of Florida with High Honors as well as being selected to the most well-known of all scholastic honorary fraternities – Phi Beta Kappa. Shortly afterward, the Spirit guided Kip to Philadelphia where he was hired as the Campus Minister for Northeastern Christian College (NCC), a Mainline Church of Christ school. Here he saw first-hand how uncommitted many of the so-called “Christian students” were: drugs, drunkenness, prejudice, impurity and immorality were prevalent. He came to a deep conviction that being religious is not the same as being a righteous and true follower of Jesus.
While Kip was serving as the Campus Minister at NCC, the King of Prussia Church of Christ gave him a scholarship to attend Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. There he was challenged by one of his professors, the Dean of Academics, that the Bible is not the “only” inspired Word of God. Shocked, yet sure in his faith, Kip zealously responded to the Dean’s challenge, “If there are any other holy writings beside the Bible, then Christianity is reduced to simply another philosophy like Confucianism, Islam, Buddhism or Hinduism. To me, Christ and His Word are the only way, the only truth and the only life.” This core conviction has guided Kip during his 39 years of full-time ministry. As with Jesus, the Apostles and all of God’s prophets, Kip has been persecuted with several death threats, as well as publically chastised in TV shows, on the internet, and in magazines and newspapers for his “narrow view” of the Bible and salvation. (Matthew 7:13-14, Acts 4:12) Yet, he has never
wavered in his convictions about Jesus as the Christ and the inspiration of the Old and New Testament Scriptures.
In the fall of 1976, Kip began to serve the Lord at the Heritage Chapel Church of Christ in Charleston, Illinois where he was asked to initiate a campus ministry at Eastern Illinois University, a small college of 9,300 students. During his three years there – starting with just seven college students – God blessed his ministry with 300 campus baptisms!
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Kip and Elena during their second year in Illinois,
visiting Elena’s extended family – the
Garcia-Bengochea Familia!
Interestingly, Illinois was considered a “mission field” of the Mainline Churches of Christ, as the Mainline Churches are largely concentrated in America’s Southern States – the “Bible Belt.” Kip was supported “as a missionary” by the Memorial Church of Christ in Houston, Texas. After nine months, some of the elders of the Memorial Church visited the Heritage Chapel Church. Instead of rejoicing at the large number of converts, they were “appalled” by the clapping during the singing of devotional songs, women praying in mixed groups, and the overall fervor of the worship service. Accused of “Pentecostalism,” “brain-washing,” and “cult-like practices,” Kip was fired by the Memorial Church two weeks later. Yet inside of the Heritage Chapel Church, the members were very appreciative and loyal. God blessed the church’s Biblical convictions from Kip’s preaching as financial support was quickly found from the Union Avenue Church of Christ in Memphis, Tennessee. The Union Avenue C
hurch generously gave Kip not only financial support, but also a full scholarship to Harding Graduate School of Religion, a “Mainline Church of Christ seminary.”
** Revolutionary Theology
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Continuing his quest of a Masters in Theology which he began at Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Kip attended Harding Graduate School for two summers. He concluded that though helpful in scholastic pursuits, a formal seminary where future ministers were consumed with their academics and so were “removed” from being immersed in the lives of people was not the way to train evangelists. Rather, it is one minster walking with another like Jesus with His Twelve, or Paul training Timothy and Titus.
Well documented at this time was that an “average” Mainline Church of Christ congregation had 150 members and only eight baptisms per year. Six of these baptisms were children of the members and the others were baptized from the world. A majority of the member’s children left the church, and over 90% of the other baptisms fell away. This stagnation remains in the Mainline Churches to this day.
Flavil Yeakley, in his book Why Churches Grow, reported that Mac Lynn’s first accurate survey of the Mainline Churches of Christ revealed only 965,439 actual members as opposed to the 2.5 million that had been claimed. He discovered that instead of an estimated 15,000 congregations, there were actually only 10,165 Mainline Churches of Christ in America. Lynn recorded, “The Churches of Christ have only 24 churches with a membership of 1,000 or more, only four with a membership of 2,000 or more, and only one with a membership of more than 3,000.” The largest Mainline Church of Christ outside the borders of the United States was only 500 in attendance. Yeakley also wrote, “In 1980, the Church of Christ in the United States did stop increasing and started decreasing in total membership [through fall aways and an escalating death rate in an aging membership]. It is clear that if the 1965-1980 trend were to continue unchanged, the Church of Christ would cease to exist in this
nation in just a few years.”
Since the senior minister of the Heritage Chapel Church was only able to baptize a few adults, the adult membership remained lukewarm. So during Kip’s time in Charleston, he realized that no matter how dynamic a campus ministry was, unless a whole church is “totally committed,” the campus ministry’s impact will be limited. From Kip’s experience and travels, he observed that many Mainline Churches of Christ with campus ministers from Crossroads split and several of these young campus ministers in turn quit the ministry. In time, Kip would preach, “No one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.” (Luke 5:37-38) Thus, Kip concluded through prayer and Bible study that the best way to build churches where every member is “totally committed” is to start new churches – for “new wine [zealous young ministers] must be poured into new
wineskins [new churches].”
In Kip’s years at Charleston and Memphis, he devoted himself to studying the Old Testament. This became a major turning point in Kip’s revolutionary theology. First of all, he came to a deep conviction that unlike the Mainline Church of Christ whose plea was to be a “New Testament Church,” a better understanding of God’s eternal plan and His Word would create a “Bible Church.” He fully realized that the Law – “the written code, with its regulations” from the Old Testament, were “nailed to the cross” thus nullifying it. (Colossians 2:14-15) However, Kip taught from 2 Timothy 3:16 that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” The word “Scripture” in the context of this passage refers only to the Old Testament; therefore, the intent by Paul was to call Timothy – and all disciples – to use the Old Testament “Scriptures” in their preaching, in their discipling, and in their lives. (City of Angels Interna
tional Christian Church Bulletin – May 22, 2011: The Biblical Significance Of The Old Testament In New Testament Times)
Secondly, Kip came to differ with the Mainline Church of Christ on Bible interpretation. In the early 1800’s, Thomas Campbell – one of the founders of the Restoration Movement, which is the heritage of the Mainline Church of Christ – gave the Mainline Church of Christ the following creed: “Speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent.” This creed dictated that one must have specific authorization by command, example or necessary inference only from the New Testament in order to implement a teaching or practice. However, Kip – believing that both the New Testament and Old Testament should be the foundation of the church – coined a phrase in sharp contrast to the Mainline’s approach to interpretation. Kip taught churches should be: “Silent where the Bible speaks, and speak where the Bible is silent.” In other words, a Christian should simply obey where the Bible speaks, and speak (have opinions) where the Bible is silent. Theologically, Christians are
free to implement any practice or apply any name that is not prohibited in the Bible.
These two revolutionary concepts about the Scriptures were the fundamental reasons that many Mainline Churches of Christ opposed Kip. Ironically, though he is regarded by most as the “Founder of the International Churches of Christ,” when in the early 2000’s after the ICOC had returned to a more Mainline Church of Christ theological stance, because Kip continued to hold these same convictions, these revolutionary views of Scripture were the underlying causes for most of the leaders of the ICOC to vehemently oppose Kip and God’s new SoldOut Discipling Movement.
** The Boston Movement Begins
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In 1979, during the McKeans’ last year in Charleston, the Elders of the Lexington Church of Christ in Massachusetts contacted Kip to be both their pulpit and campus minister. At that time, this Mainline Church of Christ was desperate for a new direction as they were considering closing their doors, because their number had shrunk to about 60 members. When the McKeans interviewed for the position, Kip expressed to the leaders in the Lexington congregation that in order for Elena and him to come, the leaders would need to support him in calling “every member” – adults, singles, campus and teens – to be “totally committed.” After five long months of deliberation, they believed that God had not given them any other alternative, so they unanimously invited the young 25 year old preacher to lead them!
Driving all night from Charleston to Boston, the McKeans arrived in the morning of Friday, June 1, 1979. So in this small dying congregation, history was made that fateful evening, as “30 would-be disciples” gathered with enormous expectations in the living-room of members Bob and Pat Gempel to hear Kip’s first lesson! At this point, the Lexington Church was simply viewed as another congregation of the “Crossroads” or “Total Commitment Movement.” The profound difference between the Lexington Church and the other “Crossroads Ministries” would soon become apparent as Kip’s revolutionary call from the Bible was for every member of the church to be “totally committed,” not just the campus students.
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Kip & Elena in 2012 in front of what was the Lexington
Church of Christ building in 1979!
In 1980, to help his congregation to grow spiritually and numerically, Kip developed a Bible Study Series called First Principles. (Hebrews 5:12; 6:1-3 WEV) The members of the church were asked to memorize these studies and then use the First Principles Studies so that each Christian could be trained to teach non-Christians the original standards that God has for individuals to become disciples of Christ. Perhaps the most radical and impacting study of the series was called “Discipleship.” In this study, Kip taught that in Acts 11:26: SAVED = CHRISTIAN = DISCIPLE. Simply meaning that you cannot be saved and one is not a true Christian without being a baptized disciple. (John 4:1-2; Acts 2:38-42) Kip developed the “Discipleship Study” not only to convert non-Christians, but to bring to light the sharp Biblical distinction between the Lexington (later renamed Boston) Church of Christ, and all “other churches,” including the “Crossroads Ministries.” As a result of the call to
“total commitment” to God and the practice of the Biblical concept of discipleship from everyone in the congregation, the Boston Church of Christ multiplied disciples at an unprecedented rate!
Another of Kip’s radical Biblical restorations was the role of an evangelist. He believed that the evangelist’s charge was not simply to shepherd his congregation, but to evangelize that church’s region of influence. (2 Corinthians 10:13-16) Thus in Boston, he divided the city into four geographical “regions.” An evangelist was placed over the disciples that lived in this “territory” for the purpose of evangelizing the entire “field.” In each region there were a number of “house churches,” and in each house church there were a number of Bible Talks. This “pyramidal structure” was Kip’s innovative application of Exodus 18:13-26.
To have the church appreciate the incredible training and sacrifice to become an Evangelist or Women’s Ministry Leader, Kip and Elena began to appoint qualified individuals in front of the congregation. During this powerful ceremony, Kip (or Elena if appointing a Women’s Ministry Leader) would share personally about the deserving disciple and then close out with the “ancient charge” of 2 Timothy 4:1-2 and the presentation of a Bible. This practice was imitated “everywhere in every church” in the Boston Movement, thus further unifying the churches. (1 Corinthians 4:14-17) So amazing is that every congregation in the Boston Movement “recognized” the appointed Evangelists and Women’s Ministry Leaders throughout the other churches in the movement!
** Unprecedented Growth And Impact
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During the ten years that the McKeans served the Boston Church of Christ, the Spirit produced exponential growth! The original Lexington Church of Christ had witnessed only two baptisms in the previous three years before June 1979. Through the restoration of the radical call and practice that every member of the congregation is “totally committed,” the Boston Church of Christ had 103 baptisms the first year! The most dynamic Mainline Church of Christ for decades had only baptized 200 to 300 each year. In fact, during the 80’s, every year a list of Mainline Churches of Christ baptizing 100 or more was published which usually had only 15 Mainline Churches listed. With God’s Spirit working through the McKeans, the Boston Church of Christ saw 200 baptisms their second year; 256 their third; 368 in the fourth; 457 in the fifth; 679 in the sixth; 735 in the seventh; 947 in the eighth; 1424 in the ninth; and in the churches tenth year 1621 were baptized into Christ. By this time
also, the Sunday attendance in Boston was approaching 4,000 as the church met in the famed Boston Garden, “home” of the Boston Celtics professional basketball team. Not only was this the largest single congregation in the history of New England, but it also became the largest “Church of Christ” in the entire world!
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The Lexington Church of Christ out-grew its building
after just one year of the McKeans’ ministry. Their
second location was the beautiful First Baptist
Church of Arlington. (Pictured above) Then in
1982 after filling up this building, they
moved into the Boston Opera House,
which is located within the city
limits of Boston. It was at that
juncture that the Lexington
Church of Christ legally
changed its name to the
“Boston Church of
Christ.”
Perhaps unappreciated by the casual observer was the challenge to meet the needs and keep faithful the unprecedented number of new Christians – over 2,000 in the first six years in Boston! In the 60’s and 70’s in the denominational world, there had been much discussion and writing on the “body life of the church” and “shepherding one another.” Thus, in the Crossroads Movement, “one another Christianity” was expressed in a buddy system called “prayer partners,” where each person chose their own “buddy” or “buddies.” Many chose Christians even of the opposite sex!
With so many new Christians in the Boston Church of Christ, Kip felt that the “buddy system” approach was not effective. Building upon the concepts of “shepherding” and “prayer partners,” he came up with “discipleship partners.” In these relationships, the evangelists, elders and women’s ministry leaders – after discussion and prayer – arranged for an older or stronger Christian of the same sex to give direction to each of the younger or weaker ones. (This principle of mentoring is clearly seen in Jesus’ relationship with the Twelve, Paul’s relationship to Timothy, as well as in Titus 2:3-5 where the older women are commanded to train the younger women.) Each pair was expected to meet weekly and have daily contact. This “one-over-one” discipling paradigm was also applied to marriages; thus came the innovation of “marriage discipling” – a mature married couple mentoring a younger married couple. Also honoring marriage, another of Kip’s creative innovations was to replace
“Bachelor Parties” (often accompanied with worldly overtones) with “Groom Honoring Parties.”
** The Boston Movement Plantings
————————————————————
In 1981, the Lord put a vision on Kip’s heart: “The evangelization of the nations in a generation.” This passion was ignited as he was influenced by former missionaries and the mission efforts especially of the Sunset School of Preaching – a Mainline Church of Christ school to train preachers – located in Lubbock, Texas. Kip’s plan was a simple one: if the Boston Church of Christ could place a small group of disciples (a mission team) in each of the key metropolitan centers of the world, they in turn – by the multiplication of leaders and disciples – could send church plantings to each of the capital cities of the surrounding nations that were under their influence. Then these “capital city churches” could send out church plantings throughout that nation. Therefore, collectively, these capital city churches would evangelize the nations in one generation just as in the first century. (Acts 19:8-10; Colossians 1:6, 23)
The key churches planted in the major metropolitan centers were called “pillar churches” – for a world brotherhood was envisioned to be built on them. Dr. Donald McGavran, the “Father of Modern Church Growth” (in the broadest definition of Christianity), saw the Boston Movement as unique in that it had a plan to evangelize the entire world from one congregation. Almost everyone in the Boston Movement saw the uniqueness of this simple plan as God revealing “His plan” to “evangelize the nations in a generation.”
Kip zealously pursued this vision, as he trained ministers in Boston. Women were also trained in “women’s ministry” by Elena and Pat Gempel. These trained ministry couples were sent to the “pillar cities.” In 1982, Chicago, Illinois and London, England, were the first two plantings of the Boston Movement. By 2000, the Chicago Church attendance was 5,000 and the London Church attendance was 3,000.
In 1983, the New York City Church of Christ was planted. Though this city had a population of 18 million, only 18 disciples were sent from Boston. Kip deeply believed that only one church of “totally committed” disciples – no matter how small – would be necessary to evangelize an entire metropolitan area – no matter how large. At its zenith in 2001, the New York City Church had 7,000 in attendance.
In 1985, Toronto, Canada became the Boston Movement’s second foreign planting. The Lord blessed this congregation with over 100 baptisms in their very first year!
In 1986, Johannesburg, South Africa was planted. God used this planting in a powerful way to glorify His name among the nations, as the “black” and “white” disciples did not merely coexist, but in honor to God, for the first time hugged one another as “one church” in the midst of apartheid and under the threat of extremists. Paris and Stockholm were also planted in 1986, which proved language as an inconsequential barrier for the mission work of the Boston Movement.
In 1987 came the plantings of Mexico City, Mexico; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Hong Kong, China. Also of special note – as detailed in the LA Story’s entitled Revolution (http://www.upsidedown21.org/1.1/inc/services/iframed/archives_service.php?langID=1&artID=831&call=1) , Multiplicity (http://www.upsidedown21.org/1.1/inc/services/iframed/archives_service.php?langID=1&artID=869&call=1) , and From Here to Eternity (http://www.upsidedown21.org/1.1/inc/services/iframed/archives_service.php?langID=1&artID=893&call=1) – 1987 marked the milestone of the then disparate churches abandoning autonomy to form one ‘world brotherhood’ which would have a central leadership. It was written in multiple articles that autonomy was the evil which would insure the world would never be evangelized, let alone in our generation.
* 1987 – Friends are Friends Forever (http://www.upsidedown21.org/1.1/inc/services/iframed/archives_service.php?langID=1&artID=636&call=1)
* 1988 – Disposition Diseases (http://www.upsidedown21.org/1.1/inc/services/iframed/archives_service.php?langID=1&artID=668&call=1)
* 1988 – World Brotherhood (http://www.upsidedown21.org/1.1/inc/services/iframed/archives_service.php?langID=1&artID=648&call=1)
* 1992 – Year of the Bible (http://www.upsidedown21.org/1.1/inc/services/iframed/archives_service.php?langID=1&artID=799&call=1)
In 1988, Bombay, India; Cairo, Egypt; and Tokyo, Japan were planted. The Tokyo planting was built on the Mainline Yoyogi-Hachiman Church of Christ foundation of the 1950’s built by George and Irene Gurganus – whom Kip affectionately called his “Spiritual Grandparents.”
In 1989, there were seven plantings whose mission teams were collectively composed of 120 Bible Talk Leaders sent out from Boston: Honolulu, Hawaii; Los Angeles, California; Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Seattle, Washington; Washington DC; Manila, Philippines; and Bangkok, Thailand.
In 1990, the McKeans moved from Boston to Los Angeles to inspire the other church leaders of the movement by leading a smaller church which was “more relatable in size” to the other Boston Movement congregations – thus more easily imitated. (It was from Los Angeles in 1991 that Moscow, Russia was planted.) Valiantly, Kip and Elena personally led the mission teams to Manila, Bangkok and Moscow! In the first year in Manila, 400 were baptized into Christ! In Moscow’s first year, 850 were baptized!
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Kip’s photo of the Moscow Mission Team on July 9, 1991
– the day they landed in Moscow! (Elena is
pictured on the far right.)
Of note, in the summer of 1989 after planting Manila, Kip courageously moved his family to Cairo after seven of the original eight mission team members – who were Americans – were deported by the government. This was a daring decision for Kip, Elena and their three young children. Kip felt that if he was to call others to preach in such life-threatening places as the Middle East, he himself must set an example to demonstrate this radical level of faith and sacrifice. Not only in Cairo, but throughout all of his years in ministry to this present day, there have been several death threats against Kip and even a few against his whole family, as preaching the truth always earns Satan’s wrath. (Revelation 2:13, 12:17)
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In 2011, the Egyptian lawyer John Beshai – a hero of the
evangelization of the Middle East – joined the
SoldOut Movement! John went home to
the Father on September 1, 2013.
Unique to the Boston Movement, not only did disciples make disciples, but churches planted churches. The Boston Church planted each of the “pillar churches,” which planted other churches, which planted still others. By 2001, at the time of his sabbatical, there were almost 400 churches in 171 nations and a combined Sunday morning attendance of about 200,000! 42 churches had more than 1,000 in attendance and 15 churches had more than 3,000 in attendance! The largest international congregation was the Manila Church at 6,000 in attendance! These numbers were staggering when compared with the Mainline Churches of Christ or any denominational group. Never in history has any church growth movement ever spread as quickly and to so many nations!
From 1981 on through the 80’s greatly aiding this expansion was the coming into the movement of about 2,000 mostly young people from the various elements of the Mainline Churches of Christ, especially the “Crossroads Campus Ministry Churches.” They moved to Boston or to one of the Boston Church of Christ plantings to become disciples or be strengthened as disciples, and to train to be on mission teams. These people – many of whom were leaders – were in awe of God and the unprecedented growth that the Holy Spirit produced in Boston and her daughter churches. They were often referred to as “remnant disciples.” (Isaiah 10:20-22) Kip documents this exciting Biblical phenomenon of God gathering His remnant in both Revolution Through Restoration Part 1 and Part 2.
In retrospect, one amazing aspect of this young movement was that many of these “remnant disciples” who were leaders had several philosophical and doctrinal conflicts with each other. However, Kip made every effort to forge a bond of unity between all of these leaders from the Scriptures by calling them to work side-by-side for one purpose. (Philippians 1:27; 2:1-4) Over time being “partners in the gospel” helped them to “surrender” their personal perspectives and be united in pursuing “the dream!”
On a sad note in 1987, when the Atlanta Church of the Boston Movement was “planted” through a split in a “Crossroads Ministry Congregation,” at this historic moment, the Crossroads Church of Christ sinfully “disfellowshipped” the McKeans, the Boston Church of Christ, and all of its affiliated plantings. Without debate, this made a clear distinction between the Boston Movement and the Crossroads Movement, which was in sharp decline in 1985 after the departure from the full-time ministry of their leader Chuck Lucas for personal reasons.
** Central Leadership – The World Sector Leaders
————————————————————
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The World Sector Leaders in 1992 – Front Row: Bob
Gempel, Kip McKean, Phil Lamb and Al Baird.
Second Row: Marty Fuqua, Scott Green,
Doug Arthur, Randy McKean, Steve
Johnson and Frank Kim.
In 1988, because of the rapid expanse of the churches, several brothers encouraged Kip to focus on a few “capable… and trustworthy men.” (Exodus 18:13-26) After six months of prayerful consideration and several discussions, Kip and Elena chose nine couples: Doug and Joyce Arthur, Al and Gloria Baird, Tom and Kelly Brown, Bob and Pat Gempel, Scott and Lynne Green, Steve and Lisa Johnson, Frank and Erica Kim, Phil and Donna Lamb, Randy and Kay McKean. These leaders – whom the McKeans had personally trained for the ministry – became known as the “World Sector Leaders.”
This was extremely significant, because the Mainline Church of Christ believes in autonomy – the independence of each congregation. Practically autonomy means that all final decisions about that local congregation are made by the local leadership. They believe that conferring with leadership from other congregations is good, but there is no overseeing authority, which can give directives on matters such as: dealing with difficult situations, raising and sending money for mission efforts, or calling for certain disciples for mission teams to complete an overall plan. Yet in the Scriptures, Paul writes the “overseeing evangelist” Titus (who Paul himself oversees), “The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you… for there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers… They must be silenced… Therefore, encourage and rebuke with all authority.” (Titus 1:5, 10-11; 2:15) So Kip
and Elena, because of their vision and convictions from Scriptures, forged a “leadership family,” where each couple would “oversee” the evangelization of “their region” of the world – which collectively covered the globe! (Of note, during the first few years of the World Sector Leaders, the McKeans alongside the Bairds and the Gempels – as Shepherding Couples – would make the major decisions for the movement. Later, the Arthurs, the Kims and the Johnsons were added to this decision-making group.)
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Kip & Elena and Bob & Pat Gempel stroll together
through the Garden of Gethsemane just outside
of Jerusalem in 1994.
On January 1, 1990, the McKeans went to fortify the Los Angeles Church, which was planted in August 1989 by Tom and Kelly Brown. In turn, the Browns were sent back to Boston for strengthening, and Marty and Chris Fuqua replaced them as World Sector Leaders. When the McKeans arrived, the Los Angeles Church had 154 members. By March 1993 when I was baptized, church services were incredible celebrations of God’s glory. At that time, the LA Church was having 3,000 in attendance! Amazingly in 2001, the last year that the McKeans led the congregation, there were 10,000 members with about 15,000 in attendance regularly every Sunday morning, and 2,500 were baptized that year! Of special note, one of my most memorable worship services of the LA Church was when 17,000 of us gathered on a warm Saturday evening in November 1997 in one of America’s largest stadiums – the Rose Bowl! At this glorious occasion, Kip’s visionary sermon was simply entitled, The Purposes Of God.
As well in 1991, the McKeans asked Bob and Pat Gempel to become the Directors of the newly founded HOPEworldwide as their charge as World Sector Leaders. HOPEworldwide was the benevolent arm of the Boston Movement Churches. Its uniqueness from all other charity organizations was that the World Sector Leaders could mobilize every member of every church in every country for a focused volunteer effort to help the poor and needy around the world. In 1994, the World Sector Leaders of the Boston Movement officially adopted the name International Church of Christ (ICOC). This name was first given to the Boston Movement by John Vaughn, a denominational church growth expert. He surmised that the vast majority of the Mainline Churches of Christ were located in the “Bible Belt” of America, but the Boston Movement (to him with a similar plan of salvation) had an equal number of congregations internationally as they did nationally. So in his articles from his research, he distinguished
between the Mainline Churches of Christ and the Boston Movement Churches, thus birthing the name: “International” Church of Christ!
Also in 1994, Kip wrote and laid out his most visionary project to date – The Evangelization Proclamation! Signed by the McKeans and all the World Sector Leaders, they vowed before God to plant a discipling church in every nation of the world that had a city with at least a population of 100,000 by the year 2000! It became more commonly known as The Six Year Plan. At its signing, we were in “just” 53 countries. Through the power of God, this monumental task was accomplished by July 2000! Unprecedented in the history of Christianity, in just 21 years, God had multiplied the “30 would-be disciples” in the Boston Church to almost 400 churches, 135,000 disciples in 171 nations with a combined Sunday attendance of 200,000!
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The World Sector Leaders in the fall of 1994. By this time,
Cory & Megan Blackwell had been added to the group
to spearhead the evangelization of the Middle East!
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The Women World Sector Leaders in 1998 – First Row:
Chris Fuqua, Megan Blackwell, Gloria Baird, Elena
McKean, Pat Gempel and Kay McKean.
Second Row: Donna Lamb, Erika Kim,
Lisa Johnson, Joyce Arthur
and Lynne Green.
Very encouraging to the movement were the following leadership appointments. In the late 80’s, Kip asked Cecil Wooten – a two-time recipient of the Purple Heart in World War II and the former Vice President of Chicago Bridge and Iron – to become the Administrator of the Boston Movement Churches. Each World Sector Leader had a World Sector Administrator. Cecil oversaw and coordinated this group. In 1993, the McKeans asked Al and Gloria Baird to oversee a new world sector called the “Media and Law World Sector.” Also at that time, the McKeans trained Cory Blackwell – a former NBA basketball player – and his wife Megan for the ministry, while building the “Cross and Switchblade Ministry” in the dangerous neighborhoods of South Central LA. Since Cory’s single mother was a devote Muslim, the Blackwells were asked by the McKeans to become the World Sector Leaders for the Middle East. (Cory’s mom – Wazirah – was later baptized in 1999!)
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Fellowshipping together in 2013, Wazirah, Cory
Blackwell’s mother, and Elena, whom Cory
affectionately calls his “spiritual mom.”
Another replacement among the World Sector Leaders was made when the Lambs, because of “family and health issues,” were asked to step aside in order to receive strengthening. (Sadly, the Lambs later divorced; Phil fell away, yet Donna remained faithful till her death by cancer in December 2007.) To replace the Lambs, who oversaw the Central and South America World Sector, Peter and Laura Garcia – the trusted brother and sister-in-law of Elena – were asked to serve in this role. In 1999, Cecil was in his 70’s and wanted to take a step back from the rigorous demands of administration. Consequently, Andy and Tammy Fleming were selected to assume his role as the leaders of all the administrators throughout the ICOC. The McKeans made this into the “Administration World Sector.” The last World Sector Leaders selected were Russ and Gail Ewell. They led the “NET World Sector” – New media, Exceptional children, and Technology. The leadership structure of the International Churches of
Christ was as simple as it was creative and unique! Of the original World Sector Leaders – except the Gempels and the Bairds whose role was to shepherd the group – each was given a geographic charge. There evolved eight geographic World Sectors: British Commonwealth – Great Britain, India, Singapore, Indonesia, and Australia (Arthurs); ACES – Africa, Caribbean, Eastern States (Johnsons); Europe (the Randy McKeans); Pac Rim (Kims); Central and South America (Lambs); Northern Federation – former Soviet Union nations; Scandinavia, Canada and the Western US (Fuquas); China (Greens); and later the Middle East (Blackwells). Each World Sector Leader Couple’s discipling group was composed of 10-12 other couples: a World Sector Administrator, a World Sector Elder, a World Sector Teacher, and Geographic Sector Leaders (Evangelists and Women’s Ministry Leaders). Also, in most world sectors, there was a World Sector Media and Law Couple. The World Sector Elders were collectively called
the “Kingdom Elders.” They were overseen by the Bairds. The World Sector Teachers were collectively known as the “Kingdom Teachers,” and eventually led by Andy Fleming. The Geographic Sector Leaders (GSL) oversaw the evangelism of a region of that World Sector. For example, in the ACES, Mike and Anne-Brigitte Taliaferro were the “GSL Couple” for Africa, and in the Northern Federation, Sasha and Louisa Kostenko served as the “GSL Couple” for the 15 nations in the former Soviet Union – the Commonwealth of Independent States. In time, each GSL Couple built their own discipleship group, which was composed of essentially an evangelist and women’s ministry leader for each nation or group of nations, which was in their geographic charge.
** World Missions Evangelist – Sabbatical
————————————————————
At the beginning of 2001 as a college student in Boston, the oldest of the McKeans’ children began to question her faith. Though everyone who falls away must take full responsibility for this decision, it must be noted that this young woman was unjustly and heavily criticized – largely because of the high profile of her parents – and feeling unloved by many in the congregation contributed to her no longer attending church. (Luke 17:1-2) This single event caused uncertainty in the McKeans’ leadership among many of the World Sector Leaders, as well as among the Kingdom Elders and Kingdom Teachers. In September of 2001, the World Sector Leaders “forced” the McKeans to go on sabbatical – though later, some deeply regretted this decision.
Unbiblically applied to Kip were the qualifications of an elder, not an evangelist. The reasoning was that to “oversee” a church, one had to “manage his own family [well or] how can he take care of God’s church.” (1 Timothy 3:4-5) Also cited incorrectly was Proverbs 22:6, “Train a child in the way he should go, and… he will not turn from it.” Left out from this quote is the phrase, “when he is old.” Disregarding what is obviously implied in the phrase “when he is old,” is that during their younger years children may not be faithful to God, but will return to the kingdom because of their good training when they are “old.” (This has now been seen in the SoldOut Movement and the ICOC over and over again.) Even sadder is the lack of grace by almost all of the World Sector Leaders, Kingdom Elders and Kingdom Teachers. In the Scriptures, some of God’s and Israel’s greatest leaders had unfaithful children – Aaron, Samuel, and even the Old Testament’s “man after God’s own hear
t,” David – yet they continued to victoriously lead “all Israel.”
Kip was profoundly affected by his beloved daughter leaving the faith, the “stripping away” of his leadership, and the public condemnation of his “leadership style” and the Biblical teachings that propelled the movement to almost all nations. Most of all, he was brokenhearted at the decimation of the churches that came in early 2003. I remember quite vividly those dark days of the McKeans’ sabbatical. After working on Elena’s computer in 2002, I came downstairs to see my devastated friend and leader, distraught by the condition of God’s family and hurting from the lost relationships of those who abandoned him in his time of need. The only words I could muster were, “Kip, I don’t know what to say to you. But, I do know that the whole Kingdom world-wide is falling apart around us and you need to ‘get back on the horse’.” Through God’s strength found in weakness, this he did.
In the past 10 years in both sermons and his writings, Kip is quite vulnerable about wrestling with bitterness, being depressed and unmotivated, as well as drifting and becoming quite distant in his walk with God for about a year of this one-and-a-half year sabbatical. Kip has openly confessed that these are all signs of one of the rarely acknowledged “seven deadly sins” – “acedia,” from which many other remnant disciples have suffered the consequences. (2 Corinthians 7:10; Hebrews 12:3, 15)
Read Kip’s Article on Acedia (http://www.caicc.net/2014/06/16/acedia-the-forgotten-sin/)
In the summer of 2002, the McKeans were invited to Bald Head Island, North Carolina, which is located near where the Cape Fear River empties into the Atlantic. Kip writes the following in Revolution Through Restoration Part 3:
“In the waters off the beach known as Cape Fear, there were huge, raging waves as the currents of the Atlantic Ocean collided with the currents of the Cape Fear River. Historically, this tumult resulted in many shipwrecks. I went to spend time with God at Cape Fear. I soon noticed that where there should have been a lighthouse, there was only a weathered foundation. This is what I wrote that day:”
** The Cape Fear Psalm
————————————————————
The rage of the opposing currents
Has shipwrecked my faith.
The lighthouse has gone
And I have no direction.
I am alone for I feel your anger Lord
From your Word and from people who feel like foes,
That used to call me friend and leader.
I gloried in your victories
Which I foolishly called my own.
And now your hand is pushing me under the currents
For I exalted myself, and not your grace.
I am weary through unceasing pain
From morning until night,
In sleep there is a peace when I close my eyes.
But my dreams are full of anguish and darkness.
Because your lighthouse has been destroyed.
I am drowning in self-pity and bitterness engulfs me.
You know that I cannot bear much more.
I fear for your movement.
I fear for my family.
And I fear most for my soul.
I have thoughts of dying.
But realize there would await me
Only an unrelenting, malicious presence,
To be eternally away from you.
My daily tears have been for me,
Yet now they are because I have disappointed you
And have hurt so many through my sins.
Please forgive my arrogance.
I became confused in my pride
And I turned from your wisdom to mine.
I stopped consulting your Word and my brother prophets.
Let my heart return to that simple eternal moment
Where I first saw your lighthouse.
Through the calm sea of baptism
I responded to your Word.
I first felt your Fatherly embrace
Just 30 short years ago.
I was indignant at your enemies of false prophets
Those hypocritical leaders of your people
For they led me and the whole world astray.
I was damaged by their arrogance and sin.
But by your Mighty Hand, even that first day
You gave me the strength to confront them.
Now I am them. I find no fellowship.
Only angry confrontations.
The prophets I trained are furious
At the damage I have caused your movement.
Few remember my deeds, fewer my zeal,
Only you know my heart.
Father, lead me to rebuild that lighthouse.
If your mercy allows, I will help to rebuild it.
Today I promise you I will stop drifting out to sea.
Today I promise I will swim till I reach the other shore.
I will not quit.
I realize my sacrifice only brought you ever-lessening pleasure
As my heart became dull.
For you desire only a broken and contrite heart.
Only these prayers are the incense of heaven.
Today I promise to strive to be only a disciple.
I surrender my ambition to lead till you refine it in the fires of criticism.
I will no longer care what the media, my enemies and even my friends say.
Because this brought me to Cape Fear.
Only your approval will I seek.
My most heartfelt prayer is
Let me and my family make it through the raging currents.
Let your lighthouse shine mightily
So we can make it to the other side.
Kip continues in Revolution Through Restoration Part 3 reflecting on how his sins affected the movement:
During the sabbatical, God taught me to take responsibility for my leadership in the Kingdom, the decisions of the World Sector Leaders, and for the spiritual condition of each person in my family. My sins are clear and grievous. I have been arrogant, almost always thinking I was right. I did not listen. I did not actively seek discipling for me and my family. I was only partially open and deceit came into my life. This led to the sin of anger towards those who disagreed with me. Too often, I viewed these individuals as critical. I did not draw people out. I built an atmosphere in which people were afraid to speak up. There were times when I corrected people that I was mean, cruel and I even humiliated them. I was too controlling. For this I apologize. I am truly sorry…
Ultimately, my most devastating sin was claiming God’s victories as mine. In pride, I boasted in “my” accomplishments. I allowed people to give me glory; I did not refocus them to God. Though some have charged “growth was god,” this was never true. My goal was, and still is, simply “to win as many as possible.” (1 Corinthians 9:19) However, people developed wrong motivations and stumbled because of my overemphasis on numeric goals and accountability, though I still believe in accountability if it is used wisely as Jesus did. (Mark 6:30) In retrospect, I see that many leaders did not imitate Christ in me, but my ungodly leadership traits, and they are now being hurt by those they hurt. I confessed these sins while sharing my sabbatical journey at the Unity Meeting in LA [specifically Long Beach] in November 2002.
One evangelist called the Cape Fear Psalm, “Kip’s Psalm 51.” As for his shortcomings in his family, Kip humbly shared, “Though Elena and I believe that we raised our precious children in the Lord as each was baptized and remained faithful during their teen years, my biggest regret was that I put my children on a pedestal in front of the movement. This put too much pressure on them and hurt them spiritually as sometimes they felt that they could not measure-up. I have apologized to each of them for this. They have forgiven me, and we remain a very close family. I pray daily and believe with all of my heart that because of the godly training each received that one day ‘when they are [older]’ they will return to the Lord.”
God taught one last invaluable lesson to Kip about his sins in his leadership concerning the weak. He wrote, “God has a sense of ironic justice. To rid Jacob of his deceitful nature, God placed Jacob under Laban, a worse deceiver. To show me how insensitive and in fact merciless at times I had been to the weak, God placed me “under” upset and – from my point of view – unforgiving brothers who would not give me any mercy or the benefit of the doubt, though I felt I had done so much for them through the years. I felt humiliated through shame and exasperated to the point of considering leaving the Lord. I learned that mercy expressed through kindness, forgiveness and gentleness – was not only God’s way to encourage and strengthen the weak, but the only path to keep a movement together. In all of these trials, my dear wife exemplified how one should love the weak by staying at my side with unconditional love.”
These lessons were painfully learned through the discipline of suffering that God allowed Kip “as a son” to endure. (Hebrews 12:5-11) However by July 2003, Kip – though severely weakened by these many trials – was a “changed man.” He was refreshed by repentance, and so the Spirit sent him to Portland to build again with these lessons freshly etched on his heart. (Acts 3:19)
** The Destruction Of A Global Movement
————————————————————
At the onset of the sabba