Is Jesus' discipleship method a theological fantasy?

Many members of the International Churches of Christ (ICOC) still hold on to disciple practices as described in Coleman’s The Master Plan of Evangelism while others have abandoned them.

Kip McKean founder of the International Churches of Christ has reinstated ‘former’ International Churches of Christ discipleship practices along with an improved version of First Principles teaching study guide in the fellowship of the Portland International Church of Christ since September 2003. Thus placing Portland in the forefront while other ICOC congregations still struggle to come to grips after the February 2003 release of Henry Kriete’s Honest to God letter, which scattered everyone.

Who can forget those famous 2003 apology letters! McKean’s super church, the Los Angeles ICOC apologised along with many other ICOC Churches connecting similar problems deriving from adhering to principles base on the disciple approach.

“We are absolutely committed to change.”
[Los Angeles Church Apology Letter, Tuesday, February 25, 2003]

“We participated in an authoritarian discipling structure where advice was too often perceived as command. Some felt controlled and manipulated. …
[Los Angeles Church Apology Letter, Tuesday, February 25, 2003]

“We need your help and support to make these changes deep and long lasting.” [Los Angeles Church Apology Letter, Tuesday, February 25, 2003]

Nevertheless, Kip advocates a former ICOC discipleship-teaching plan base on a voluntary teacher/student relationship (one-over-one or adult-to-adult discipleship). According to his understanding, discipleship relationships in the fellowship ‘was and still is the only plan of God to evangelise the world.”

McKean has responded strongly to many churches in the ICOC fellowship that have either abandoned or compromised discipleship relationships – ‘the now lost plan of multiplying disciples’. According to McKean, any suggestion by his colleagues stating that the Scriptures do not teach one-over-one-discipleship is ‘devastating false teaching’. Discipleship matters became a strong point of contention between factions in the ICOC during the period of August 2005. The September 2005 Seattle Conference was marred by two earlier proposals in order to unify the brotherhood. They were McKean’s Portland Story and an effort by the Los Angeles ICOC’s LA Unity Proposal. Currently many leaders are holding on to different opinions concerning “commitment” and church polity. In the aftermath of the Seattle Conference it is apparent that not every one is in favour of LA’s Unity Proposal or Portland’s Church Portland Story. Currently, neutral ICOC churches are awaiting the final outcome of recommendations by the Cooperation Proposal Group in February 1st, 2006. Nothing has come to pass yet.

Kip McKean, presently is the lead evangelist of the Portland International Church of Christ. He has express shock ‘by how few brothers and sisters in Portland understood the Scriptural principles behind discipling.’ During the Summer 2004, the congregation studied ‘the principles of Scripture in Robert Coleman’s book, The Master Plan of Evangelism.’

Robert Emerson Coleman’s research constructed a plan for evangelism by going ‘back to the Bible and asked one critical question: What was Christ’s strategy of evangelism?’ In so doing, The Master Plan of Evangelism was first published in 1963. The Master Plan of Evangelism was recently reprinted commemorating its thirtieth anniversary. Since the ‘little book’ inception it has become an instant success for everyone engaged with discipleship practices. Coleman’s research did not only attempt to unlock Christ’ overall plan for the Great Commission, but also emphasizing ‘the requirements for membership in the church be interpreted and enforced in terms of TRUE CHRISTIAN DISCIPLESHIP’. These conditions of “true Christian discipleship” have ever since become a controversial issue amongst Christians. Some were not comfortable with the idea to allow others into their personal space, confessing inner thoughts and sins, while others express concern over manipulative tactics used by those in control. Even today as events unfold in the post-ICOC era many Christians of this particular denomination are puzzled what makes a Christian a “sold-out disciple”. Which churches to attend. Who marries who?

Nevertheless, The Master Plan of Evangelism’ impact is still significant in the International Churches of Christ, whether being used as a practical textbook demonstrating discipleship principles or through official recommendation from church officials. Let us also note that a great number of people within the ICOC movement have never studied Coleman’s principles, which invariably influenced Chuck Lucas and his student Kip McKean. I was amazed by many parallel teachings as described in Coleman’s book found in the ICOC after reading it for the first time in 2000.

Gordon Ferguson, former “Kingdom Teacher” (ICOC theologian) highly recommends The Master Plan of Evangelism in his book “Discipling” published in 1997.

“Years ago, when I was first learning about discipling, I read a very helpful little book entitled The Master Plan of Evangelism. Looking back over it recently, it seems quite basic, but when I first read it I was affected significantly. (If you have not read it, I highly recommend it.)

In his book Discipling Gordon Ferguson asked. “Why be a dull, uninteresting, uninterested pool of mediocrity when you can be discipled to be like Jesus?”

Gordon Ferguson since publishing Discipling remise on the dangers of former ICOC disciple principles during a three-day meeting held between panellists of the International Churches of Christ and its “parent church” the Church of Christ on the 1st April 2004 at the Abilene Christian University (ACU), Abilene, Texas. This open forum was called ‘Faithful Conversations’. I am not aware if the author has publicly denounced disciple practices as illustrated in Discipling. However, during this three-day meeting Gordon Ferguson articulated the problems of ICOC discipleship despite upholding a theological fantasy that Jesus was the Master Discipler and expects us to imitate his example.

Let us not forget 2003.

Give us a sense of what the public statements and apologies from ICOC leaders during the last year are about.

Gordon Ferguson:
They centred around four things;
(1) Authoritarian over/under discipling relationships. There were some good things about it, but abuses took place and some people were hurt very deeply.
(2) Authoritarian hierarchical leadership roles. Our intensions were good, but while we gave lip service to not lording over people, I think we violated Matthew 20 in exercising authority over one another in a worldly way.
(3) Performance-based motivation. We wanted to do great things for God, …but, honestly, I think we violated Galatians 1. We preached the gospel plus productivity and performance to the point that it became a different gospel that aroused the displeasure of God and brought on the discipline of God that we experienced as a movement. We are determined to change and have Christ as the centre of our message, not man or his performance.
(4) We have exhibited a judgmental elitism.

Perhaps the period of the Crossroads movement, the Boston movement and the International Churches of Christ can fit in with professor Michael Burleigh’s The Third Reich apt description on National Socialism by referring to it as “an extraordinary rape of the soul” during an “apocalyptic times”. “This was the price of mass stupidity and overweening ambition, paid with the lives of its citizens, whether directly compromised by dreadful crimes, or characterised by moral indifference or innocence.” In contrast, Burleigh advised caution concerning Ferguson’s remarks on comfortable pew-warmers described as “dull, uninteresting, uninterested pool of mediocrity” in need to be “discipled to be like Jesus.” Burleigh states: “Our lives may be more boring than those who lived in apocalyptic times, but being bored is greatly preferable to being prematurely dead because of some ideological fantasy.”