The McKean's comeback years - Part 1

Question: Will people on April 1st support the couple God once raised up to lead his people to reach the world again in one generation?

The founder and trendsetter of the Boston movement better known as the International Churches of Christ (ICOC), Thomas Wayne McKean, commonly known as Kip McKean is down but not out after been rebuffed by former ICOC colleagues for "calling out of the remnant disciples" from dying, former ICOC Churches in order to start an exciting Episode 2 - now officially termed the Portland Discipling Movement.

The beginning stage of an Episode 1 begun in 1979 when Kip supported by his wife, Elena Gracia-Bengochea moved to the Lexinton Church of Christ, later renamed the Boston Church of Christ. The move was encouraged by Elena's innitiative for Kip's dreams. Let's follow your dream. That dream entailed implementing methodologies based on the the disciple approach acquired from Charles 'Chuck' Lucas' Crossroads movement one-another passages rather relying entirely on Church of Christ dogma.

In 1967 the Church of Christ started a pilot programme called Campus Advance modelled after Campus Crusade for Christ in order to impact the campusses. Chuck Lucas was a campus minister in the 14th Street Church of Christ (later renamed the Crossroads Church of Christ). This new undertaking started in several Church of Christ congregations focussing on shepherding of Christians by other Christians - primarily from students basing their techniques on the one-another passages.

The Crossroads movement was the product of Chuck Lucas teachings after modifying discipleship principles observed in certain Christian groups such as The Navigators, Campus Crusade for Christ and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. Lucas was also influenced by Robert E. Coleman's book The Master Plan of Evangelism first published in 1963. Although Chuck was the pioneer of this faith after a sabbatical he left the ministry for personal and spiritual reasons in 1985. McKean become the perfector of this faith. Chuck Lucas' idea of discipleship was modified by Kip. Prayer partners became discipling partners and soul talks became known as bible talks.

McKean was 18 years old when he was taught to give up everything for Christ and be baptized for the remission of sins to become a Christian. This commitment he made in April 11, 1972 at the 14th Street Church of Christ, Gainesville, Florida. At the same congregation, Elena was 17 when she was baptized into Christ on August 8, 1972. The following year, 1973, they "dated steady" for three years and were married by Chuck Lucas and Sam Laing December 11, 1976. From here on the McKean's common dream of working together in the ministry started in Charleston, Illinois where Kip was the campus minister for the Heritage Chapel Church of Christ (Roger Lamb was the preacher). Again this was made possible due to Chuck Lucas powerful preaching along with his associate Sam Laing that has convinced Kip in 1975 to become a minister. This he did when he come of age.

Since 1975 Kip's concern for the spiritual state of affairs in the Church of Christ intensified. Here he saw how uncommitted many of the so called "Christian" students were: drugs, drunkenness, prejudice and immorality were prevalent. His resolve to revolutionise the Church of Christ followed over a period between 1975-1979. Here, the truth as set out by the dogma of the Church of Christ was in conflict with his convictions about the truth.

Here, the reader must understand that Kip McKean's introduction to the "set-up" of the Church of Christ is completely different comparatively to many former ICOC colleagues with a traditional Church of Christ background who have joined McKean during the Boston era. They all had to unlearn their past traditions and misconceptions before they could really learn how to build churches. In other words each individual had to re-think his former theology as observed in the Church of Christ before becoming a proven builder in the Boston churches. But this did not deter ambitious Church of Christ leaders or men aspiring leadership. From an account of James Lloyd, who along with Doug Arthur planted the London Church of Christ (1982) describe the youthful Kip McKean at an age of 25 as a powerfully effective minister. Lloyd wrote: About a week after my baptism, [October 8, 1978] Douglas told me he would be moving to Boston to train under a powerfully effective minister. After asking me if I'd be willing to move to Massachusetts with him, he persuaded, "It'll be the chance of a lifetime. We can both become ministers!

In years to come, Roger Lamb described Kip as God's man.

Perhaps Lamb was the last author to lavish such praise on to the founder of the ICOC in an article entitled God's man, Message and Movement in the LA Story magazine, From Here To Eternity, August 1999, p3 before the curtain abruptly dropped on the couple as they entered the new millenium. God raised up Kip McKean and gave him a radical message that would start a revolution in the lives of people all over the world in our era. Lamb also stated: No other Christian movement since the first century has spread this far, this fast. None has grown this quickly during the lifetime of its founder. God has raised up a couple to lead his people to reach the world again in one generation.

To conclude part 1.

The ICOC had a founder - Kip Thomas Wayne McKean. He based his philosophy on the disciple approach methodologies rather on Church of Christ dogma. Here, the truth as set out by the dogma of the Church of Christ was in conflict with his convictions about the truth. His followers had to unlearn their past traditions and misconceptions before they could really learn how to build churches. His followers described Kip as God's man. This fellowship believed God has raised up a couple to lead his people to reach the world again in one generation.

In reality these very elements are fuel for the McKean's comeback.


Next week: McKean's comeback years - Part 2.