Question: Today, we have to ask the question concerning the legacy of the ICOC leadership - especially those who continue with the procession of discipleship. Are they cured?
Not too long ago, the fellowship of the International Churches of Christ (ICOC) could uniformly declare Who We Are - but now members of this divided church group ask themselves Who Are We?
In 1992, Dr. Albert W. Baird commonly known as Al Baird, evangelist, elder, teacher, editor and media spokesperson for the ICOC confidently supported McKean's two-part series entitled Revolution Through Restoration (RTR). Baird stated in his first preface of RTR1: This article explains who we are as God's modern-day movement and where we came from, better than any other single piece of which I am aware. For this reason I frequently give a copy to someone with whom I am studying the Bible or to someone from the media who wants to know more about us.
That now has changed. These infamous articles who were once part and parcel of former ICOC websites are all withdrawn from church websites supporting the United Cooperation Group. They can only be viewed in its entirety on church websites rallied behind the founder of the Portland Discipling Movement.
Henry Kriete released in February 2, 2003, a counter revolution article, entitled, Honest to God: Revolution Through Repentance and Freedom in Christ, in which he asks: On what grounds do we now claim that we are "God's Modern Day Movement"? Kriete pulverised the notion that the ICOC is the kingdom of God. And so I ask again - are we - 'THE ICOC', 'THE KINGDOM', 'THE ONE TRUE CHURCH' - still the remnant chosen by grace? Or was that claim itself simply too much for God?
Kriete, like many other heroic men and women before him refuse to buy into the notion that the emperor's clothes had the wonderful quality of becoming invisible to anyone who was not fit for his office or who was unpardonably stupid. Therefore, no one wished to admit that he could see nothing, for then he would have been unfit for his office or else a fool.
It is disconcerting to read follow-up material from Henry Kriete such as a Response to a friend, September 6, 2005 with regards to the powerful delusion which still plagues those hearts and minds entrapped with the life and doctrine of the former ICOC. To this day, tens of thousands of our members still think that to leave the ICOC is to leave God. Or at least believe it is probably so. And now that same kind of hubris has spawned a calling out of the remnant from within the ICOC itself! Shame. Shame. Shame. That my friend, is the real reason for the damage, the 'human wreckage'.
In the same article, Kriete state: The ICOC was built, not on the pure foundation of Christ alone, but on a seriously inadequate version of the person and work of Christ, and on a very deficient understanding of the grace and truth of Christ. In short: a different Jesus, a different gospel. Kip's version of Jesus. As we followed Kip's leadership in the ICOC, this was the 'different' Jesus that he himself was following... and follows to this day.
Today, we have to ask the question concerning the legacy of the ICOC leadership - especially those who continue with the procession of discipleship. Are they cured?
Steve Johnson, editor of issues 4 & 5, January 1993, UpsideDown magazine commented From the editor stating: we are believers in leadership; and our belief in leadership is very common sense. Steve emphasises: Kip is our leader not because of a puff of smoke from a Vatican balcony or a twisted theology. He's simply further out front than anyone else I know; so we follow and God has blessed us.
In the following year, 1994, Al Baird's article as editor for the LA Story's 'A Man for All Seasons' affirms: Throughout the pages of the Bible and history God raised up one person to lead his people, and for our day it is unquestionably Kip. He is not infallible, he is not an apostle, he is not perfect, but he is an incredible leader. Baird continues: People outside the movement sometimes ask me, "Why is Kip the leader?" I simply reply that he is the leader because he is far out in front leading!
However, we all know the dutiful courtiers - our highests ranking evangelists have caught up with their front man.
The final straw was during the proceedings early September of 2005, during a forum organized by the 2005 International Leadership Conference in which the coordinators in Seattle barred Kip McKean from attending a vital meeting. Here, a group of nine brothers, were elected by ballot to serve as a Unity Proposal Group. Although there was certainly not a puff of smoke visible from any balcony they were elected by ballot. Thus, McKean was excluded from an unique historical process for this church group.
As a result, a new document was released in March 11, 2006. A ratified plan that serves their dual Christian interests with its background firmly emplaced in the first century; ideally rooted in the New Testament dogma of the Church of Christ and truths and emphases derived from the Crossroads campus ministry days. From page four: The Unity Proposal Group are striving both to articulate the theological framework of "the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints" (Jude 3) and to reaffirm those truths and emphases that have particularly shaped our branch of God's movement, from the campus ministry days until now.
The United Cooperation Group, like their counter group, the Portland Discipling Movement spawn these Crossroads principles as core truths - truths we want to defend.
In reality, these two opposing groups do all our thinking and our agenda setting and many just limp lamely behind it.
Let us note: The leadership of the Unity Proposal Group, guided by the input of the whole ICOC except by Kip McKean did not attempt to overthrow the temples as Kriete suggests, or at least dump the baby along with the bath water, or allow the pendulum to spin madly. By refusing to re-examine the Campus ministry disciple approach is one of the main reasons we fear loosing our identity Who We Are especially our discipleship methodologies of the past. We are very afraid of what we will become once our collective brain is taken away.
How did we get here? Is it because we follow an emperor type of leadership without clothes?
Perhaps the sense to belong, to be part of something, to have an identity Who We Are has short-changed the ICOC.
Here, the presure for leadership to establish a church culture or an identity Who We Are during those neutral years of 2003-2005 often called the pendulum-swinging years have reached a breaking point in most churches. This is evident on page seven of the Unity Proposal document - before the reactions among us define us.
Already, the Unity Proposal document of March 11, 2006, since the ICOC group decentralised in December 2002 have succesfully pulled together over 70% of the former ICOC churches, thus securing some form of anchorage to those who wants to define themselves Who We Are. The majority look for light relief. In so much of 70% of the former ICOC now suspend their thinking capacity by embracing discipleship as those truths and emphases that have particularly shaped our branch of God's movement, from the campus ministry days until now.
However, in reality McKean will keep on probing for ICOC churches made up only of disciples. Kip is back. The McKean's leadership sins - although real - are temporary distractions. In due time their philosophy on the disciple approach will rise above mediocre attempts of others. The possibility for people to defect is tangible. The probability to demonise Kip will continue.
The McKean's have established a church culture, ever since the release of Kip's third revolution article, in July 13, 2003, entitled From Babylon to Zion - Revolution Through Restoration III. The comeback years of the McKeans does not hang in the balance when men and women once more start embracing discipleship principles.
A dry period usually follows after a fire storm. Eventually, dormant seeds of discipleship will sprout again, whether they were hidden underground in the cave of Adullam or being protected by elders guarding their discipling churches against Kip's comeback.
Seeds will sprout and there is nothing one can do to stop the cross-pollination.
Seasoned veterans of the ICOC knows Kip McKean is A Man For All Seasons.
No comments:
Post a Comment