Kip's new "Empire City International Christian Church"... Wha?
I don't know how Kip came up with this idiotic name for his new NYC church planting. It sounds like a name some confused tourist picked up. And I love the pic of the douches that are now leading this new "movement" - DJ & Kacie!
DJ & Kacie pictured atop the Empire State Building!
BTW, DJ and Kacie want you to contact them...
Please, if you are interested, give Kacie and me a call at 740-334-2396 or email me at dj@caicc.net. And to God be all the glory He wants and so deserves!
Mwah hah. Just in time. Following the ICOC had gotten totally boring...
Thread
DJ's article
posted by icc at 12:11 AM
8 Comments:
Part One: Since there is a limit on characters for messages, I am going to be sending this comment in sections since what I have to say needs more than the allotted characters per message to say it. I agree with you that Kid McKean was a religious zealot with only selfish motives in mind. Douglas Jacoby actually wrote the first letter pertaining to the series of mistakes that the ICOC was making but no one listened. It wasn't until things worsened that Henry Kriete wrote his letter and people adhered to it but not before much ironing out was done. I, myself, am a member of the ICOC. I have been a member since 1998. I came in at the tail-end of all the enforcing that was going on in regards to having a person come to church on "Bring Your Neighbor Day" and with "Special Contribution." I especially didn't like how they made you say upfront what you were going to give for your special contribution. It made it as though it were a legal binding contract that they could hold you to and God help you if you didn't.
Part Two: My wife who has been a member of the ICOC churches since the inception back in 1979 disliked this practice as well and when we married I decided that instead of putting down the amount we were going to give I marked down the Bible scripture Matthew 6:2-4. My wife and I are now with the Hampton Roads of Christ, located in Virginia Beach, Virginia (She was also part of the Boston Church and Hartford Church and I was a part of the Pioneer Valley Church, formerly the Springfield [Massachusetts] Church and the Hartford Church). In regards to "Special Contribution" the Hampton Roads Church still does this contribution on a percent basis. We currently are not giving a special contribution due to our money being tied up in other financial areas. Should anyone come after us in regards to this then they are just wasting their time because my wife and I are going to do what we see fit with our money and distribute accordingly to the way we want.
Part Three: I must admit, though, the churches of the ICOC have gotten better about not brow-beating people into giving what they expected the parishioners to give. People got sick and tired of the greediness and abuse of the allocated funds through special contributions and said enough is enough. When it was found out how Steve Johnson was taking taxi cabs to get to and from Bible studies and using church funds to pay for these cab rides while non-leaders would have to risk life and limb on subways and walking to and from the studies the parishioners of the New York Church were ready to form a lynch mob and go after him. I, myself, was being told that I was not going to be able to move to Hartford even though that was the most practical move when things between my wife and I were moving along in our pre-married relationship because, for some reason, the leaders felt that, biblically, it was the thing to do. What it was was that the churches were afraid of losing members.
Part Four: My wife, a nurse, was told by Wyndom Shaw when she was a member of the Boston Church and wanted to move to Virginia Beach prior to our moving there as a couple and she was still single to help nurse here sickly grandmother that she, in no way, shape, or form could not leave the church. When many of the east coast church leaders apologized to the congregation after getting rid of Kip, he admitted that he wouldn't allow anyone to move away from the Boston Church which he leads because he was afraid that it would make him lose members of the congregation and, by doing so, it would make him look like a bad leader. This was selfish on his part and he admitted it. He was especially sorry that it took him so long to come to realize this. After the apologies happened by the church leaders who didn't leave or get excommunicated like Steve Johnson (who since has come to realize how wrong he was and Kip is and has repented and come back into the ICOC fold), for example, I have to admit that overall everything within the ICOC has improved and not like it was before.
Part Five: I know that when Kip was running the organization as though he was a Pope, there was much going on that was wrong. I was having my problems dealing with much of what was going on prior to Henry Kriete's letter. People apologized. Amends were made. The Bible is all about forgiveness. Isn't that why God sent Jesus to die on the cross so that his bond of grace with people be established? I became a member of the ICOC because I felt that of any other church I was affiliated with or knew about it had the best set-up and the people who belonged really did try to live according to the way the Bible, the greatest guidebook ever written, suggests that we do. I never saw another church which utilized the Bible like the ICOC does. I also have to give credit to the ICOC in helping me grow in ways that I never did as a Roman Catholic. I had my doubts about the Bible before I learned it, thinking that it was too out of date and, thus, wouldn't comply to what goes on today. Having a strong background in literature, I felt, gave me the authority to make this claim. By putting it into practice I found just how wrong I was about the Bible. The reason I am still a part of the ICOC is because that, though they made their errors, they were human errors. I know that I am definitely not perfect so how can I hold blame to people who have admitted to their foibles and have made the concerted effort to repent from their mistakes. I also still believe in the foundation of the ICOC, which, to this day still has the best church doctrine I have seen. This is why I am still a member of the ICOC. When I was with the Hartford Church of Christ, Jimmy Allen, who is the head minister of the Hartford Church of Christ, once said during a sermon that if there is a better way to grow with God then he will leave the ICOC for it. I agree with that whole-heartedly. If I do find a better way to grow in God then I, like Jimmy Allen, will leave for it as well. I still haven't, therefore, I stay. I even had my wife before we were married tell me that she didn't know if I was "sold out", as Kip says, therefore, I wasn't the one for her. She later realized the mistake she made by saying that. I explained that the only one I'm "sold out" on is God. Period! I refuse to be sold out on a person (Kip) or a movement. I'm part of a movement because I believe in its concept. I will never be "sold out" on a person. I came to see that Kip McKean was acting like a cult leader as others did, especially those who lead the church. This is why Kip McKean is no longer a part of the ICOC which he helped found. He obviously hasn't learned his lesson because he is now messing up other people's lives through his new "movement" (I put the word movement inside quotation marks because, I feel, this "movement" is nothing more than a fallacy.). I truly feel sorry for the members who join this new "movement" because of all the shit that Kip McKean is brainwashing them with. Many of the members of the church he started up in Portland shortly after he got excommunicated by the ICOC was quick in coming to realize this and forced him to leave the leadership of it too. Now Kip has started yet another "movement" called the International Christian Churches (ICC). I pray to God that they will be quick to learn what a zealot Kip McKean is and leave this so-called "movement as quickly as possible.
Part Five: Sadly, some of the churches from the ICOC joined up with Kip as part of the ICC. This proves how strong Satan is. I see how you have been affected by the goings-on of the church when you were in it. I'm assuming this was when Kip was dictator of it. What went on was so bad that it led you to create this blog to tell of your experiences from when you were a member and allow others who have had similar experiences as yours do the same. In regards to this I want to present you with two words. Those two words are forgiveness and compassion. What would the world be like today if we didn't show the forgiveness for others the way that God shows it for us each and every time we screw up and then be compassionate in doing so. These two words seem to be the two words that get forgotten about the quickest out of all the words in a dictionary. The more we practice these two traits the better off we will be. Why not start now?
I use to be in the Icoc. I lost everything because I didn't have a job for three weeks. Didn't matter that I had in a month a $50,000 year career driving trucks and a $900 a wedding to be photographed. I just wasn't doing it that Sunday so I had to hear how I am lazy sinful and need to pray more. I ended up living in the woods for 2 years winter and all because if a man does not work even for three weeks he shall not eat. I still went to church for a few weeks during my newly imposed adventure and I was asked by those involved in my demise as to why I have not contributed financially. I then said goto hell.
Kip McKean still has not learnt his lesson! I nevertheless follow him on Facebook though I still am an ICOC member.
My problem is that I am not sure current leaders in the ICOC have learnt the necessary lessons from Kip's fall! You still see so much pride and selfishness in them and they want you to be 'humble'!!
U just need to know not all ICOC members are brainwashed!
Like the writer above I have decided to put my faith in God alone and not a movement. Jesus died for me. No 'leader' or 'disciple' would!!
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