International Name of Religious Group: International Churches of Christ (ICOC or ICC)

Formerly known as Metro Manila Christian Church (MMCC)

The International Church of Christ (hereafter ICOC), also known as the Boston Movement or the Boston Church of Christ originated from Gainsville, Florida. It was there that a young student named Kip McKean was personally discipled and trained by Chuck Lucas, a campus minister of the Crossroads Church of Christ at the University of Florida using the principles in Robert E. Coleman’s “Master Plan of Evangelism.” Lucas was terminated by Crossroads CoC leaders due to ‘recurring sins in his life’ and the movement was taken over by his protégé, Kip McKean.

In April 1977, McKean and Roger Lamb were both terminated from their position as campus ministers in Charleston, Illinois by the Memorial Church of Christ of Houston, Texas due to reports of unbiblical practices like the following: “…confession of sins, peer pressure to conform to human judgmental standards and intimidation. … The judgment of humans that mature knowledge must be gained before one is allowed to be baptized. …elitism.” [1] After his termination, he and his wife Elena McKean found a Church of Christ in a suburb of Lexington, Boston Massachusetts named Lexington Church of Christ, later named the Boston Church of Christ, in June 1979 and began to established an aggressive evangelism and discipleship program that resulted to an increase number of church attendance from 30 to 1000 members in just a couple of years.

Growth And Expansion

The Boston Movement or the Boston Church of Christ were planted and established in the key cities of the world, namely London (1981), Chicago 1982), New York City (1983), Toronto and Providence (1985), Johannesburgh, Paris and Stockhold (1986), Mexico City, Hong Kong, Bombay and Cairo (1987-88). In 1989, Kip & Elena McKean and Preston & Sandie Shepherd which comprised 28 members of the Boston Movement from five (5) U.S. ICoC churches penetrated the Philippines. After much planning and discussion in a prominent hotel in Manila they targeted the major universities of the country and as a result established the Metro Manila Christian Church (MMCC), then followed the Metro Cebu Christian Church (MCCC) in 1990, Metro Baguio Christian Church in 1992, Metro Davao Christian Church (MDCC) in 1994 now Metro Davao International Christian Church (MDICC), Metro Batangas Christian Church now ICOC Batangas, Daanbantayan Christian Church, Laoag Christian Church now ICOC Laoag, Cagayan de Oro Christian Church now ICOC CDO, and Metro Olongapo Christian Church (MOCC) in 1995 now ICOC Olongapo, Negros City Christian Church and General Santos City in 1996, Zamboanga Christian Church in 1997.

The Boston Church of Christ: “The Only True Church?”

The Boston Movement (aka MMCC) has a vision to convert the Philippines and the whole world into their own exclusive movement. Kip McKean has this to say, “True churches [ICoC] are now established in 53 of the 216 nations of the world.” [2] Baird, an ICoC elder, admitted that, “If you walk away from the church [i.e. ICoC] you’re leaving Jesus, and you absolutely lose your salvation.” [3] In the Philippines, they are creating many innovative ways in luring prospective converts into their fold. In fact, one Christian friend told me of one MMCC member who wants to invite him in a concert sponsored by their movement of course.

The Growth of the Boston Church of Christ in the Philippines [4]

1989 – 28

1990 – 317

1991 – 741

1992 – 920

1993 – 1,135

1994 – 1,831

1995 – 2,141

It’s difficult to get an exact number of the Boston Movement population today in the Philippines due to lack of available resources.

Peculiar Beliefs and Practices [5]

1. They need to be water baptized because this is essential for the forgiveness of their sins and salvation.
2. They need to disciple to prove that they are truly Christians. They believe this equation “Christian=Disciple=Saved.”
3. They held an extreme interpretation of Luke 14:26 that they have to put God above everything which means prioritizing the “ICOC works” more than their family, studies, and others.
4. They have a tendency to keep a close eye on their members by having them open up to them and confess everything.
5. They also have the tendency to dictate their members on what to do.
6. They have the tendency to let their members spend so much time in their “discipleship” activity that they become so busy making it difficult for the family members to pull them back.

Personal Experience With the MMCCs

I spoke with a number of MMCC leaders, asking them some questions, observing their discussions, the manner they worship, how they meet and “study” the Bible, which is actually Kip McKean’s prepared lectures at the time, along with how they invite people. You’ll be surprised at how seriously and sincerely these young people take their faith, but how sincerely wrong they are. However, theirs is a works-based Christianity rather than grace-based. One former MMCC member who is now an active Christian said it was difficult for her to adjust from what she was doing before to what she is doing now. She used to spend the night, even past midnight, doing MMCC-style discipleship and felt guilty on the inside for not doing the things she was supposed to do with zeal. It took months of prayer and ministering to explain that discipleship, evangelism, prayer, and devotion are done out of love for Jesus Christ, not because of external pressure. Jesus said,  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments,” (Jn. 14:15).  These are just a few of the problems that former MMCC members have faced. A new member may not feel the pressure at first, but the pressure will undoubtedly build over time. The MMCC churches enjoy “love-bombing” one another by displaying “extra care” for one another. They even go out of their way to get their new members to show how important they are to the group.

Once an MMCC member gets involve, you have to deal all those condemnations that were spoken on that person when he/she decided to leave the movement. The Boston Movement founder, Kip McKean, wrote that “to leave the family of God, the true church [ICoC], is to leave God.” [6] You also have to uproot every false teaching and start to build from the basics. This young girl who was a former MMCC member turned Christian has to go through a serious study of the Scripture to understand that water baptism is not essential for her to be saved but must be done only out of your obedience to Christ to declare her faith. Surprisingly, even the Apostle Paul did not regard water baptism as essential for he said, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel…” (1 Cor. 1:17, NIV) An apostle to the Gentiles like Paul surely would not ignore water baptism if such was “essential” to salvation. But what he taught was, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (past tense) – you and your household.” (Acts 16:31, NIV) [7]

A Spiritual Discernment Ministry to Help Churches and Ministries to Share the Gospel with the Cultists

If you know of someone who is in this cult group and you need advice and help on how to effectively share the gospel to that person, you may inform our ministry. We also give free tracts and articles on how to evangelize the cultist in gentleness and respect. The Bereans Apologetics Research Ministry was formed to help church leaders, lay members, and individual Christians on cult awareness and in reaching the cultist for Christ. We also conduct Cult Aware Seminar for interested churches and ministries.

Footnotes

[1] Delbert Burkhart, Elder, Letter to Heritage Church of Christ, dated April 14, 1977. As quoted by Stephen F. Cannon in his article “The Boston Church of Christ: Has Mind Control Come to Beantown?” (Personal Freedom Outreach, Vol. 9, No. 2, April 1 – June 1989), 5.

[2] “The World in One Generation,” August 14-16, 1994, 34.

[3] “The Cost of Discipleship,” adapted from Christianity Today, September 1, 1997, 65.

[4] Adapted from the MMCC booklet “Back to the Future” p. 2.

[5] Is the International Church of Christ a Cult? Fox News Investigates on ICOC with Catherine Crier (Accessed March 11, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aITLu2hvwlo)

[6] UpsideDown, Issue 11, August 1994.

[7] Baptismal Regeneration proponents may argue that water baptism was still done in addition to “believing” (v. 33). But a closer study of verse 34 reveals that the joy of the jailer came not because of believing “and water baptism” but by believing in God alone for his salvation, “he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God-he and his whole family” (Acts 16:34, NIV).