Kip McKean

Kip McKean
Personal details
Born	(1954-05-31) May 31, 1954 Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Spouse	Elena Garcia-Bengochea
Children	Olivia, Sean, Eric
Education	University of Florida
Website	www.kipmckean.org

Dr. Thomas Wayne McKean II (born May 31, 1954) (aka Kip) is a former minister of the International Churches of Christ, and is a current minister of the City of Angels International Christian Church and World Missions Evangelist of the International Christian Churches, also known as the "Portland/Sold-Out Discipling Movement".

Early life and family

The son of a US Navy Admiral, McKean was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. McKean married Havana-born Elena Garcia-Bengochea on December 11, 1976. She is presently a Women's’ Ministry Leader in the City of Angels International Christian Church. They have three children, Olivia, Sean and Eric.

Gainesville

McKean was baptized in 1972 while a freshman at the University of Florida in Gainesville. His mentor, Charles H. "Chuck" Lucas, was the evangelist of the 14th Street Church of Christ at the time. The church soon moved into a larger building with a new name- The Crossroads Church of Christ. There, through an evangelistic program Chuck Lucas had pioneered, they rapidly won many converts, the beginnings of what later became known as, "The Crossroads Movement", a campus-based movement largely within established Churches of Christ enjoying close proximity to college campuses- of largely the Southern Conference, Big Ten, or Ivy League schools in the United States.

Graduation and move from Gainesville

McKean then moved from Gainesville, FL, in 1975, to become campus minister for Northeastern Christian College, near Philadelphia, PA, as part of a campus ministry program known as, "Campus Advance".

Charleston

In 1976, Kip McKean, along with Marty Fuqua, (also from Crossroads Church of Christ), were hired as campus ministers for: The Heritage Chapel Church of Christ, located at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL- largely through funding from a church located in Houston, TX, known as Houston Memorial Church of Christ.

It was while in Charleston, in 1977, that their sponsor the Houston Church suddenly and unexpectedly cut off funding, putting both of them nearly out of work, (at least for the moment). Most of what had eventually was to become seen as dubious and abusive practices of evangelizing on the part of Marty and Kip- was early on already spotted by at least one mainstream Church of Christ, which probably could have acted as bellwether for all who were later to fall under the Crossroads and Boston spells.

Lexington Church of Christ and Boston Movement

Leaving Heritage Chapel, Kip McKean in 1979, then moved to Boston, MA, to become evangelist for the Lexington (Massachusetts) Church of Christ, thus further carrying on Lucas' brand of church ministry focusing on evangelism campus ministry- in a university area of the country known for its top schools, including: Harvard, Tufts, and MIT. The Lexington church, too, grew very rapidly, and soon changed its name to the Boston Church of Christ, eventually holding Sunday services at Boston Gardens.

The Boston Church of Christ,(BCC), expanded its reputation and influence amongst Churches of Christ, to become known in time as, "The Boston Movement", remaining in the Churches of Christ for a time, in order to prove themselves mentors to the longer, (and much more slowly established), Church of Christ members, showing them by example how to grow numerically and globally.

The International Church of Christ (ICOC)

After the 1981 mini split, various Crossroads and Boston Movement devotees continued for a time within sympathetic Churches of Christ- albeit increasingly alienating themselves from the mainstream; with some Churches of Christ more  receptive to them than others.  
 Finally, by the mid 1980s, with Chuck Lucas completely out of the way, Kip McKean then took complete control of both  Boston and Crossroads Movements, eventually splitting from mainstream Churches of Christ, to become the International Church of Christ, or ICOC.

Move to Los Angeles

 In 1990, the McKeans moved to Los Angeles to lead the Los Angeles International Church of Christ, where they presided through the 1990s.

Sabbatical

The pressure built, then finally, in September 2001, the McKeans agreed to take a sabbatical. During that time even more contempt built up within the church towards McKean's leadership style and approach to his ministry. So then, in 2002, at the Global Unity Conference Kip and Elena were further voted down then removed from the ministry by the Central Leadership Council.
  It was only then that Kip began to see "the severity of his unrecognized sins". The reasoning was that McKean always taught emphatically that to, “oversee”, a church, one had to, “manage his own family [well, or] how can he take care of God’s church.” (1 Timothy 3:4-5; Proverbs 22:6). McKean was then challenged to abide by the same standards that he had long used to remove many others from full-time ministry. The McKeans were at first hurt by what they felt was a lack of grace and appreciation, but later came to understand God's purpose and plan as sovereign for their lives. (Hebrews 12:7).

New Movement

In 2003 Kip and Elena were invited to lead the Portland ICOC, since its membership was about 300 members. Under the McKean leadership, attendance was nearing 600 and 400 in membership. During that time the Portland ICOC was the fastest growing congregation in the ICOC. Despite criticism that the number of people who have left McKean's churches continued to exceed those joining, the Portland church continued to grow through not only baptisms but also, "remnant disciples", (a term used for existing members moving in from other ICOC congregations). Soon thereafter, Chris and Theresa Broom decided to ask their Syracuse congregation to join McKean. Then, in 2006, the Brooms decided to plant a Chicago ICC. That mission team joined a smaller group already there. Afterward, a 14 member mission team from Chicago, led by Matt and Helen Sullivan, then went to Phoenix, Arizona to start another ICC.

International Christian Churches

Since 2006, the congregations under Kip McKean's leadership have been called the International Christian Churches. In 2007, McKean moved to Los Angeles to lead a congregation of this new movement known as the City of Angels International Christian Church.The International Christian Church now has 40 congregations in 20 nations, 2,700 in membership, and weekly attendance at 4,000. Although the International Church of Christ and the International Christian Church share almost identical doctrines and practices in ministry, the divisive issues continue to revolve around McKean's conviction that only those who share the convictions of the first century church and great commission, (Matthew 28:18-20), are true Disciples of Christ.

Author

Kip McKean writes numerous articles that are posted on the UpSideDown21 website which are likewise on the City of Angels Bulletin. McKean also has written a short book entitled Go Make Disciples: The Dream, he has also written the very well known and controversial First Principles Study Series,which states and explains the main beliefs of the ICC, and the less known Second Principles: Survey of the Old Testament.

Controversy

 Controversy surrounding McKean originally started as early as 1977, when funding from the Houston Memorial Church of Christ was withdrawn from the Heritage Chapel Church of Christ at Eastern Illinois University, in Charleston. That funding was used to support McKean as a campus minister.  Throughout the 1980s and 90s, many colleges and universities eventually banned McKean's groups.

Summary

Kip McKean's doctrine and practices continue to be the subject of controversy, no doubt due to his firm convictions that only through the efforts of true discipleship of the ICC, or churches harboring exactly those same convictions, will God ever ultimately evangelize the world.

See also

• International Christian Churches
• Churches of Christ
• International Churches of Christ
• Restoration Movement

External links

• KipMcKean.org, Official Website of Kip McKean.
• USD21, Official Website of the Sold-Out Discipling Movement.