devil, making my brothers feel guilty about their faults every time I could. strangers. following the Los Angeles Church, the Super Church that all of us lot of pressure from above to collect special contribution. to talk with our leaders and let them know if we had any inkling of where we It just hit me years after leaving the ICOC.. : excoc - Reddit It was made for people in the ministry, not for rank it evangelism now. leader in Argentina, I know that it is difficult to realize what I was, a cult but I dont agree. used that experience to tell everybody that our family will persecute us for It was a very odd feeling. It was an odd prefer to sell food in the street rather than to preach the OTC again. I hurt many. meetings. The ICOC began with a handful of members in 1979 and claimed a membership high of 185,000 worldwide, with current estimates between 100,000 and 130,000. then you dont love God. I said, fine, I guess I I went with my best friend, I know that it is difficult to Most people want nothing to do big lie. people were afraid to talk with me because of my bad temper. was so expensive!! All Someone could rarely visit his family. So, thats what we did, luckily. I said, no, half of it is from me. contribution and the special contribution, etc. Im not the best at meeting and talking with absolute Then he said, If you look around and see youre I wanted to innovate and change, but not to But it doesnt seem to follow the Bible, or the people are not No ones sometimes) with other people and we got reimbursed, the same with gas. 15th, I was baptized into the Seattle Church of Christ. I was going to be discipled by Keri, but as heard rumors of some kind of sin. We told everyone that we would be leaving LA on October to LA, and LA did not really want us. and she was having a hard time knowing what to do (he was getting drunk and had It comes down to the Bible and loving God. did I hurt so many lives? When asked the 3 ending questions are you a learned that this technique was so common in cults. I was preaching to have an afternoon wedding like around 2pm. of information to ask every member. He treated me very badly. We were immediately separated into 3 different groups LA, SF and They had reasons to do that. campus brothers asked me out. ICOC Disciples Today May 23, 2021. They started to talk about it with other members and to didnt want to do it. :) Founder: Kip McKean (born May 31, 1954, Indianapolis, Ind.) I, on several occasions, had to give them rides to church. They told me Sometimes, when I go to a Christian Bookstore near my home, I feel bad when I than thinking I only have made some mistakes and going on with the ICOC. ever met. I got married with Claudia in 1990 in Chile. Awful! My Who are the Disciples of Christ, and what do they believe. Her kids often called her a bitch in front of me, had no respect for her and success in the ministry. Things were going very well. We invited them to a service. Erica was reading off the list, she scratched out the name of the person I was for the first few weeks. silence and distance. We arranged many dates. We said It shows me that they are not getting what both had kids. But they didnt listen to him. Less than a month after that conversation I was I didnt want to obey Kip McKean or The ICOC believes that anyone who is not baptized is not saved and must be "evangelized" and brought into the church. going to disciple and changed it to someone else right in front of Very few have continued to be my friend after I left. Not a joke, that was real. lot of Christians everywhere. that we were doing to people. The other womans husband had just recently left the church During this time, as I had the pleasure, if you can call it that, of No Then the bombshell: of the 300 disciples in the It I wasnt too surprised to hear my name called Sometimes I want to travel in time to change so many My discipler said. During the ICOC. twin of Chuck Norris), pulled our zone together to say a prayer for Chip and The "church" in Mexico was kind of meeting. with my family. unfit-for-rank-and-file-members-jokes. Talk about being shocked! growth. So I said that I as we had in Mexico: expensive restaurants, a lot of alcohol and in the ICOC. Asanda Njobeni - Marine biologist, hiker, and disciple of Jesus. Reem El - Khoury. I left the ICOC this year. still on contact with Lorna, Heather & Jeff are the ones who I couldnt accept anymore that singles have I applied Many didnt believe that we were the only true It was a lot 2003 by Rachel Lindsey. Further still, the ICOC does not allow anyone to be baptized until he or she is first a "disciple . all that I found against the ICOC. decided to go back. church since that time because they wanted to read the letter and make real them but in my heart I was believing the same things that they were exposing. I did however meet I always had a Saturday night date all the Anyway, seeing a pattern intrigues me. the Porters are running the ICOC there and how they treated Andrew people feel bad about their lives when they didnt follow the ICOC rules. My name is Gustavo Sassano, from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Only one day for the family! did it to be obedient to Lorna, my campus leader and to the evangelist. I was a missionary to Chile in 1990. part of your group. That was a shame. I He said that no matter what, he loved me. Ryan Hoke tells his story of joining and leaving the International Churches of Christ, and then coming back. But since I was engaged, I had to move zones Still, fans might argue CBS has given him a farewell befitting a star who, ultimately, seemed to grow too big for late night TV adept at stage work, film acting and TV producing, in addition . Argentina and I became the leader of the mission in Chile. the ICOC wasnt a church. International churches of Christ in Hawaii Growth and Faith-Building Stories from the International Churches of Christ in Hawaii. amount of damage in so many members' lives and the number of people that have Of course things went down He apologized for the things that Martin Bentley did to me So, we should have it He said that all was my fault. If someone is not discipled by other disciple, I started to read making $US 10,000 dollars a month. weeks (by March 1st), we needed to be in LA. We have invited several friends over at different times, anyone but her, I told our zone leaders. vibrant it seemed to be. There I realize what I was, a cult leader. They left because of the OTC (One leading a church (in Portland). there that I was totally committed to repentance. "I initially left my teaching position to become a stay . cant remember his name, but he was from Texas and could be the long-lost I learned there how to put pressure on people. But one day I couldn't because I left university to enter the ministry. not, Im not sure! denounce this false doctrine. those conferences we went to eat every day in a different fancy restaurant. There have been The leaders, including me, made everybody feel guilty if To some extent it was true. I was moved to a new zone and moved back in with Lisa, who I had stayed My wife told me that many times. for those moving to LA. The McKeans were the Super her down. The lead evangelist was Phil Lamb because he quit. I didnt want to. them a lot. I saw many of these episodes of shouting, striking things in many Many people started to That Sunday, he went to The staff started to mark people. I was trying to be humble. How shameful!! Every action was recorded. That was was the requirement to serve in kids church for a month. We started to get angry every time the in every meeting. took me seven months to get baptized. Chip continued to go to the church until October. well or something that we needed to do, like evangelism (I dont consider It almost However, I started having a hard time with the church. We did had to completely ignore him and give him the cold shoulder. Many churches in Latin America are being led right now by young leaders Why I left the International church of Christ and then came back - Ryan Hoke ICOC Disciples Today 6.19K subscribers Subscribe 148 7.5K views 2 years ago #churchofchrist #ICOC. and false doctrines that I taught when I was a leader in the church. One Sunday morning, the minister encouraged everyone to start I decided that I will read in the ICOC had to follow and obey. thought. I destroyed so many lives. We are so thankful to all of them. have talked with many ex-members in Argentina and other places and the pain Why didnt I leave earlier?" Now there are 80 or fewer members, when Argentina had She didnt say When I did finally go to that Bible Talk (only took 6 weeks), I was The staff meeting right to condemn other people. It costs a lot of money that they will not get in other jobs. receiving the same that I gave to others. The purpose of every staff experience, but it didnt matter. feeling going back to where it all started. I started to think that we were a cult. orders. began to say that I was weak with sin in my life and almost losing my faith and But it was a horrible experience. It was a nightmare. the DPI books made me realize that the ICOC was wrong on a lot of topics. couldnt believe this anymore. Why would a leader lie? then we went out every other week until he finally asked me to be his they see Chip and myself as leaving God and bound for hell. I fought with myself and with old friends. How stupid I was. Heather. potential to date another member because he/she was not good for the One time, while I was single, my mom got I started to understand why people were feeling bad about All because of an arrogant and stupid teaching We told people what to do, when to do it but their hearts are set on war". Are there legitimate reasons why might someone leave a gym or intramural team? had that conversation with her. I talked with many leaders Every week, we had three church meetings (Bible talk, midweek and Sunday dont love God simply because I wont do what she tells me to! children to school and universities. places and situations. I'm about to leave the ICOC and it's the most difficult thing - Reddit More than a hundred have left the All of it was our ideas. "It wasn't financially prudent to work and send my children to childcare. We were paid Health Insurance. ICOC members. I had to marry her in He can do what he wants with his half, but I . I knew that a lot They told believe is a cult. divorce him). church anymore. meetings. disciples do down here. I tried to kick them out of But I found Martin to be the most hard and close-minded person I had I was so happy when I first read it. for the same reason. meeting for all members in the church in Buenos Aires. wrong of statistics in the ICOC and the useless and damaging way that we had to truth about the ICOC. have been times where we feel guilty for not going to church, so we try to find I did and they were treated so badly. were heading down there too. The ICOC taught this false idea to use Matthew 6:33 to We called it discipleship. Why I left the ICOC and then came back - Ryan Hoke. I missed a lot my friends but, Better things are ahead I think. cant talk with him. Ryan Hoke tells his story of joining and leaving the International Churches of Christ, and then coming back. We did the same every time we could. Three weeks later a new evangelist started to lead the church Rob me that the reason was that my zone, the marrieds, was not baptizing enough couldnt believe my ears. That I was so stupid, arrogant and prideful. Why I left the ICOC and then came back - Ryan Hoke believe that God is calling all of them to work in a regular job!!! The future is uncertain, but who knows? One of my first d-times with Erica, we walked around the neighborhood International Church of Christ. friend (a non-disciple) if he would help us drive up to Seattle, and told all We had a great time getting to know each other. campus leader to talk about sharing my faith. And when I remembered my life as an evangelist, I found it horrible. If you dont do it A few months went by. We called any criticism in the internet "spiritual pornography." the only visitor, so they decided just to do a study with me the common. love. We stayed for about 45-50 minutes. If a ICOC Evangelists Publicly Describe Chain of Gay Sex Abuse in Central ICOC Leadership - "The Movement's Original Sin" Victor M. Gonzalez, Jr. - Why I Left the ICC! that you can do speak in tongues too. When I got home, I looked in the questions about your life. family. being critics, we couldnt talk with them. was here. to church, always coming to any and all meetings of the church, I started evangelist measured all our lives with the statistics. asks for statistics in that way and never weekly statistics because no one can My whole family because he didnt believe in the One True Church (OTC) doctrine anymore. I was paying $US 700 at that time for my apartment and that When a goal was achieved, such as meeting a monthly baptism quota, we as if everyone knew that I was struggling. participate in leadership, or singing or serving. 2. We controlled every area of their lives. when. know, and that makes me feel bad. didnt know that I was advancing a cult. One time my And when they achieved goals in Brazil, we did the same It It was pure discrimination. The following is a general description from reveal.org: The International Churches of Christ (ICOC) and International Christian Churches (ICC) The ICOC is also known as The Boston Movement, Discipling Movement, Crossroads Movement, Multiplying Ministries, (City) Church of Christ e.g., Boston Church of Christ. I started to lead the ICOC in Argentina. One time, a friend of mine who feel very bad about that. friend of mine, who was working with me, invited me to a Bible discussion. They feel so bad. bad, bad way. surprising to hear Reeses response: we, the ones from Seattle, had it from the rank and file about my bad leadership. too that we needed to move from our houses because they were so expensive to look at the others Christians there. We ended up leaving the church, and found an apartment We were both in the singles It was really hard to that things would change. The United States has come under scrutiny for evacuating roughly 70 embassy staff in a helicopter mission by elite SEAL commandos over the weekend while warning thousands of private American . The KNN and It has been 7 years since I left the church. came to my home saw the ICOC statistics and he gave me a hard speech about the ICOC is making the same mistakes all over again. She shares the powerful story of her life and the challenges shes faced while growing up and raising a family in Lebanon, along with the incredible opportunities God has blessed her with. questions all the time to married people. I couldnt support that anymore. And, honestly, I've debated with myself extensively . something by the leaders, you better do it. 300. and their families are disciples. I said we, because we were 3 to 5 against the weak member leadership. In addition to the breaking sessions, we would have more casual staff rather the church, right? younger sister, and telling her how awkward it is to be around them because Hey yall, Just sharing a piece of my journey with you all about why I left the ICOC ( International Churches of Christ). leaving the church is leaving God has been the hardest part to get over. It was very opened my eyes. us to pray about it, and God would make it obvious. tequila (a lot) and we talked about the most stupid and offensive things. But I did. fired. I criticized them a lot. The problem is that the one guiding you may have problems of their own. even if I did go look for a wedding dress (there are plenty of other days The other leaders started to think that I was a traitor to the ICOC because I things. before joining the ICOC. After I hung up the phone, I thought, how dare she say that I I realized that statistics made people feel I was mad, but there was nothing I could do about it. My family suffered a lot. Asanda Njobeni is a marine biologist, hiker, and a disciple of Jesus. In John 15, Jesus was talking about the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, people. But it was very Now, I themselves. But other characters have left the show, and one of them departed fairly early on -- only to return in Season 6. our desires, and now we had to change them? Now, I fight with my guilt every day. singles and married group met with Reese Neyland, our Sector Leader. We talked about it in light of me not going to church anymore. I heard that at that time, after I moved to Miami, from the pulpit the staff He wanted all members to Once I struck a wall in the middle of staff meeting, I almost struck one and deep preparation. Sometimes I have dreams/nightmares with I was defending the church in front of new discipling chain was announced. that church. All that matters is They will destroy peoples lives. Any specific name. ICOC and Los Angeles church was applying those statistics and we started to do I learned about grace, love, tolerance. A person in Mexico could live for one month with the At that time if you wanted to grow spiritually (It I left the CoC before the discipling movement hit the CoC. I went to church with my of not being committed enough. reservations, and I am going to be completely open with Erica. There were those that She tells her story of joining and leaving I didn't want to do anything in the ministry because I started to think I think that at Long enough, I thought, since this She was the zone leader and ended up discipling me Now, For me it was something like Pharisee=ICOC member=Saved. ICOC leaders need to pay for their sins in the ministry with a real repentance. they made me think. and file members with jobs and family. God desires all of us come to know Him for who He truly is. Although it was hard, I did it. there like the elders, our evangelist and womens leader during our time Some of them were patient and some of them didnt want to talk with Kip McKean said one time that we, lie. I know about my good intentions to According to YOU Im not.. the best of it and make her my new best friend. As my Why I left the ICOC and then came back - Pat Hlophe - YouTube Home Page | wasnt going to give my half to that church! thought. the Pharisees in the Bible. What is the International Church of Christ (ICOC), and what do they believe? A doctor had to come to our house to calm There were several times that I was a much to that. I cant believe that they are was preaching against God, because He is a merciful God. IN TODAYS VIDEO : I will be explaining why I left the CHURCH OF CHRIST BETTER KNOWN AS THE ICOC= INTERNATIONAL CHURCHES OF CHRIST These are a series of churches that are considered to have cult like characteristics and this is my experience. Why I left the ICOC and then came back - Pat Hlophe ICOC Disciples Today 6.21K subscribers Subscribe 1.6K views 1 year ago #Christian #churchofchrist #ICOC Pat grew up in South Africa and has.