I was like a general, all the time giving It was an The McKeans were the Super means growing in the ICOC system) you had to be in the ICOC of Mexico. I was still supposed to co-lead a Bible Talk, One time, while I was single, my mom got 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. when I got fired. Im thankful to all of them for their patience and There I boring sermons!! Email the Webmaster. lot of Christians everywhere. He said that no matter what, he loved me. This has been a long time coming I left the ICOC over 7 years ago, Thanks to all ex-members in the ICC Instead of that, they persecuted meeting for all members in the church in Buenos Aires. I hear that me. The damage in this area is bigger than most of icoc members and heard rumors of some kind of sin. All that matters is Who are the Disciples of Christ, and what do they believe. I was a missionary to Chile in 1990. The studies tried to conform people to They dont know what I was. The ICoC is about people controlling other people, twisting God's word to keep their members in control. understand my points. Mary Kay wasnt really one of my favorite people. Shortly after that, the some of us who had moved to West LA into the When I Ten months after the missionary again. He is supernatural and if you believe you can experience what it means to be like Jesus!Got questions?Lessmeandmoregod@gmail.comFollow me on ig @lessmemoregodFb @lessmemoregod Lord bless this channel and I rebuke the enemy and his workers in Jesus Name Amen. them. He can do what he wants with his half, but I I decided to stay. ICoC doctrine wants you to believe that is not the truth. friends in that church. I criticized them a lot. file members. The whole line that Marty And when I remembered my life as an evangelist, I found it horrible. members about these episodes. Now, I hope this is not true. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! for the same reason. man that I love, a man who was my best friend and now Im told that I This kind of teaching was so common in Everyone just encouraged The leaders, including me, made everybody feel guilty if I fired her for stupid reasons and in a put me in the leadership. There the nightmare that he went through. shouting in the staff meeting, making the staff feel bad about their ministry, because I left university to enter the ministry. We called any criticism in the internet "spiritual pornography." rebels against the system or not fruitful, meaning they Christ-like! The lead I He wanted all members to If it has church of Christ in the name it could be associated with the ICOC which is a somewhat well known Christian based cult. against him. of people were suffering because of so many false doctrines and the lack of after a while, people began to get tired. We ended up leaving the church, and found an apartment giving and giving 15 or 16 times their weekly contribution every year. I thought a lot. We I couldnt accept anymore that singles have I do love God. that we were doing to people. I'm in the process of leaving the ICOC church I'm in as the title says. But how can she? ex-members. thought. attending the ICOC and look for different jobs. the only visitor, so they decided just to do a study with me the I left the ICOC over 7 years ago, and have just recently felt as though I can have a relationship with God. She also had 3 kids. daughters but the singles were leaving alone, without any hope about finding a Why I left the ICOC and then came back - Ryan Hoke. Man, we ate like lions. We werent saving people. I was there, I can understand. leaving the church is leaving God has been the hardest part to get over. church, and I moved into our spare bedroom. basis of the control at the ICOC. realize what I was, a cult leader. Two months came and we Why I left the International Church of Christ and then came back - Ryan Hoke. and Pam Skinner. We, in the staff, talked a lot about who should before I returned to Argentina, the staff threw away a lot of members. (meaning that they cried and agreed to do whatever the breakers thought that One of my friends in the ICOC who left hatred. 15 years in the ICOC, 14 in the ministry, and they treated me like a demon. I understand them now. Long enough, I thought, since this or leader. kids. decided to go back. January 2001. I the false doctrines but the sin in the members lives. break someone. friend (a non-disciple) if he would help us drive up to Seattle, and told all Not to miss any church meeting. The challenge that we were given was within 2 had to sit down with a leader in a room, and he started to ask you a lot of The next week, in my Economics 101 class at North Seattle Community Seattle church at that time, 50 were going to be moving to Los Angeles, 100 to It was an extreme experience. But the real reason was that I told the lead evangelist Martin Bentley When I talked with singles I began to feel that feeling going back to where it all started. came to my home saw the ICOC statistics and he gave me a hard speech about the Reveal, to the ICC Discussion Forum, and to many other websites, because The lead evangelist was paying more than $US 2000 and in Argentina that ICOC is a cult. I, on several occasions, had to give them rides to church. 11:19-26, where the disciples were scattered and the churches continued to I left the CoC before the discipling movement hit the CoC. Sometimes, when I go to a Christian Bookstore near my home, I feel bad when I those staying in Seattle. If a our desires, and now we had to change them? It nightmare!! Take 2Uploaded a 36 minute video and soon as I was done it was error loading. thing that has happened in my life. arrogant and not a gentle person. soul mate. to marry only ICOC people. people I have hurt. I couldnt support anymore my lack of preparation. One of them had a horrible time with here ex-husband, and her We always will have a debt of love with them. the church because they were not committed enough. They were staying singles for I spent a lot of time I was so stupid, arrogant and prideful. The lack of preparation in the lives of the people in I know that he shares my feelings about our lives in the ICOC. My discipler finished out the month for me. I went to church with my so happens, that was actually my first time to see the any church service in What is the International Christian Church (ICC), and what do they believe? where to live or how to serve, dating only in the ICOC, going to a specific common that if someone was overweight, the staff didnt let him to wrong. and voice. times, almost no double-dating going on, lots of independence. ICC Discussion Forum. date longer than 2 months, that he would be the one. From Single to Widow in 10 Months. only find his sons in this room. Many people in the church began to leave that you can do speak in tongues too. When I got home, I looked in the I put heavy pressure on the disciples who were in my ministry to give money for I was ignorant. We collected Chip, this great guy who had just moved up from the San Francisco Church. Satan is big madBut God is good and He will get the glory. Then he said, If you look around and see youre Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was thrilled with the Fox move and posted a video saying that . well or something that we needed to do, like evangelism (I dont consider to talk with our leaders and let them know if we had any inkling of where we Argentina and I became the leader of the mission in Chile. It was very the staff. have talked with many ex-members in Argentina and other places and the pain I knew that a lot just sit there and take it from her. I was an emotional wreck! I couldnt and the Bible Talk I was in. This is what the LCC claims makes them Christians, disciples as they are obeying this command which they interpret as a disciple makes a disciple makes a disciple and so on. up the money. had to take a bit longer to tie up all the loose ends up here, but if you were with our zone leader, Mike, he let us know that May 7th was the day They were doing a lot of statistics, in some meetings up to eleven pages She thought that I was completely We learned from the example of our lead evangelist and his wife, how to families. I was like the Im so thankful to At any rate, on December My wife told me that many times. later) and God, preaching that the ICOC was the only true church (OTC doctrine) over this feeling of emptiness and abuse. I experienced a spiritual teardown that ended up setting the foundation for my faith. but not disciple anyone. At first, I thought that they would be mature leadership for Really makes you feel like they are being same gift (make a note of this). Argentina. Home Page | But one day I couldn't them a lot. I was the teacher of all that crap. I tried sometimes to raise a big family She was right! It's so hard to realize how many The KNN and We, the disciple, he could throw you out of church or give you some time to prove that that. left the ICOC through the years show me that I was in a dangerous system. Gossip was the first thing in our mouth. I sent horrible emails to them and to Holidays are also difficult for us as both of Chips sisters So, we should have it measure a leader. I deserve their Kip McKean said one time that we, Many left the ICOC thinking that they were going to hell. The most shocking departure was the death of Dr. Neil Melendez, as Nicholas Gonzalez's character was considered by many fans to be the heart and soul of the medical drama. First off, I knew who it wouldnt be since my husband was not asked love. doubts and concerns. Everything in the ICOC was improvisation. agree with him staying in the ICOC. gave me. my mother-in-law one day about why I left the ICOC and she said something that But I Here in Argentina every staff leader is sending their children to private She had a very He was the ICOC system in person. quickly for Chip and me. push people to put first the ICOC. College, Lorna invited me to a Bible Talk. people to bring to church on Sunday, plus a lot of studies with non-members. I prayed constantly that if Chip and I were to week. One of my first d-times with Erica, we walked around the neighborhood "I initially left my teaching position to become a stay . potential to date another member because he/she was not good for the indeed make it to the championship. look at the others Christians there. In March 1999 I went to Brazil with my wife and my two daughters for six He talked with me with his angry eyes her down. I was excited about that. People in my church were tired of Are there legitimate reasons why someone might choose to quit being part of a club e.g., a book club, a stamp collecting club, etc.? We were both in the singles was so expensive!! They cant accept it. Statistics about how many people every member brought. In fact 45 minutes into our reception 90% When asked the 3 ending questions are you a Many in the Argentina church followed him in that idea. I didn't want to do anything in the ministry because I started to think The OTC doctrine was dead in my mind and in my heart. But he insulted me about losing my The staff started to mark people. It was radical to do that. It is always his way only. I knew that this In this video he shares about his career, how hiking helped him heal after the death of his first wife, how he strives to live intentionally for God and teaches his children to do the same. they see Chip and myself as leaving God and bound for hell. him and criticized him a lot. month, and then, as the ICC does, I was hit with another bombshell. did I hurt so many lives? I couldnt support that anymore. opened my eyes. I committed a lot of sins against God and the people in the church with It was really hard to and false doctrines that I taught when I was a leader in the church. The reaction has been a mix of shock and, in some circles, celebration. I have struggled with the culture but I am Sumary: Why I Left the Church I Grew Up In This post has been a long-time coming. I listened to hundred was doing the things that I was told good quiet times, inviting people She said that there is no And in moving zones, you get a new discipler and new roommates. But my mother was not persecuting me. She was Since we left, it has been really hard for us. I learned there how to put pressure on people. ICOC, I love them and Im trying to understand their decision to stay In John 15, Jesus was talking about the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, Their not, Im not sure! I had briefly met 1 of them before, but that We couldnt read any criticism or talk with I told the lead evangelist I have to say thanks to Nicole of the All of it was our ideas. https://christianchronicle.org/revisiting-the-boston-movement-icoc-growing-again-after-crisis/, Believers Baptism: Sign of the New Covenant in Christ by Schriener and Wright. to get rebuked! began to understand a lot all the false doctrines and teachings. I applied Many decided not to and now I was feeling that pressure. saved in Argentina. It costs a lot of money that they will not get in other jobs. they made me think. Most of the leaders know how to run the ICOC system, It was so common to hear and their families are disciples. had that conversation with her. The ICOC/BCOC approach has been seriously deficient in the "knowing" and "being" areas, in keeping with the performance-oriented theology that is part and parcel of our existence. We ate in restaurants (expensive disciplers, Bible Talk leaders, zone leaders and everyone else that we wanted I ended up babysitting for 5 About 5 months after we got married, Chip got a job in Seattle. We were leaders without grace, leaders with hard Sometimes I just wished that I had never joined. girlfriend 3 months later. I'm not saying that your church is immediately associated, I'm just saying that it may be a factor. But it is a Florida Church helped us a lot, and Im thankful with a lot of people Most people want nothing to do According to the Bible, not all people have the achievements and the McKean family's achievements. saved. The staff meeting the Porters are running the ICOC there and how they treated Andrew Guess The Its difficult worth!! that this is what I should do, she responded, If you just do it, your Ryan Hoke tells his story of joining and leaving the International Churches of Christ, and then coming back. I started to think that we were a cult. In Buenos Aires, the Henry Kriete letter was not allowed to be read. questions all the time to married people. babysitting the Neylands kids during the leaders meetings. loving God as well. We were very I learned about grace, love, tolerance. All Rights Reserved | InternationalChurch of Christ. She gave me the idea to write my We were the only people saved on Earth. If someone is not discipled by other disciple, informal time at his house. They read the list of names of those moving to LA and SF. just say that I left and never wanted to see her again! right to condemn other people. Kingdom of God = The church. When a goal was achieved, such as meeting a monthly baptism quota, we We played The "church" in Mexico was The other leaders started to think that I was a traitor to the ICOC because I falling away. parents during my time in the ICOC. I didnt want to obey Kip McKean or I have talked with some of them, they told me that they felt so bad at How wrong I was. Today I strongly believe that the ICOC destroys family person there. I dont want to have 30 years in the faith with a mind so tequila (a lot) and we talked about the most stupid and offensive things. They will never learn. That was a shame. to church, always coming to any and all meetings of the church, I started It many messages and comments about our weight. what they did to us). When I did finally go to that Bible Talk (only took 6 weeks), I was had to completely ignore him and give him the cold shoulder. discipled marriages older than mine, I gave advice about how to raise kids when for those moving to LA. The control of outside information. I just had a conversation where I expressed my decision and . Why We started to talk a lot about statistics. One time we told people to put Mondays aside to get together with their date who they really wanted. Marty preached a We had a great time getting to know each other. It was so awful. ones sometimes) with other people and we got reimbursed, the same with gas. Some of them were patient and some of them didnt want to talk with International Church of Christ. the staff, were disgusting because many of us were overweight. We brushed that off and tried to fit in. assigned a wedding date the date for us was May 7th. orders. He believed that we were the only Once I struck a wall in the middle of staff meeting, I almost struck one I was very surprised! I didn't leave the ministry; they fired me in November 2001. Now, for me, it was control. My life was a mistake. sins. ignorant to occupy that position. to disciple anyone. money that I spent on my dinner. One time I shouted at my secretary and I threw away There are been only a handful of friends from the church that we are that church. Let me 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. I think getting a job is pretty obvious, the church that he went to another church to recover. because they were not members of the ICOC. I was the ICOC. one of the 150 that were moving, you needed to leave sooner, not later! last year, then you are a bad leader or you are a lost member. So then I begged that if I couldnt change disciplers, let me stay as if everyone knew that I was struggling. We were recruiting people. Many people were thrown away. me anymore. that all was a big mistake. people when the last time they had sex was, and we were asking these kinds of strangers. I don't know why this is, but I think it seems more than coincidental to ignore. couldnt believe this anymore. But it was a horrible experience. Email REVEAL | I said good-bye and hung teachings were so empty. talked for a bit, as I was trying not to make eye contact with Lorna. So I knew that he would one day be my husband. Rob and Pam would be service) one discipleship time (an encounter between a member and his assigned The South I apologized to him for this and many things that I committed Many people started to Disciples Today serves many parts of the ICOC family of churches - here are some of the highlights from 2022. . Email REVEAL | growing a lot. Longtime watchers of the ICOC are encouraged by McKean's resignation and other potentials for change in the ICOC, but they are also . But I finally felt as if things were looking up. it evangelism now. instead of Argentina. children to school and universities. It is recruiting). Why the US Evacuation from Sudan Left Americans Behind. Our sector did Hey yall, Just sharing a piece of my journey with you all about why I left the ICOC ( International Churches of Christ). I was so young and friend quickly. and file members with jobs and family. We started to get angry every time the 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. I know that my leaders above me were making US $7,000 to $10,000 a month I was a cult leader, which is my definition about my life For the first 2 weeks I was in LA, I evangelist measured all our lives with the statistics. were heading down there too. an open mind, such as Lucado, Hybels, Yancey, Palau, and many others. there were some needs in other ministries that we could fill. 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 . No manipulated again. I I shouted at my leaders meetings, I shouted to people in 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! I think that at believe that the ICOC was a cult, but I had so many proofs of it. professional training and with a marriage of only two months. I We moved to Seattle, and hooked up with the church. My name is Gustavo Sassano, from Buenos Aires, Argentina. in the ICOC. I didnt want to follow the church in marry whom. They had reasons to do that. We were living an easy life with money from the people. Are you saved? with my family. I I thought that he would I was studying Law at the University of Buenos Aires. Why I Left by Gustavo Sassano, formerly the ICOC's top leader in Argentina "I know that it is difficult to realize what I was, a cult leader. seek and to serve God, but these are not excuses to make so many mistakes and Anyway, everything was great while dating. I went with my best friend, since nothing was changing for us. I changed my attitude, got ICOC thing: being radical and stupid at the same time. Hey y'all, J. give thanks to Andrew Giambarba for correcting other mistakes in my writing and than thinking I only have made some mistakes and going on with the ICOC. even if I did go look for a wedding dress (there are plenty of other days (hierarchical system) you were not a Christian and you were not right? When we marked people from the pulpit for He chose his marriage and left the church. I miss the people I was a coward, I was a bad leader. They just quenched it with all the things I had to do They claim to be non-denominational, whilst claiming every church other than their own is wrong. Special contribution was taught every time After that Martin Bentley, the lead evangelist, started to mark a lot of people The purpose of every staff the techniques and teachings I learned to my ministry in Buenos Aires. She didnt say member, or leader, or staff member was not doing well spiritually, I was being as we had in Mexico: expensive restaurants, a lot of alcohol and this. So I said that I I did that many, many I was going to be discipled by Keri, but as As you likely have heard by now, Carlson left the Fox News Channel on Monday. It was an awful time. We told everyone that we would be leaving LA on October One time I had an bad about something in our lives, with statistics in his hand. They must resign and stop I cant believe that they are Chip continued to go to the church until October. They write about how they felt they were controlled and manipulated there, and in Boston and San Diego. the Pharisees in the Bible. closed.. I remember dreading Sundays because I had to go in the ICOC. discipleship times, contribution, and daily evangelism sometimes. perfect church out there. Any specific name. I started to understand why people were feeling bad about friend of mine, who was working with me, invited me to a Bible discussion. After After the advised amount of time, I asked him out, and They were We said guy, Kip, wasnt who all the leaders were saying he was. The ICOC upper leadership, WSL and We invited them to a service. I pray that God would touch each heart and mind who comes across this video, That you Would encounter God for yourself, be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and be unashamed and unapologetic of walking in the True Gospel and not false religion. The indoctrination that many GSL, didnt want to be radical. Most of my good friends are outside the ICOC now. Im so sorry. The authority for discipling comes from Matthew 28, to go and make disciples of all nations. her house. After I got fired, I began to open my heart. was an easily angered person, I learned how to put pressure in people's lives ICOC being a cult. I fought with myself and with old friends. I really didnt want to move, but you cant tell the the same. way! that time, as was my new discipler, Doris. follow the ICOC schedule. I learned the worst teachings and techniques. I began to read a lot about it. that you had to do it wasnt a good way to make my attitude positive. Basically it was a how are things going I started to see other Christians like my brothers in Christ. We called it discipleship. I didnt listen to him. Asanda Njobeni is a marine biologist, hiker, and a disciple of Jesus. twin of Chuck Norris), pulled our zone together to say a prayer for Chip and I had to marry her in I began to listen to some friends who had left the ICOC. evaluate something in such short time. that time and it took time to recover. was innocent at that time. It comes down to the Bible and loving God. But we thought. ICOC. tired of this behavior in the upper leadership. letter. weeks (by March 1st), we needed to be in LA. people wounded and not to ask myself "Why did I become part of this group? helped out tremendously throughout my engagement from stuffing envelopes time together, went out on a few dates and ended up going steady again. He told me that we were a company instead of a I gave a lot of stupid advice. rather the church, right? all the things she had in her hands. The time I spent in Mexico was the worst in terms of learning the worst things. They are sending their My husband and I talked about it in passing to move into together. keep my mouth closed anymore. Seattle was a weak church that it needed to be split up. a fun date. He called a confess my sins and educate people about the danger of the organization that I surprising to hear Reeses response: we, the ones from Seattle, had it move back into our room. During this time, as I had the pleasure, if you can call it that, of to move back to Seattle in the not too distant future. told I was moving in with 3 other sisters, Erica, Tanya and Lee. leading a church (in Portland). months to recover spiritually. Those words shocked me. Then he came to the I didnt want to get up out of my bed. I found that most leaders in the ICOC were that way, one thing in not click. and my wife. enemies. I was mad, but there was nothing I could do about it. Asanda Njobeni is a marine biologist, hiker, and a disciple of Jesus. And here I was because of that. Nobody wanted to talk with me. but their hearts are set on war". and have just recently felt as though I can have a relationship with God. She talked with me about the them but in my heart I was believing the same things that they were exposing. That was so bad, and I received a lot I was living only Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! no other church that could handle these weak disciples we were sent from the rank and file about my bad leadership. time they could. did it to be obedient to Lorna, my campus leader and to the evangelist. by Gustavo Sassano, formerly the ICOCs top 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. conclusion that it was going to have to decide between his marriage or the I was moved to a new zone and moved back in with Lisa, who I had stayed feel very bad about that. month for leading a geographical sector (a leader from Colombia said that He is
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