We have presently in our congregation a couple who have come out of the thing called the International Church of Christ (formerly and sometimes known as the Boston Church of Christ). This couple, and literally every other person that I have personally known who has left that movement, have suffered a great deal of spiritual abuse at the movements hands, with the "super-discipling-authority" approach.

Question: Have you had fallouts from the movement come to you for help? How have you been able to minister to them?

-- Anonymous, November 01, 1999

Answers

We have a lady in the church whose grandson was heavily involved with the ICoC. He has left, but currently will not attend ANY church, and seems to have no trust for any kind of redeeming fellowship

-- Anonymous, November 01, 1999

Just in the past several weeks our congregation has had a military family attend that has recently been transferred here. The last church they attended was an ICoC. This was the first time I had heard of the ICoC. Our preacher recognized who the group was under their old name the Boston CoC.

I did some research on the web, and found a site called...

REVEAL: Research-Examine-Verify-Educate-Assist-Liberate An Organization of Former Members of the International Churches of Christ (ICC) (ICOC), Boston Church of Christ/"Boston Movement", and Crossroads Church of Christ/"Crossroads Movement"

Their address is www.reveal.org

There are many on the site who offer counseling for former members through phone, email, and meetings. Hope this helps.

In our present situation we do not know if any abuse took place, but I am at this time befriending the wife and would appreciate any advice you could give me from your personal experience Brother Loveall.

-- Anonymous, November 01, 1999

We have had dealings with this group through one family. They, in fact, were led away from our family by this group in the first place. They were drawn by the attention that they initially recieved. They thought that this group was genuinely interested in their spiritual well being. They were constantly called on, visited with and actively discipled. (which in itself is not a bad thing - infact, we might learn something from it)

They later came to realize that it was the attention that they were craving. This group gave them that attention. (at the beginning) After about a year, the attention turned to abuse. Instead of being taken care of, they were taken in. They were hounded to spend every dollar and wakeing minute at the whim of this group. They were demanded of and threatened if they did not comply. They came to realize that they were not serving God, but rather an institution.

They did come home, Praise God. They learned a very valuable lesson. They learned that the church was not meant to be a baby sitter to selfish people. They learned that the meaning for their life was found in serving God willingly and cheerfully. God desires obedience not sacrifice. The demands put upon them were done in a way as likened unto an oppressive governmental law. YOU MUST DO!!!!!!! GOD DEMANDS !!!!!!

They came to realize that serving God is a desire that comes from within because the heart is changed. Serving God is not an oppressive law put on one's back to burden their lives. Sound familiar?

I am so thankful that they have returned to their first love. To this day, they are more humble, more fervant and more faithful. I encourage all you folks to encourage your people that God can and will use all that we go through life, for His benefit and ours?

Dave

-- Anonymous, November 01, 1999

Wow, does this thread bring back some ministries?! Back in the mid 80s I was recruited heavily by the Crossroads/Boston movement. I was a fairly successful missionary/evangelist in Scotland and they were starting up the Central London Church. I met several times with their leaders and they even sent some of the team up to Scotland to see our work there. They were charming and pursuasive. I spoke with some of the non instrument churches there and they had a totally different view of the group. Even then they were calling them totalitarian and a cult. In the end, I obviously didn't join them. It was mainly due to the fact that they wanted me to go to Boston or London and start over. To assume that I knew nothing, and learn their ways. Red flags went up everywhere. I learned a lot about urgency from them and a great deal about boldness. But, in light of subsequent history, I'm glad I trusted the Holy Spirit's urging to be wary. Just thought I'd add my 2 cents.

Oh, Lee, thanks for including the web site information. I checked it out yesterday. Very interesting. Do you know how many of the people involved in the "deprograming" and care of former members are still active Christians. I got an uneasy feeling that the site was quite secular. Just curious.

-- Anonymous, November 02, 1999

Oops! That was supposed to be, "bring back some memories!" Well I guess it brings back some ministries, too. Or some ministry memories. Say that 3 times fast.

-- Anonymous, November 02, 1999

Sam,

Greetings! My name is Jeff and I am a campus minister at UCF. Concerning the "Reveal" site- even though I am quite appreciative for their insights against ICoC- I am afraid they go overboard. I have spent many hours reading through the "reveal" sites and others similar to it. Many do have a somewhat "secular" feel to them (and certainly does "reveal" as you mentioned). In fact, the reveal site takes some jabs at the Restoration movement that really are out of context and shows the ignorance of those who maintain the site toward the Restoration plea. Often, the restoration mov't is seen to be the dreaded means through which the ICoC was birthed and given its vitality. Though it is certainly true, that the Boston mov't can trace its origin to the Church of Christ, it is an inappropriate caricature of the Church of Christ (or at least hasty generalization) to say that the problems with ICoC are just a symptom of an earlier mindset (being that of Restoration thought). Anyway- I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir at this point. I have had a couple of students from ICoC visit our campus ministry, plus I'm working with one particular student who is sorta "out" of Boston presently. I have also visited a couple of ICoC's meetings with a couple of students. I have no doubt that we will over the years be getting some of the fall-out from them, so I have tried to glean what I can from them that is good. And there is quite a bit: some good study material (geared toward student outreaches), high emphasis upon counting the cost and discipling, for the most part- sound doctrine, quickly incorporating students talents and gifts into service, etc. Of course the biggest beef with Boston is that of methodology. Their authoritative structure all but quenches the working of the Spirit upon the individual life. They use the "guilt" trip instead of a "grace" emphasis. They don't allow one to grow in their faith- but force it on them- they beat these students up and teach them that they must serve Christ because they have to. We want to build these students up instead, and show them that they serve Christ because they get to! And to see what a privilage it is. To move them from a legalistic mindset of do's and don'ts to that of truly falling in love with the Savior. Anyway- forgive my hiatus here, but back to your original question, yes the "reveal" site has a very secular flavor to it, and I would add, a somewhat relativistic religious flavioring as well. I am just hoping that we can help win these guys sucked into Boston, by showing them that we can still count the cost, disciple each other, be doctrinally sound- but do so in a manner conducive to growth and not "burn-out." Thanks for listening to me ramble....

Jeff

-- Anonymous, November 02, 1999

I don't know about the "deprogramming" work that goes on through the Reveal site & don't have any idea how many former members are still active Christians...just happened to be looking to see what the ICoC taught, because of the contact we have with a new family in our congregation.

I read several of the personal testimonies on the site...whether they go "overboard" or not I don't know, as I know none of them personally. I guess you could contact the person directly through the site or email Jeff. There are probably many and varying experiences.

Thanks all for the insight!

-- Anonymous, November 02, 1999

My last church before moving to North Carolina was Northeast Church in Garland Texas. Northeast is now a two year old plant led by Ronnie Worsham, who was an ICoC leader at one point, even planting I believe the San Diego Church of Christ. Many years ago he and Kip McKean (the leader of the whole ICoC) had a falling out over many of the abusive practices and Ronnie left. Ronnie considers himself a member of the Restoration Movement at large, though he has tended toward Churches of Christ (acapella) until Northeast (Northeast musically mixes acapella and simple instrumental accompianment).

Anyway, I got a little off the point there, but still, probably some necessary background. There are actually a number of churches out there that have many of the commendable things about ICoC without the negative, controlling law-recreating elements. At NE, we had lots of former members of ICoC who had left Dallas-Fort Worth CoC, a ICoC church. Northeast appealed to them because it was what they were used to, without the abuse. Some of the people you might be trying to help might benefit from finding churchs like Northeast, led by former ICoCs with other recovering victims populated among the members (NE was probably about 5-10% former ICoC, maybe not even that many). I know our tendency is not to give up members to other churches, but pray about what really matters.

Northeast is in Garland TX, which is in the Dallas-Ft Worth metroplex. Another church have recovered ICoCers that could similarly help that I have come across is Meridan Woods Church of Christ in Tallahassee, FL (MW used to be Call Street, which was at one time caught up in what was then the Crossroads movement). In Gainesville, FL, there is also a congregation, but I forgot its name. It used to be Crossroads Church of Christ -- where the whole thing started! Crossroads leadership repented long ago for what they shared responsibility for starting, and they changed the congregation's name to allow themselves a chance at a fresh start. (History -- ICoC was the Boston movement, which had previously been the Crossroads Movement. Chuck Lucas, the college minister at Crossroads Church of Christ, started the practices which then became a movement (this is now the late '70s). In the '80s, a protege of Lucas, Kip McKean, brought the movement to Lexington Church of Christ in Boston. Lexington ended up being renamed Boston Church of Christ and the movement's center shifted to Boston, and Kip emerged as the new leader of it. In the 90s Kip moved the HQs to somewhere in California, declaring the whole structure/denomination to be called the "International Church of Christ". I'm leaving lots of details out.)

I don't know if there is a centralized website with such churches listed, but I would imagine Ronnie could help. He told me once that he regularly gets calls about people in the Dallas area for him to help, and he probably would know people and congregations in other cities experienced with helping ICoC victims. Ronnie's e-mail is rlworsham@juno.com.

-- Anonymous, November 12, 1999

<< My last church before moving to North Carolina was Northeast Church in Garland Texas. >>

Just a question on this sentence. What does *my last church..." mean? Is the *church* something that can be possessed?

-- Anonymous, November 13, 1999

Nelta,

Sorry, I thought I was using a term in common usage, even if it can be criticized for being literally inaccurate, like "I could care less" -- literally, that shows you care (and you could lower your care level), but in usage it means the opposite .

*My last church* simply refers to the last church that I served with before leaving. No one owns it, though a lot of people feel responsible for it, or at least to it.

-- Anonymous, November 15, 1999

Hey Sam,

It was good to see your name in this posting. Haven't heard from you for years. Glad to see your still in ministry.

Just two weeks ago, I was speaking with one of the couples in the church where I serve whose come out of the ICoC, and she said, "Do you realize that it's already been five years since we came here and you performed our wedding ceremony?"

We talked about how they'd been involved in the "Boston Movement" church in Columbia, SC; how they had dropped out of church completely when that place became very controlling and abusive; how frightened she was when she first began attending here; and how much they've grown and enjoy the freedom they now have in Christ (he teaches adult SS, she a women's Bible study, and both have leading roles in our Christmas musical).

The main thing I would suggest from my experience in dealing with a few of these spiritually-victimized folks is to resist their automatic tendency to seek your "spiritual guidance" on every matter, and to continue to demonstrate grace toward them. I recall how this couple particularly would come to me when unable to attend any event, and deeply apologize and begin to explain how they'd make it up to me. My tongue-in-cheek, with-a-big-smile response would be: "You weren't supposed to come to that anyway. I didn't want you to be there!"

I kind of fell into that answer when they really didn't belong at the event (something like, it was an event for young parents, and their children are all grown). After that it became a running joke, but one that I would expand on by reminding them that they did not relate to the Lord through me, that I was not watching their every move, and that even when they truly did something wrong, the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse.

So as emotionally-seductive as their upturned, expectant faces might be to you (as it is to me), resist the temptation to be their "Walkin' Talkin' Great Guide From God." That's how they're used to relating to Christian leaders, but it's obviously unhealthy for all of us to get into that triangle.

Hope this helps.

P.S. In case my name doesn't ring a bell, think St Louis Christian College.

-- Anonymous, November 30, 1999