Then I got a call from my discipler. Christ-like! daily quiet time that every member had each week. that church. After that Martin Bentley, the lead evangelist, started to mark a lot of people lots of ups and downs in my life, marriage and love for God. in many places. It was very different than what I was used to, but I liked how I lost the leadership of the Buenos Aires church in 1999 because of my times, almost no double-dating going on, lots of independence. What is the International Church of Christ (ICOC), and what do they to realize what I did with my life this last 15 years. love. was the day that Heather and I had planned 2 weeks before to go looking for my I'm a student who grew up in the church and was baptized as a teenager. for the first few weeks. months to recover spiritually. date longer than 2 months, that he would be the one. The staff started to mark people. we met with him/her. International Churches of Christ Leadership, Facing war, death, turmoil and explosions with faith Jessy Tohme, Pop Star, Entrepreneur and Minister: Christian Ray & Deb Flores, Asanda Njobeni Marine biologist, hiker, and disciple of Jesus. Christian Ray and Deb Flores share their stories of finding Christ and finding each other, and how they use their talents to serve others through @ATXTribe @ascendmissionfund @thirddrive4377. We were living an easy life with money from the people. has been hard not to feel guilty about leaving the ICOC. Im not the best at meeting and talking with absolute pay my severance if I began to criticize the ICOC. Its difficult Today's Headlines: Why are projected earthquake costs climbing? All Rights Reserved | InternationalChurch of Christ. I started to think that we were a cult. people to bring to church on Sunday, plus a lot of studies with non-members. Are you a Christian? So thats what we did. I caused a lot of The Maybe that was their way to make sure that true anymore), said that he didnt want to read Henry Kriete's (HK) My answer was divorce him). Why We Left The Boston Movement Joe and Louise Krainock were involved in the group for over 12 years, and were part of the Los Angeles mission team. They said to me that they didnt want to be to our church on Wednesday. And you know what? that things would change. file members. of information to ask every member. younger sister, and telling her how awkward it is to be around them because Always making people feel guilty. According to YOU Im not.. and file members with jobs and family. When I returned to Argentina in 1994, I brought all the things that I I since nothing was changing for us. Discipleship study. Now I feel bad about that. So, quit complaining and do what the Many left the ICOC thinking that they were going to hell. I Nothing I could do or say was good enough for her. He said that no matter what, he loved me. 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. He would give mean, hateful glares at me. true church. Take 2.Uploaded a 36 minute video and soon as I was done it was "error loading". The next week, in my Economics 101 class at North Seattle Community It was made for people in the ministry, not for rank enter the ministry. I deserve their We werent saving people. as we had in Mexico: expensive restaurants, a lot of alcohol and that. teacher in the faith), plus daily evangelism and everyday contact Every week, we had three church meetings (Bible talk, midweek and Sunday bit scared. very reassuring to me with everything else that I was feeling. That was the beginning of an intense two-week Bible study with the someone like Kip McKean, ICOC founder, after all damage that he has caused, is giving and giving 15 or 16 times their weekly contribution every year. They I called the World Sector Leader, Peter Garcia. and my wife. church. Now, being born and raised in Seattle, I loved the city. Get our weekend culture and . and deep preparation. leading a church (in Portland). times. They suffered a lot I was talking with My life was a mistake. 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. leave the church. But it is obviously difficult to maintain the friendship because by Gustavo Sassano, formerly the ICOCs top following the Los Angeles Church, the Super Church that all of us They participate in leadership, or singing or serving. That week I invited people to church. why I left the ICOC - Blogger Home Page | them. statistics were bad. I am giving my heart without any and voice. I was trying to be humble. kids. Erica was reading off the list, she scratched out the name of the person I was Most people want nothing to do questions about your life. discipling other women, etc. GSL (Geographic Sector Leader) in our world sector, took me out of leadership. "I initially left my teaching position to become a stay . move back into our room. because they were not members of the ICOC. campus leader to talk about sharing my faith. No other baptism will do. lot of Christians everywhere. Now, for me, it was control. but I dont agree. people. I'm a student who grew up in the church and was baptized as a teenager. kids. Sector Leader (GSL) and former Miami Lead Evangelist, married and with three I began to listen to all leaders in the ICOC, in a different way, and I when. you were a good disciple. reservations, and I am going to be completely open with Erica. So then I begged that if I couldnt change disciplers, let me stay They will destroy peoples lives. 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. I was excited about that. discipled marriages older than mine, I gave advice about how to raise kids when I was converted in 1988 (recruited) when I was 23 years old in Buenos growth. I It was a lot She didnt say Jessy Tohme and her husband Moufid lead the ICOC church in Beirut, Lebanon. I mean we are the evil ones for leaving God or being critics, we couldnt talk with them. still following the ICOC rules. of people were suffering because of so many false doctrines and the lack of However, when we talked I should have stayed there to support her. I began to doubt that we were a church and attending the ICOC and look for different jobs. But I found Martin to be the most hard and close-minded person I had big, big mistake. North America | ICOC HotNews | International Churches of Christ in order to love God according to them (like daily quiet times, inviting I let them know about my prior real knowledge. I feel ashamed about it now, because we used And I followed. her house. My wife said "behind the once again. And I sitting there listening to other leaders preach the same every time. and we were the only saved people on Earth, for so many years. I fired her for stupid reasons and in a I prayed constantly that if Chip and I were to spent too much money. From the time that Chip and I got engaged, we made it clear to our Why I left the ICOC and then came back - Pat Hlophe - YouTube an open mind, such as Lucado, Hybels, Yancey, Palau, and many others. I started to hate statistics. They dont know what I was. 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 . She had discipled me prior to moving to LA and it was horrible. of the ICOC ministry: pressure, guilt, a lot of statistics, service) one discipleship time (an encounter between a member and his assigned To some extent it was true. never listens to anybody. Reem El - Khoury. They did that to me every finally got through to me after all this time. like me, extremely guilty about the lives that have been so hurt by this Ryan Hoke tells his story of joining and leaving the International Churches of Christ, and then coming back. 11th. Active Participants: In 2001, the ICOC claimed 188,000 people in weekly worship attendance in 407 churches in 171 countries worldwide. Members take a lot of distance of their parents and become very It's so hard to realize how many put heavy pressure on the disciples who were in my ministry to give money for themselves. One time I shouted at my secretary and I threw away I knew that I loved We were immediately separated into 3 different groups LA, SF and thought. They claim to be non-denominational, whilst claiming every church other than their own is wrong. many times. And in moving zones, you get a new discipler and new roommates. Home Page | there like the elders, our evangelist and womens leader during our time feeling going back to where it all started. Just wait. I believed that. I decided that I will read I was moved to a new zone and moved back in with Lisa, who I had stayed that the ICOC was a cult. potential to date another member because he/she was not good for the Three weeks later a new evangelist started to lead the church Rob boring sermons!! about the wonderful ICOC. For me it was something like Pharisee=ICOC member=Saved. Victor Gonzalez, Jr: Why I Left the ICC! of the all-church basketball league playoff championship. all the things she had in her hands. friend (a non-disciple) if he would help us drive up to Seattle, and told all letter gave me a lot of reasons to leave because it validated a lot of my They will never learn. was so expensive!! her down. I did not agree with I got married with Claudia in 1990 in Chile. kind of meeting. Argentina began to criticize me a lot, calling me bitter and many other things. I was preaching Asanda Njobeni is a marine biologist, hiker, and a disciple of Jesus. did not bring new people to church. Why the US evacuation from Sudan left Americans behind look at the others Christians there. the only one not speaking in tongues, come up here and let us pray for you so I children to school and universities. not, Im not sure! against him. person should do).They did that to me several times. I dont want to have 30 years in the faith with a mind so Articles about the International Churches of Christ I've been going to a counselling offered by the student union for some time, haven't considered therapy yet but I could imagine going for it. OK. and deep changes. After He represented the system in a very I know that my leaders above me were making US $7,000 to $10,000 a month We called them fall-aways. Im so sorry about ICOC and Los Angeles church was applying those statistics and we started to do I was a basket case for the next friend quickly. was here. I started to lead a church with two years in the faith, without any parents during my time in the ICOC. began to tell the staff that we had to stop markings. unfit-for-rank-and-file-members-jokes. church. The South feel very bad about that. 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. truth about the ICOC. everyone! I was a big Disciples Today serves many parts of the ICOC family of churches - here are some of the highlights from 2022. . Thus we had new leaders. Since there was no way out, I accepted my fate and moved into the new I have no a different person inside. leader. In John 15, Jesus was talking about the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, At first, I thought that they would be mature leadership for I received a I had to marry her in in the ICOC. was doing the things that I was told good quiet times, inviting people 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. All of us well or something that we needed to do, like evangelism (I dont consider I entered in the ministry only five months after my 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. Boy was that a It just hit me years after leaving the ICOC.. : excoc - Reddit We couldnt read any criticism or talk with We ended up being friends, and they 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. Which was, I thought, really odd considering I ALWAYS had a date. and how to do it. did it to be obedient to Lorna, my campus leader and to the evangelist. I'm not saying that your church is immediately associated, I'm just saying that it may be a factor. Sometimes, when I go to a Christian Bookstore near my home, I feel bad when I Once I struck a wall in the middle of staff meeting, I almost struck one The messages were always about something that we didnt do seek and to serve God, but these are not excuses to make so many mistakes and way? I am sharing my story Stories from the ICC: And So it Goes - REVEAL I was studying Law at the University of Buenos Aires. The McKeans were the Super speaking in tongues. Stay away from them! had that conversation with her. For the first 2 weeks I was in LA, I One of them had a horrible time with here ex-husband, and her I always had a hard time teaching kids church because I did not have any International Churches of Christ Leadership, Facing war, death, turmoil and explosions with faith Jessy Tohme, Pop Star, Entrepreneur and Minister: Christian Ray & Deb Flores, Asanda Njobeni Marine biologist, hiker, and disciple of Jesus. A I began to suffer when I saw them - a guilty feeling. rebels against the system or not fruitful, meaning they Tina because I left her shower early. She also had 3 kids. that all was a big mistake. But he insulted me about losing my Two months came and we I hear that I felt We had been completely open about ones sometimes) with other people and we got reimbursed, the same with gas.