A "Portland Report" According to My Convictions

Kip McKean sharing at the Jubilee

This is what happens when leaders of a church lead out of sentimentality or fear of men rather than the fear of God! Some think that we should say nothing, for in their minds to address these issues would be unwholesome (harmful). I say that the unwholesome thing is to date or marry non-Christians in the first place, and to say nothing about it is unwholesome! If calling out sin is unwholesome talk, then Jeremiah and the other prophets would not be able to speak, and most of all, Jesus himself would be labeled as unwholesome and slanderous because the things He said were offensive to many and made many furious. "When Jesus left there, the Pharisees...began to oppose Him fiercely....waiting to catch Him in something He might say." (Luke 11:53-54)

In Revelation 3:14-20, out of love, Jesus rebukes the church in Laodicea for their lukewarmness. If someone believes that I'm lukewarm, I hope they love me enough to tell me. If they think I'm lukewarm and I'm not, what's the worst that could happen? My feelings could get hurt, or I could be offended. But if I am lukewarm and they say nothing, what's the worst? I could go to hell! I have been deeply saddened during some of the conversations I have had with current key ICOC leaders. In these very frank discussions, they have said things about the condition of ICOC churches that Kip has bravely written about publicly, such as calling most ICOC churches "lukewarm", and yet they flatter one another publicly. They falsely call Kip's words "unwholesome talk," but I think Jesus would call their words hypocritical!

2. Why did so many people leave the Portland Church after the mission team to Los Angeles was sent out in Spring of 2007? (And why are they still leaving?)

DC Mission Team!

Last year in October 2007, Theresa and I flew to Portland out of love for the Johnsons and the Portland Church. We had been hearing concerning reports from some of our friends who were members of the Portland congregation, and we wanted to talk to Steve and Lisa as friends and hear their side of things. I begged Steve to engage with the great guys that Kip raised up and left in Portland. I told Steve that if he didn't, he was going to lose them. Steve told me that he was a couple of years away from his "A game" and if he was going to lose them, he was going to lose them. Doug implies that all those people left Portland because they were recruited. But why would people leave, if they were in an awesome situation? Could it be that Steve's leadership and the overall direction of the church had something to do with why these people left? Here are some of the incredible disciples that remained in Portland after the City of Angels Church was planted, and yet later left to join the growing number of congregations in the new movement:

DJ Comisford Preaching at the Inagural Service of NY!

The fact is that in the Fall of 2005, many ICOC leaders signed letters against Kip primarily to build a hedge around their fellowships so that their people would not leave and join Kip's efforts as clearly a new movement was emerging. Yet, didn't hundreds of people feel similarly and therefore leave Mainline Churches to form the base of the Boston Movement during the 1980s? As church leaders we have no control over people who are unhappy with our leadership and choose to go elsewhere. I believe that Southwest Airlines said it best, "You are free to move about the country."

Again I ask, why would so many people leave Portland, if they were in an awesome situation? In fact, if you are in a situation like that then stay there. Otherwise, pray and weigh all sides. Come and see! Then pick a team and get busy! We are confident that as we "fix our eyes on Jesus" and continue with the work of the Lord (there's more than enough to do in every city) God will bless the work of our hands
There is one more thing that we need to clear up!
Doug states that .... "In September 2006 Kip made a decision to break all ties with his former fellowship, the International Churches of Christ, and start his new 'Sold-out Disciples Movement'."

It is clearly documented that Kip was disfellowshipped for refusing to "repent", or as we see it, "change" and compromise his convictions about central leadership, his 30 year stand against autonomy and the dream of evangelizing the world in our generation. When I moved to Chicago, I called Steve Staten to see if we could meet. Steve checked with the other Chicago Church of Christ leaders and then told me that there would be no meeting. As long as I was in fellowship with Brother McKean (whom Steve Staten and others had disfellowshipped), they would not be willing to meet with me. Doug, can you honestly say that we broke all ties? You state that Portland in May 2007 sent its "best and brightest" to LA on the mission team and yet Peter Garcia of the LA ICOC called them a "movement of Satan" when they landed there. Which is it? Is it "best and brightest" or Satanic threat? Are they the "best and brightest" if in the ICOC and a Satanic threat if in the ICC? And is "Brother McKean" a brother or not? Kip still continues to baptize hundreds, and raise up evangelists to plant churches. Could it be, like the Pharisees who called Jesus, "Beelzebub," the ICOC is similarly accusing Kip? (Luke 11:15)

In Doug's article, not only did it say Kip took all of the "best and brightest," but it inferred that he left town with all the money, too! Steve Johnson wrote an article to the Portland Church on March 16, 2008 that stated, "Last year this congregation did an incredible thing and raised over $150,000 to send Kip, Elena and 40 other brothers and sisters to begin a new work in Los Angeles. We can all be thankful to have been allowed to share in this good work by supporting it with our money and our prayers." In September 2007, just four months after the City of Angels Church was planted in LA, Kip sensed that Steve was feeling burdened about the financial picture in Portland. Therefore, he told Steve to keep $20,000 of the $150,000 and to no longer pay for the McKean's health insurance or retirement plan (of which they still have none to this day). Kip did this so that Steve could afford to hire Buzz and Anita Banadyga, believing that Buzz would provide an evangelistic lift to Portland and Anita, Lisa's mom, would strengthen Lisa by being at her side. Now that's the kind of teamwork it's going to take if we are going to meet each other's needs as well as the needs of billions of lost people all over the world.

Kacie Singing "Change" at NY Inagural Service

Finally, I'm not in the new movement for relationships, but convictions! Joshua and Caleb didn't become partners because they were buddies and liked each other, but because of their faith and deep convictions. They didn't condemn the other 10 leaders because they didn't like them, but because of their lack of faith and lack of godly conviction. When Steve spoke at the leadership conference in Seattle in 2005, He said "I won't go to any party my friend Kip isn't invited to." What a friend!!! Talk about going out on a limb for someone. What Steve did was both bold and loyal and yet I don't believe that Steve was EVER in the new movement because of shared convictions, but rather because of his friendship with Kip. Similarly, I believe many remain in the ICOC not because of common convictions, but simply because of friendship. Let me reiterate, I am not in the new movement because of relationships. My closest friends were in the ICOC and I cherish those relationships to this day, but I am in the new movement because of "my convictions". I believe that what we are doing is of God and that a movement is necessary. The ICOC has lost thousands in the past five years. There is no longer geographic expansion or incredible numbers being baptized. One has to question whether it is a movement or merely a fellowship. The ICOC's own numbers dictate a growth rate similar to the Mainline Church of Christ in 1979 (when the Spirit through Kip initiated the Boston Movement). At that time, everyone, like Tom Jones, agreed that the Mainline Church was disappointingly lukewarm. The average Mainline Church in 1979 was 150 members with only eight baptisms a year, six of them were children of the members. Since 1979, Kip has kept his Biblical convictions. I hold to these same convictions, which is why we are "partners in the gospel".

Now, let us consider the recent church planting in New York City sent out by the City of Angels Church. There are 20 million people in that city. Even if there are a million that are already saved (and I'm not saying there are even that many) that would leave 19 million lost people! Is there no room for more workers in the vineyard? On September 14, the mission team of 20 had 78 at their inaugural service! Theresa and I were able to attend the Washington DC inaugural on that same day. The DC Mission Team, sent primarily from the Central New York Church, also of the Sold-out Movement, had 134 in attendance and saw four added to their number that day (one baptism, one restoration and two placing membership)! Our churches need to be shaken up rather than to drift into lukewarmness and stagnation. Amazingly, in less than two years, the Spirit has propelled the now 32 churches of the Sold-out Discipling Movement into 13 nations! We wholeheartedly believe that through God's power we will evangelize the world in this generation.

As Paul rebuked Peter, let this letter be a rebuke to every ICOC leader who has sinfully grumbled against Kip and unbiblically disfellowshipped him and the hundreds of us who share his courageous vision and Biblical convictions. I am especially disappointed in those leaders who didn't even know Kip personally and yet signed letters against him simply because they were told to by those who were in authority over them. I would be ashamed to have done such a thing! Finally, it must be noted that as Jesus called for us "to turn the other cheek" neither Kip nor any in our family of churches has disfellowshipped anyone in the ICOC leadership for their differing views, as we consider them brothers.

Whether our convictions resonate with many or few - whether we are in the majority or the minority doesn't matter. What matters is whether we are faithful and able to elicit God's favor by showing our love for Him as we obey His commands. So, if you desire to be in a movement of God where every member is called to be in a discipling relationship and the vision to evangelize the world in a generation is held high, then come visit and if you see the church of the Bible coming alive, join us!

Chris Broom

Chicago International Christian Church