International Church of Christ /
International Christian Church

Other Main Names:

• Auckland International Christian Church
• Central Auckland Church of Christ
• Christchurch Church of Christ
• SoldOut Movement

• Kip McKean (founder)

Names not in italics are associated with the International Church of Christ.
Names in italic are names are associated with the International Christian Church.

Overview

The Boston Movement, aka International Church of Christ (ICOC), is a cult founded by Kip McKean in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, which normally appears very like an ordinary church, except that there is never any instrumental accompaniment to singing. This has changed with the International Christian Church.

The main danger with this group are their mind control practices. Members are characterised by their enthusiasm and apparently endless energy.

The group has been called "the new Moonies" by the Moonies themselves (a cult group that is reknown for its mind control), and have also been likened to a combine harvester moving through the Christian church – taking in Christians (especially tertiary students), chewing them up, and spitting them out, leaving their faith destroyed. Very often people who have left this group do not rejoin the mainstream Christian church, because of the damage done.

Worldwide, a quarter of a million people have left the cult (including those kicked out for questioning).

From 2001 to 2005 the International Church of Christ faced massive internal changes that might have resulted in the "cult" designation being changed, but it is unclear how overseas leadership changes have affected the ICC in New Zealand.

The International Christian Church is a newer but very similar group directly descended from the ICOC, and also founded by Kip McKean, in Portland, Oregon, USA, in 2006. It has a branch in Auckland, the Auckland International Christian Church. The cult continues most of the practices of the earlier International Churches of Christ, in particular drawing in young people searching for meaning in their lives.

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