Part of a series on
Christianity
Jesus Christ Nativity Baptism Ministry Crucifixion Resurrection Ascension
Bible Foundations Old Testament New Testament Gospel Canon Church Creed New Covenant
Theology God Trinity Father Son Holy Spirit Apologetics Baptism Christology History of theology Mission Salvation Universalism
History Tradition Apostles Peter Paul Mary Early Christianity Church Fathers Constantine Councils Augustine Ignatius East–West Schism Crusades Aquinas Reformation Luther
Denominations (full list) Nicene Catholic Latin Eastern Old Catholic Palmarian Catholic Independent Catholic Sedevacantism Eastern Orthodox Oriental Orthodox Church of the East Protestant Adventist Anabaptist Anglican Baptist Free Evangelical Lutheran Methodist Moravian [Hussite] Pentecostal Plymouth Brethren Quaker Reformed United Protestant Waldensian Nondenominational Christianity Restorationist Christadelphians Iglesia ni Cristo Irvingians Jehovah's Witnesses Latter Day Saints Members Church of God International The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The New Church (Swedenborgian) Unitarians and Universalists
Related topics Civilization Criticism Culture Ecumenism Glossary Index Liturgy Other religions Prayer Sermon Symbolism Worship
Glossary Index Outline  Christianity portal

Thomas "Kip" McKean (born May 31, 1954) is a Christian preacher, religion reformer, a formerly influential leader in the International Churches of Christ. Currently he is the minister of the City of Angels International Christian Church and the "International Christian Churches" organization. It has also been called the Portland International Church of Christ, or Portland Movement

The son of an admiral, McKean was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is purportedly named after his ancestor Thomas McKean, signer of the Declaration of Independence.

McKean married Havana-born Elena Garcia-Bengochea on December 11, 1976. She is presently the Womens’ Ministry Leader in the City of Angels International Christian Church. They have three children, Olivia, Sean and Eric. ^[1]

McKean was baptized as a Christian in 1972 while a freshman at the University of Florida in Gainesville. His mentor, Charles H. "Chuck" Lucas, was the evangelist of the 14th Street Church of Christ, part of the mainstream Churches of Christ, a 19th Century movement with aspirations toward a return to "First Century Christianity" as practiced in the New Testament. The church moved into a larger building with a new name, the Crossroads Church of Christ, and, through an aggressive student-based evangelism program Lucas had established, they made many new converts (along with a number of community and campus detractors) as its membership quickly grew. In 1975, McKean left Gainesville as part of a campus ministry program called "Campus Advance". Two years later, at the Memorial Drive Church of Christ in Tulsa, OK, McKean lost financial (and church eldership) support and he moved on to other congregations. After a few years in the wilderness as he tried to expand the scope of campus evangelism while introducing a youthful, evangelical enthusiasm to the ministerial programs of the mainstream Churches of Christ to which he was sent, McKean became head of the Lexington (Massachusetts) Church of Christ in 1979 and carried on Lucas' brand of church ministry that focused on evangelism but with a style (and a little tweaking) all his own. The church grew rapidly and soon became the Boston Church of Christ. The Boston church then expanded its influence among other Churches of Christ, becoming known as "the Boston Movement" and, eventually, the International Churches of Christ, with McKean and his wife Elena considered the highest authority within the hierarchy of the movement. In 1990, the McKeans moved to Los Angeles to lead the Los Angeles Church of Christ, where they presided over the rapid growth of the ICOC throughout the 1990s. ^[2]

In 2001, after much internal questioning of his leadership and following a fallout from both outside the Church and within it regarding many leaders,' purportedly well-meaning but often intrusive and controlling methods of "discipling the body of Christ", Kip McKean announced that he was taking a sabbatical to focus on "marriage and family issues." In 2002, the McKeans announced their resignations as head of the Los Angeles church. ^[3]

A year later in 2003 they moved to Portland, Oregon to lead the Portland International Church of Christ.The movement's headquarters were later established in Portland, and the title International Christian Churches was formalized there in 2005 after becoming a denomational centralized structure. And in 2007 moved to Los Angeles to lead a planting of his new movement. Since 2005 Kip McKean is considered separate from Reformed & Progressive ICOC congregations and have shown a tendency to call their organization within a city "International Christian Church" ^[4] to differentiate them from the "original" or reformed International Church of Christ. ^[5]

McKean was a figure in Steven Hassan's popular book on cults, "Combatting Cult Mind Control". Many former members of McKean's churches claim they were manipulated to give money. Nevertheless, McKean's churches, characterized mostly by young college students, continues to grow as new members are baptized. McKean continues to be a controversial figure within the Mainline Church of Christ.

• Church of Christ
• International Churches of Christ
• List of famous people with Restoration Movement ties
• Fundamentalism

• KipMcKean.org Official Website of Kip McKean
• City of Angels International Christian Church,"Portland movement" currently led by Kip McKean.
• Portland movement directory

• Kip McKean Starts The "International Christian Churches"
• International Churches of Christ "Brothers Letter" To Kip McKean (Brothers - "Marking Letter by 84 ICOC church leaders" worldwide) October 14, 2005 ICC Divides: Core Separating from Kip McKean Faction
• Brothers' Statement to Kip McKean 2005
• Phoenix Letter 2005 Response to the Starting of a New Church in Phoenix
• LA letter in 2006 An Open Letter To The Los Angeles Church From the Elders and Evangelists of the Los Angeles International Church of Christ - When Kip McKean Starting of a New Church in Los Angeles

• KipMcKean.com Information about Kip McKean. Contains quotes, audio files and documented information
• tolc.org 2001-2003 articles from Ayman Akshar, 1959-2002 (the founder and former leader of "TOLC" )
• "Reveal.org" 1996-2006 An Organization and website by Catherine Hamptonwho is today an Eastern Orthodox Church member and Michelle Campbell (who is a Member of Abundant Life Christian Fellowship in Mtn. View, CA and pursuing a career in law) to contribute to former members
• Honest to God: Revolution Through Repentance and Freedom in Christ By an ICOC leader Henry Kriete February 2, 2003
• Commentary Blogspot Commentary by Sarel de Wet (a former member) mainly on the Portland Intl. Church of Christ and Kip McKean.
• What is McKeanism? A summary of characteristics that illustrate “McKeanism”

Kip McKean