Thomas "Kip" McKean (born May 31, 1954) is an Christian preacher. He is an ex-minister of the International Churches of Christ. He is currently the minister of the City of Angels International Christian Church and head of the International Christian Churches organization, also known as the "Portland/Sold-Out Discipling Movement".^[1]

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 Women's’ Ministry Leader in the City of Angels International Christian Church. They have three children, Olivia, Sean and Eric.^[2]

McKean was baptized into 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 moved on to other congregations. McKean became head of the Lexington (Massachusetts) Church of Christ in 1979 and carried on Lucas' brand of church ministry that focused on evangelism. The church grew rapidly and soon became the Boston Church of Christ.

Later they were disfellowshiped by the Crossroads 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.

They were not long later disfellowshiped from the mainline churches of christ. 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.^[3]

In 2001, after much internal questioning of his leadership and following a fallout from both outside the International Churches of Christ and within it regarding the way church leaders maintained control over their congregations using often abusive and controlling methods to keep rank and file members in line, 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.^[4]

A year later in 2003, they moved to Portland, Oregon to lead the Portland International Church of Christ. In 2005 the majority of International Churches of Christ disfellowshiped the Mckeans. Since 2005, the congregations under Kip McKean's leadership have been considered separate from other International Church of Christ congregations and they have shown a tendency to call their organization within a city "International Christian Church".^[5] This group under Kip McKean's influence has been called the "Portland/Sold-Out Discipling Movement". In 2007, McKean moved to Los Angeles to lead a congregation of his new movement known as the City of Angels International Christian Church.^[6]

In August 2008, the Portland church disfellowshiped or broke away from McKean's "new movement" and "extended the hand of fellowship" to the ICOC.^[7]

Kip Mckean wrote: "Upon our leaving to plant the City of Angels Church, the leadership of the Portland ICOC slowly drifted to a more mainline theology that included autonomy. Unsuccessfully confronting them were Tony & Therese Untalan and Michael & Michele Williamson, who then moved to be with us in LA. Soon after the 2008 Jubilee, the Portland ICOC leadership formally renounced being in the new movement. Consequently, scores fled to several churches in the new movement. Yet, others who believed in the dream could not move. So, from the influence of Jeremy and Amy Ciaramella of Eugene, as well as our visit, there are now 41 disciples (25 English, 16 Latin) in the Portland Remnant Group! Today, from the City of Angels Church, we will be sending out the Portland Mission Team to join these noble hearted disciples. On the team from Los Angeles are Ron and Tracy Harding, who will lead the new Portland International Christian Church, and Gordo Esparza. Joining the team from Phoenix are Marcel Turner and Janelle Rushen, and from Eugene are JB Firman and Whitney DiLoreto. The Portland ICOC, which was once the fire igniting a revival that glowed around the globe, now only has around 200 members remaining." ^[8]

The difference between Kip Mckeans' convictions and the former churches of Christ and former International Churches of Christ is simple. It's all it one word, "autonomy."

The key difference from the International Christian Church (ICC) and the International Church of Christ (ICOC) is there conviction on leadership.

ICOCs believe that each congregation should be alone and separate to work alone with out being influenced in a leadership manner. A concept known as autonomy, hyper autonomy, independence, or being a loner.

While International Christian Churches believe that the only way to accomplish the will of God is to be completely unified and organized and a brotherhood that completely works together with out any form of autonomy. They believe in pulling their resources as a combined effort and in key church leaders being accountable by other key church leaders to make sure they are leading in a honorable way that honors God.

Five Year Plan was initiated at the 2008 World Missions Jubilee in Los Angeles by Kip Mckean. It's a plan for new church plantings.

2009

“New Hope” led by the Bordier is (2% of plantings’ weekly contribution will support this worldwide charity.)

2010 - London (12 million/ 180,000 students) – Michael & Michele Williamson

Miami (4 million/ 80,000 students) – Raul and Lynda Moreno / Ken & Liliana Zindler

India (A full time couple selected to lead India, funded by the plantings.)

2011

Johannesburg (5 million/ 100,000 students) – Chris Van Staden

Mexico City (25 million/ 300,000 students) – Vic & Aurora Gonzalez

2012

Paris (10 million/ 300,000 students) – Tim & Lianne Kernan

2013

Hong Kong (7 million/ 150,000 students) – Mike Underhill

• International Christian Church
• Churches of Christ
• International Churches of Christ

• KipMcKean.org, Official Website of Kip McKean
• City of Angels International Christian Church, currently led by Kip McKean
• CAICC Movement, directory

• 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" Organization, 1996-2006 a small group and website
• 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”