Kip McKean
Personal details
Born	(1954-05-31) May 31, 1954 (age 70) Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Spouse	Elena Garcia-Bengochea
Children	Olivia, Sean, Eric
Education	University of Florida
Occupation	Minister
Website	www.kipmckean.org

Thomas Wayne McKean II (born May 31, 1954) (aka Kip) is a former minister of the International Churches of Christ, and is a current minister of the City of Angels International Christian Church and World Missions Evangelist of the International Christian Churches, also known as the "Portland/Sold-Out Discipling Movement".^[1]

The son of a US Navy Officer, McKean was born in Indianapolis, Indiana.^[2] McKean married Havana-born Elena Garcia-Bengochea on December 11, 1976. She is presently a Women's’ Ministry Leader in the City of Angels International Christian Church. They have three children, Olivia, Sean and Eric.

McKean was baptized 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 at the time. Later, the church moved into a larger building with a new name, the Crossroads Church of Christ, and, through an evangelistic program Lucas had established, they won many new converts.

In 1975, McKean moved from Gainesville to be the campus minister for Northeastern Christian College, located near Philadelphia as part of a campus ministry program called "Campus Advance." Then—later in 1976--^[3] McKean was hired as a campus minister by the Heritage Chapel Church of Christ in Charleston, Illinois. McKean moved to became evangelist for the Lexington (Massachusetts) Church of Christ in 1979 and carried on Lucas' brand of church ministry that focused on evangelism and campus ministry. The church grew rapidly and later changed its name to the Boston Church of Christ.

The Boston church expanded its influence among other Churches of Christ, becoming known in time as "the Boston Movement" and, remained the churches the International Churches of Christ to show in its name how the movement was growning both numerically and globally. In 1990, the McKeans moved to Los Angeles to lead the Los Angeles International Churches of Christ, where they presided throughout the 1990s.^[4]

At the beginning of 2001 as a college student in Boston, the oldest of the McKeans’ children began to question her faith. Because Kip had profiled his children as the example for all other Christians, he was heavily criticized. This led to his daughter Oliva to fall-away. This caused uncertainty in McKeans’ leadership among many other leaders in the church. In September 2001, the McKeans agreed to take a sabbatical. During this time contempt built in the church towards McKean's leadership style and approach to the ministry. In 2002 at the Global Unity Conference Kip and Elena were voted by the Central Leadership Council to be removed from the ministry. It was then Kip begun to see the severity of his unrecognized sins. The reasoning was that McKean taught emphatically that to “oversee” a church, one had to “manage his own family [well or] how can he take care of God’s church.” (1 Timothy 3:4-5; Proverbs 22:6). McKean was challenged to abide by the same standard he had used to remove many from the full-time ministry. The McKeans were at first hurt by what they felt was a lack of grace and appreciation. Later came to understand God's purpose and plan is sovergien for his life (Hebrews 12:7).

In 2003 Kip and Elena were invited to lead the Portland ICOC since its membership was about 300 members. Under the McKean leadership, attendance was nearing 600 and 400 in membership. During this time the Portland ICOC was the fastest growing congregation in the ICOC. Despite criticism that the number of people who have left McKean's churches continue to exceed those joining, the Portland church continued to grow through not only baptisms but also "remnant disciples" (the term used for existing members moving in from other ICOC congregation).

Later on, Chris and Theresa Broom decided to call their Syracuse congregation to join McKean. Later in 2006 the Brooms decided to plant Chicago ICC, the mission team joined a small group already there. Then a 14 member mission team, led by Matt and Helen Sullivan, went to Phoenix, Arizona

Since 2006, the congregations under Kip McKean's leadership are the International Christian Churches.^[5] In 2007, McKean moved to Los Angeles to lead a congregation of this new movement known as the City of Angels International Christian Church.^[6] The International Christian Church now has 40 congregations in 20 nations,^[7] 1,581 in membership, and weekly attendance is over 2,500. Although the International Church of Christ and the International Christian Church share almost identical doctrines and practices in ministry, the divisive issues revolved around McKean's conviction that only those who share the convictions of the first century church and great commission (Matthew 28:18-20) are true Disciples of Christ. The reality is that the ICOC also believes the same things, but the sins of pride and arrogance led to Kip's removal from the church. Instead of working to repent of his sins, he instead chose to cause division by claiming that more than likely only members from his church are saved disciples. Both churches continue to operate, worship, and evangelize in an incredibly similar way, but their differences in conviction continue to separate them, as well as from other Christian denominations. Kip's stated examples of differences in convictions include statements that those who are members of other Christians denominations because they don't follow Jesus' commands completely and thus they are lost and not true Christians, though Kip has stated that it is possible for others outside of the ICC to be save but very unlikely.^[8]

Kip McKean writes numerous articles that are posted on the UpSideDown21 website which are likewise on the City of Angels Bulletin. McKean also has written a short book entitled Go Make Disciples: The Dream, he has also written the very well known and controversial First Principles Study Series,which states and explains the main beliefs of the ICC, and the less known Second Principles: Survey of the Old Testament.

Controversy surrounding McKean started in 1977, when funding from the Houston Memorial Church of Christ was withdrawn from the Heritage Chapel Church of Christ. This funding was used to support McKean as a campus minister at Eastern Illinois University. Many college and university campuses banned McKean's groups throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 2003, a letter written by a minister of the ICOC caused followers to once again question McKean's methods.

McKean's doctrine and practices continue to be the subject of controversy because of his conviction that only through the efforts of true Disciples of the ICC and churches with the same convictions will God ultimately evangelize the world.

• International Christian Churches
• Churches of Christ
• International Churches of Christ
• Restoration Movement

• KipMcKean.org, Official Website of Kip McKean.
• USD21, Official Website of the Sold-Out Discipling Movement.

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