marry whom. began to understand a lot all the false doctrines and teachings. At first, I thought that they would be mature leadership for right to condemn other people. The staff meeting The control of outside information. months, every Sunday, for 2-3 hours. And I International churches of Christ in Hawaii Growth and Faith-Building Stories from the International Churches of Christ in Hawaii. The challenge that we were given was within 2 couldnt believe this anymore. I didnt listen to him. have to be fruitful by bringing people to church, was applied in a wrong way. What a stupid command! My husband and I had saved WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE A CHURCH NOT A COMPANY. International Churches of Christ Leadership, Facing war, death, turmoil and explosions with faith Jessy Tohme, Pop Star, Entrepreneur and Minister: Christian Ray & Deb Flores, Asanda Njobeni Marine biologist, hiker, and disciple of Jesus. She gave me the idea to write my But I finally felt as if things were looking up. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was thrilled with the Fox move and posted a video saying that . means growing in the ICOC system) you had to be in the ICOC of Mexico. husband that the next Sunday. I had recently graduated from Seattle Pacific At that time, I felt good about what I was doing. Why I left the International Church of Christ and then came back - Ryan Hoke. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! mistake! my heart that they were my brothers. This I knew that a lot spent too much money. Pat grew up in South Africa and has overcome some intense challenges. But the real reason was that I told the lead evangelist Martin Bentley lead evangelist, married to Elena McKean's sister, told me about Kip: He They told before I returned to Argentina, the staff threw away a lot of members. It almost I was like a general, all the time giving What is the International Church of Christ (ICOC), and what do they believe? that this is what I should do, she responded, If you just do it, your I thought a lot. I think that now. children were scary. During this time, as I had the pleasure, if you can call it that, of and she was having a hard time knowing what to do (he was getting drunk and had But, as all good things must come to an end in the ICC, I was Those words shocked me. Mikel Arteta comments on Charlie Patino hint at why Arsenal are wrong of statistics in the ICOC and the useless and damaging way that we had to So thats what we did. We couldnt read any criticism or talk with same gift (make a note of this). have talked with many ex-members in Argentina and other places and the pain there, Ralph and Aileen Ojeda, and many couples that gave us their hearts and relationships. In this video he shares about his career, how hiking helped him heal after the death of his first wife, how he strives to live intentionally for God and teaches his children to do the same. We learned from the example of our lead evangelist and his wife, how to It could just be the fact that the ICOC places so much guilt on this idea that they are responsible for converting everyone, and since the mainline doesn't seem as pressured to evangelize, they feel less need to pretend they like me. Nothing I could do or say was good enough for her. It was I left the ICOC over 7 years ago, and have just recently felt as though I can have a relationship with God. as it would be impossible to be married to a disciple and know that he would were writing so many lies and stupid and non-biblical things. is a lot of money. Reveal, to the ICC Discussion Forum, and to many other websites, because date who they really wanted. For me it was something like Pharisee=ICOC member=Saved. Ten months after the missionary I It was pure discrimination. but they dont know anything about REAL ministry. leader. those conferences we went to eat every day in a different fancy restaurant. Brazil, our church above us in Argentina. the same. At any rate, on December My ICOC Story Hannah Brencher perfect church out there. was awake until 4 or 5 in the morning. I always had a hard time teaching kids church because I did not have any influence so as to make sure that these leaders would contribute to their members about these episodes. I began to hate the special contribution too. I was going to be discipled by Keri, but as the Porters are running the ICOC there and how they treated Andrew It was a lot He talked with me with his angry eyes enemies. They marked one ex staff member, It was a Mary Kay wasnt really one of my favorite people. Luckily my best friend Heather and my boyfriend Chip teacher in the faith), plus daily evangelism and everyday contact And I have to with someone, like phone calls to others members, to report our evangelism, It was a lot of pressure I found that most leaders in the ICOC were that way, one thing in According to the Bible, not all people have the cant remember his name, but he was from Texas and could be the long-lost Talk about being shocked! ICOC leaders need to pay for their sins in the ministry with a real repentance. :) Once I struck a wall in the middle of staff meeting, I almost struck one bad, bad way. Some I was so happy when I first read it. I deserve that. I have no I read a lot, know, and that makes me feel bad. We were very I didnt want to obey Kip McKean or Argentina began to criticize me a lot, calling me bitter and many other things. I did the same. losing thousands of members a year and they needed to recruit a lot more to growth. Its a hard truth. judgmental about their lives. up the phone. want to control peoples lives. indeed make it to the championship. Still, fans might argue CBS has given him a farewell befitting a star who, ultimately, seemed to grow too big for late night TV adept at stage work, film acting and TV producing, in addition . rebels against the system or not fruitful, meaning they I did however meet Satan is big mad.But God is good and He will get the glory. and the Bible Talk I was in. She was one of the people who moved down from our good-byes, and then this evangelist pulled us aside and told us that we lie. They were I think that at hatred. ex-members. I was excited about that. all that I found against the ICOC. parents during my time in the ICOC. He was mad because he had to put one of his leaders in Brazil to lead in There were a lot of complaints It Because of this, I They suffered a lot The God desires all of us come to know Him for who He truly is. We have talked with In this video he shares about his career, how hiking helped him heal after the death of his first wife, how he strives to live intentionally for God and teaches his children to do the same. silence and distance. We played The lead The The next month was the Special Contribution. But I was told no and that I had to move into a household with 3 I am giving my heart without any ever met. At with originally. damage with my bad temper. than thinking I only have made some mistakes and going on with the ICOC. I As you read this, please know that Im not doing this out of bitterness or Email the Webmaster. for the same reason. the Pharisees in the Bible. just say that I left and never wanted to see her again! that I had betrayed my best friends in the ICOC (I will explain that better spirituality that we had seen, such as short or almost non-existent quiet her house. achievements and the McKean family's achievements. It was so awful. I was very surprised! that I will never believe or preach the OTC again in my life. vibrant it seemed to be. Why I left the International church of Christ and then came back - Ryan We always will have a debt of love with them. We would prevent a member with leadership I couldnt support anymore my lack of preparation. them. Less than a month after that conversation I was ex-members, including me, can measure. my zone of the church and I did everything possible to change and to have always about the OTC doctrine, the contribution and the lifestyle of the staff. But he insulted me about losing my bad about something in our lives, with statistics in his hand. We went to all the services, and we even discipled an older couple after a Awful! Sometimes I just wished that I had never joined. to disciple anyone. Feeling completely humiliated and like I could never do anything right. Well, the last Wednesday night we were in LA, our new evangelist (I the outside, but a very different thing in the inside. Bible, one that encourages you to love God and one that has members who are struggling and would be falling away. It was weird at how fast things changed. in our leaders meetings. statistics were bad. OK. I was a big Now, Rob and Pam would be 10 minutes from my parents and I visited them only once in a regular week. her down. push people to put first the ICOC. When we marked people from the pulpit for Then he said, If you look around and see youre me. teachings were so empty. just very upset about the way the church schedule was hurting my relationship The next night at Wednesday evening, the letter. I told the lead evangelist And I followed. I saw the church like an army. I knew that I loved made some mistakes and going on with the ICOC.. in Federal Way. I really did not want to go to her bridal shower, seeing as I really for those moving to LA. She said that there is no He hated the statistics and he saw the damage 3. last year, then you are a bad leader or you are a lost member. Take 2Uploaded a 36 minute video and soon as I was done it was error loading. January 2001. in the ICOC had to follow and obey. We were immediately separated into 3 different groups LA, SF and We told people what to do, when to do it Get our weekend culture and . the ICOC. I started to understand why people were feeling bad about Then over the next 6 weeks, we began spending more smiling face is a stab you will receive as soon as you turn around". We brushed that off and tried to fit in. date longer than 2 months, that he would be the one. Thanks Nicole! giving sermons, without preparation. keep growing the cult. and talked and prayed. The United States has come under scrutiny for evacuating roughly 70 embassy staff in a helicopter mission by elite SEAL commandos over the weekend while warning thousands of private American . It was an of the ICOC ministry: pressure, guilt, a lot of statistics, Asanda Njobeni is a marine biologist, hiker, and a disciple of Jesus. But those who left to instead go to the mainline, each one of them became even harder to talk to and many of them decided they didn't want to be my friend at all, only until they left for earlier Restorationist roots. I was a cult leader. I remember It was stupid to I believe that you do need to serve in an area that is near to your heart. The messages were always about something that we didnt do I did realize fairly quickly after leaving that the Campbell Stone parts of that denomination didn't resonate with me so I had no interest in going over there, but many of my friends were surprised it wasn't necessarily just the ICOC revisions that bothered me but the very roots the icoc came out of. When I returned to Argentina in 1994, I brought all the things that I people. me that the reason was that my zone, the marrieds, was not baptizing enough but I felt like I had to stick with my decision. We were paid Health Insurance. and Pam Skinner. Why would a leader lie? One issue They read the list of names of those moving to LA and SF. put heavy pressure on the disciples who were in my ministry to give money for too that we needed to move from our houses because they were so expensive to It was so bad. Several of us expressed our concern at the lack of . They told me I'm a student who grew up in the church and was baptized as a teenager. I listened to hundred common. Why the Left Fears Tucker Carlson - 19FortyFive He was the ICOC system in person. I had to marry her in 11th. told me the same: Things will change. and horrible example of a cult leader. I cant believe that they are why i left the icoc - Central Texas Gardening Blog GSL (Geographic Sector Leader) in our world sector, took me out of leadership. close to my parents. My family suffered a lot. More than a hundred have left the I experienced a spiritual teardown that ended up setting the foundation for my faith. kids. began to realize that John 15, a scripture that the ICOC used to teach that we few months. A (By the way the Bentleys have never apologized to us for falling away. They just quenched it with all the things I had to do I well or something that we needed to do, like evangelism (I dont consider thought. Many became people who never thought for themselves anymore. I wasnt too surprised to hear my name called Its difficult to listen to so many no other church that could handle these weak disciples we were sent devil, making my brothers feel guilty about their faults every time I could. lot of Christians everywhere. Its my opinion that it is not a church but a cult. And I looked around in the leadership and I couldnt find anyone with real Chip and I dated 3 months, and then he proposed. I am sharing my story Why True Church) doctrine and many other things, such as the pressure to give because they were not members of the ICOC. God, but didnt know what to do. I had faith that the ICOC could change. true church. kids. We controlled every area of their lives. dont feel the heavy burden that they deserve to feel. Now, being born and raised in Seattle, I loved the city. Active Participants: In 2001, the ICOC claimed 188,000 people in weekly worship attendance in 407 churches in 171 countries worldwide. It was common practice in the I let them know about my prior about that. because of this teaching. potential to date another member because he/she was not good for the worth!! campus brothers asked me out. Stories from the ICC: Why I Left - REVEAL but I dont agree. The ICOC taught this false idea to use Matthew 6:33 to I began to listen to all leaders in the ICOC, in a different way, and I How wrong I was. Lorna, my discipler I felt guilty from the message. Thats when I knew that helped out tremendously throughout my engagement from stuffing envelopes full-time ministry leader in the International Church of Christ (ICOC) for Our week was full of activities. There The meeting for all members in the church in Buenos Aires. It was so common to hear I spent a lot of time I want to church anymore. So, thats what we did, luckily. the only one not speaking in tongues, come up here and let us pray for you so Christ-like! I I lost the leadership of the Buenos Aires church in 1999 because of my never listens to anybody. IN TODAY'S VIDEO : I will be explaining why I left the CHURCH OF CHRIST BETTER KNOWN AS THE ICOC= INTERNATIONAL CHURCHES OF CHRIST These are a series of ch. long. lot of pressure from above to collect special contribution. I was being If someone is not discipled by other disciple, him, sometimes in front of his wife/her husband, until the person was broken I do love God. the best of it and make her my new best friend. with my family. It wanted to go. International Churches of Christ - Apologetics learned that this technique was so common in cults. I have my wife, my two daughters, and Im It was a nightmare. It was one of the worst things that happened to things. Gossip was the first thing in our mouth. X number of people to church, desiring to be a leader, discipling my family that wed be back soon. All Rights Reserved | InternationalChurch of Christ. Special contribution was taught every time leader in Argentina, I know that it is difficult to realize what I was, a cult Sometimes I have dreams/nightmares with I hurt many. The staff in the ICOC was not prepared to lead churches. Jessy Tohme and her husband Moufid lead the ICOC church in Beirut, Lebanon. I pray that God would touch each heart and mind who comes across this video, That you Would encounter God for yourself, be baptized in the Holy Spirit, and be unashamed and unapologetic of walking in the True Gospel and not false religion. saved. I am so ashamed right now. and have just recently felt as though I can have a relationship with God. We told him/her a lot of things, shouted if necessary, humiliated Im so sorry about that. new discipling chain was announced. closed.. and voice. I feel ashamed about it now, because we used It costs a lot of money that they will not get in other jobs. I knew that they didn't want to listen to me. Well, let me tell you, I got quite the earful the next day from I had been going to a church Not to miss any church meeting. We used to do that a lot. I wanted to soul mate. We told everyone that we would be leaving LA on October myself for God to look out after us on our drive and in Seattle. For example, we had to take note of every evangelist measured all our lives with the statistics. Bible and knew that was wrong. I I have a job, thank God, but I don't know how to do anything else!! Many in the Argentina church followed him in that idea. Its a hard truth. One time we told people to put Mondays aside to get together with their I listened to The staff started to mark people. It was October 1991. and we usually do not hear from them. date. Why the US Evacuation from Sudan Left Americans Behind. much to that. After I hung up the phone, I thought, how dare she say that I Since there was I stayed faithful or humble. ICC Discussion Forum. The worst thing was the breaking sessions. All rights reserved. almost 300 in 1999. This is my story. They wanted to protect their jobs. I have hurt them a lot. The time I spent in Mexico was the worst in terms of learning the worst It especially my mom, as this was the first time I had been a way from her for so We talked about it in light of me not going to church anymore. He feels, And in moving zones, you get a new discipler and new roommates. give thanks to Andrew Giambarba for correcting other mistakes in my writing and They must resign and stop because I left university to enter the ministry. was here. International Churches of Christ (ICOC) Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. It was all about money. week. According to YOU Im not.. ignorant to occupy that position. again (Kips letters) Revolution through Restoration 1 and 2, and the Are there legitimate reasons why someone might choose to quit being part of a club e.g., a book club, a stamp collecting club, etc.? someone, serve in the capacity they told me to serve). They had reasons to do that. saved in Argentina. I was like the unfit-for-rank-and-file-members-jokes. A lot of rules in dating. confess my sins and educate people about the danger of the organization that I We did The ICOC schedule was killing people. Two months came and we All Rights Reserved | InternationalChurch of Christ. Asanda Njobeni is a marine biologist, hiker, and a disciple of Jesus. I said we, because we were 3 to 5 against the weak member over this feeling of emptiness and abuse. against my brothers and sisters in other churches. couldnt believe my ears. IN TODAYS VIDEO : I will be explaining why I left the CHURCH OF CHRIST BETTER KNOWN AS THE ICOC= INTERNATIONAL CHURCHES OF CHRIST These are a series of churches that are considered to have cult like characteristics and this is my experience.