Orange County Churches Review & Guide

http://www.laicc.net/Content/Regions/OC/index.htm

Scriptural View: 0/5
Beliefs: 0/5
Community: 2/5
Preaching: Topical
Worship: Choir
Service times: 10:00 am

Website Review
Site Usability: 3/5
Site Design: 3/5
Site Content: 1/5

Review: The Los Angeles Church of Christ Orange County Region is part of the larger movement known as the International Church of Christ (www.icoc.org). The International Church of Christ demands “total commitment” from its members, called “disciples.” They originally came from an American religious movement of the early 1800s called the “Restoration Movement”, and represent a conservative wing of that movement. The independent “Christian Church” and “Disciples of Christ” are two church denominations that came out of the Restoration Movement along with the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints, (Mormons). Though their name is similar, The International Church of Christ should not be confused with the United Church of Christ, which came from a different branch of the Protestant Reformation and holds very different beliefs than the Churches of Christ or Restoration movement as a whole. ICC believes the church has apostasized and sees itself as God’s movement to restore true “New Testament Christianity.”

ICC believes in following the Bible only and no “creeds of men.” Is that a creed? Any religious practice not specifically commanded in the Bible is termed “unbiblical” and is rejected by the International Church of Christ. A common saying among them is that, “We speak where the Bible speaks, and keep silent where it is silent.” Yet interestingly, Kip McKean, the World Missions Evangelist and head of the ICC, is the ultimate authority and source for ICC doctrine. Nothing any other ICC minister writes is published by the ICC or used without his approval. He alone claims to have the correct interpretation of Scripture, and anyone disagreeing is dismissed (see reveal.org for several testimonies).

ICC embraces a belief that one must be water baptized by immersion in one of their churches in order to be saved. They believe that the act of baptism actually saves a repentant believer and refer to Acts 2:38 as support for such a belief. The ICC holds that denominations and sects are sinful and not of God and that all non-ICC churches are not true churches. Because of this, there are never two ICC-affiliated churches in a single city or town and in order for one to be saved they must be a member of an ICC church and be baptized in their church. I spoke with Anthony, a member of the L.A. Church of Christ who said that they frequently re-baptize people who were baptized as Christians in Protestant churches.

ICC rejects the use of musical instruments during worship as deeming them unbiblical. Passages in the Bible describing the use of musical instruments in worship are ignored because they are descriptions and not commands.

ICC does not emphasize theological issues in its preaching or teaching; it has a utilitarian, results-oriented approach. The ICC tends to view serious theological study as a waste of time for most of its members. Gordon Ferguson, an ICC leader states, “Any religious group who strongly emphasizes doctrinal accuracy runs a risk of losing perspective and losing God. (Progressive RevelationBoston Bulletin, May 1988).”

Based also on Matthew 28:18-20, the ICC also believes in a system of discipling, which means that every member is assigned another member as a mentor, to whom he/she reports, confesses sin, and which he/she is expected to obey and emulate. In turn, each disciple is to actively be evangelizing, which means finding people for them to disciple. This activity is very important for making other disciples also contributes to the aquiring of your own salvation along with baptism and ICC church membership.

WARNING! I recommend that you avoid any International Church of Christ Church! They are extremely cultic. ICC sounds Christian but they severly distort the gospel of Jesus Christ.