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We found one group many call a cults
bringing it's were to college student
The FOX-files hidden-camera investigation
Cults on Campus
Together we shall save our planet
or together we shall .... it's plan.
The church is a vicious monster,
I never even dream that group like this existed
They're damaging people's minds and souls.
They are all talk about the International Churches of Christ
also known as the ICC (ICOC)
Behind name which experts say helps hide the fact this group is
really a cult! The International Church of Christ
one of the fastest grooving christian group in the word.
Kip McKean is the
fire-breathing in reclusive leader of the International Churches of Christ
Uname it makes it easy to confuse with several established churches such as the
Church of Christ
But this group has no ties to those churches
and other churches don't ask their followers this: "did you ever do oral sex..."
Kip McKean began the so-called "ministry" in 1979 and now,
only 17 years later, there are now 150.000
true believers.
McKean has created not the kingdom of God
but the kingdom of Kip. "It turned my life upside down," explains 27-year-old Brandon Hearn
who joined the ICoC five years ago while he attending the University of Arizona.
I was as estimated
and i don't know what i was like before and had no recollection of uh...
my normal personalety or anything
what you see here is just a
a medicated version
of a... what's left.
Brandon's recruitment is a familiar story.
Because right now the International Churches of Christ has ministries on
hundreds of campuses around the country where they're looking for new members.
I would say the lifeblood
of a group like International Church of Christ is college
and university campus. Religious cult experts Rick Ross says 60
percent of the ICoC members are
recruded for universities around the country.(in the USA)
but the ICC claim its only
fifteen percent of total membership.
When the young people arrive on the campus they're very vulnerable
If they're away from home. The ICC's agressive
recruiting tactics of led to them being banned or investigated by
over 30 universities.
We wanted to see how the ICC works on the campus where it is not banned,
so FOX Files and two associate producers to go undercover at Georgia
State University.
Only a day after sitting on the main quad
they were approached. ....there's just in a classroom it takes about
fifteen minute bible discussion. it's only fifteen minutes? Yeah! Hi!
We went to the prayer study with
FOX Files hidden cameras.
Look around in the religious word! And, and what Like, man, what is going on in the religious world? And immediately afterward we
were invited to their church.
Services were exuberant with lots of singing, hugging,
cheering
and dancing
It sounds great except our
price: the loss of privacy,
personal freedom, friendships and eventually as money
just ask Sam Dyer ....Once you get into it
it becomes more the..
..more demanding
more suffocating
then any church i've ever known of. And it all begins with a series of eight to
ten intense bible studies. According to ex-members the ICoC systematically
attacks the beliefs and attitudes of new recruits until they believe that their
only road the salvation is through the ICoC. What is going on here is a kind
of spiritually ***. Robert Thornburgh is a methodist minister indeed chaplains at
Boston University
He was instrumental in getting the ICoC kicked off be use campus.
i'm embarrassed
to have people
taking the name of christian
who are deceitful, and lying, and manipulated.
We wanted to hear the ICC's side of the story
so FOX-Files traveled to Los Angeles with the churches headquartered to interview
ICC's spokesman Al Baird. We're all doing is trying to say let's get back
and be the church
that Jesus started in the bible.
The church moves in takes the place of God,
is essentially what happens
they move in they start making all the rules and regulations. Let's pray...
Our bible study is started with a brief prayer.
Dear father in heaven, I love you so much...
but then quickly turned ***
It's almost like, how would you feel if your Dad was
standing in the room, while you having sex?
ICC members pressured our FOX files associated producers to
confess every last detail of their sex lives.
...well, what do you mean, fool around? I mean
you know, or when you had sex,
did you ever do oral sex...then the bible leader gave examples of what we should be talking about: There was this one time that
he wanted me to do
to have *** sex, and I did it, and I hated it or whatever. We showed Mr Baird our undercover tape
what the church calls "The Sin Study"
this it make you uncomfortable at all the people are just being asked
they have committee formication adultery
but to give
very
personal very specific details about that.
I don't know what you mean was specific detail! Discipler would not ask it?!
You committed oral sex?! , you committed *** sex?! in... I'm not understand what you
talking about! We're not interested in trying inappropriately into people's
lives
we want in them to come to grips
with what's going on the life so they can do with God.
Are to associate producers were called everyday by ICC members and were
warned their parents would accuse them of being in a cult. ....Instead of being totally proud of you
the
really wierded out, or think you're part of a cult or think you're being controlled. God did this
according to the ICoC
the bible says the only
true christians are disciples.
Everyone who joins the church must have a discipler or mentoler.
it was a point that was hammered home in our bible study classes. Basically you have to be a disciple, to be a christian to be saved.
Calvin Kwan, who was a member of the ICoC at Cal State (California State)
says he knows the true meaning of discipling. True meaning of discipling
to me discipling is really set up so that
the leadership in church would have someone to watch over
every member
every members gets watch over,
almost like having someone working, to look over their shoulder
24 hours a day
My discipler, who discipling to tell me. distraught .... me...
And God who wants it. Everyone
needs a mentoler... Is that why
relatively young people in the church can be disciplers for
new members?
Everyone needs someone to help them and encourage them.
It's a matter of
a....helping someone grow. But listen to what they told our associate producers
is the meaning of a disciple. A disciple basically, you just obey.
And what sort of obedience does the church want our associate
producer?
They told her to be with God she must break up with her boyfriend. Go to God and forget Andy...
You've got to cut it off, completely. It's over.
Andy's a Memory. A distant, long memory.
it's one of the ICC's most strongly held beliefs
not to date outside the group
but
even courtship of among ICC members using
is not what most people would call normal
If I was discipling somebody and the person
who was discipling wants to
wants decide to start dating this girl
in the church
that they would had to get permission for me and what's it like when you
get permission? Just ask former member Lara Cotrell who dated the same guy for two years
during that period of time we never kiss each other. We hold hands.
It was a big thing! He was like, we'd fall into sin if
he kiss me. This is a big step if we're going to hold hands!
I've been avile to be celebrate for seven years!
But why would intelligent college students do everything there discipler says?
because the bible studies have taught them that if they don't
they are condemned to hell.
set by into that I thought
well either i follow them or going to hell. What about them are going to hell?
I can't remember in the last time
I told someone you're going to hell
my family, my friends, everybody
going to hell!
hearing big time
i mean they made a graphic to
they told me you know
hellfire
pain, According to ex-members once the ICoC has the disciples believing
they try to separate them from their families.
I've had to make decisions to put my relationship to God above my relationship
with my Mom.
Joe and Stoney Esp know all about losing a daughter to the ICoC
She was just one joy of my life.
but joint turn to sadness after their daughter joined the ICC her freshman
year at Montana State University
and I believe that
this Church
has taken my daughter
You can not even believe we're going through. try to figure out
What are the responsibilities which the parent is.
....I have this...
Over somehow not preparing my
children for this possiblity in our lives.
How often do you see that kind of problem
where ultimately the church can divide parents and children? Usually we see
exactly the opposite.
We work very harsh that we can to keep people united.
John and Stoney tried to keep their family united by bringing in a cult
experts to try to convince Amy
to leave the ICC
She just wouldn't
listen to us.
She didn't want to listen. She was afraid. The fear came over...
She was in a faith delusion.
That was a pretty wrong point.
My dauther ran out down the street.
lose she's
shoes behind
mother ....
and even know it's been a few months since that's happened
and it's something ah...
never forget
I mean I know she is
although not to leave home on make up her own
mind, but
I don't feel like she is make it up her own
mind
When we come back: recruding!
How the ICC takes your mind, and your money... I spent every time I have for the church and
I
have
not found in the church my own names
hidden-camera investigation into the International Churches of Christ
continues
We've found a group that would say almost anything to get you to join
and takes practically everything wants if you are in.
Is the ICoC a church or a cult?
Former members say just look at their priorities. I was given an ultimatum at
one point you "know uh...well
you know Sam uh...
dropped out of school!
"that's what you needed to do!" I've never heard of anyone else gived advice invite to
drop out of school,
quite the opposite people often encouraged to go to school. ICC
officials arranged for fox files to talk to some of their college members. What do
you think so many people are calling
this church a cult?
I dont not know really how to answer the question. Because to me it is not.
for me is tha Church is a great thing. You know..
I come across. I Really just have a desire to
live a life that praises to God. I was
on an academic scholarship to that
I was a premed student
and i was told by a leader that i had to become a communications major because it
took less time. Finals is no different of a time. Where's no reason for
us to stop sharing our faith.
Ex-members say the ICC dominated their lives.
Would much of their time taken up with recruiting. They tell you that you're not
fruitful
uh... which means brings in someon in the church. If you're not fruitful
with new membership then
youre something wrong with your spiritual walk with God. You invite people. Enybody,
everybody, that you can.
that it's gonna be
basically our purpose in life. But and even people who are
are not even membership are at work recruiting and bringing in
to this sentence true they do it because it's spontaneous
Spontaneous! Isn't exactly the way it happened with our to associate producers
OK. Have you been sharing your faith with people!
So i have to inviting people to Church, you said? That's your purpose, is to share your faith! They making on pressure on them.
If i can get somebody to come with their Bible study
to my eternal salvation is at stake? Seems the ICC also bases salvation
on the cash register ringing.
Ex disciples say they were pressured into giving at least ten percent of what they made
we are contract down to every single dollar every single penny
of everything of member the leadership knows exactly
Who supposed to give what. And what about for other people who
uh... are encouraged to, to sell things to give more to the church. Not many people
to do that
but there are people chose to do that as personal choice I sold every
piece of furniture I had and
every appliance and TV. Whatever
and gave that to the church.Twice during our stay we witness students handing
over checks and money with one of the leaders cabinet down to the every penny
and listen to this ....because of the holiday season, you need to bring contribution
for those next three weeks. And what about their leader Kip McKean? We don't know what he
has giving. But he shure he has getting a haircut a lot. Including this nearly a half
million dollar home in LA (Los Angeles)
Which the ICC owns and provides him
for many the pressures of recruiting, giving money, shunning family
and giving all your time to the ICoC
become too much
many members finally leave. When I walked away, the leader that I talked to
told me that I was making an eternal decision. I said I know that,
but if it's this hard to go to heaven and I'd go to hell. Brendon says he still recovering from his time
with the ICC
he says he's suffering from a deep depression that he may never fully get
over
I may not look like damaged goods but if you crack me open
it's pretty ugly
and trust me. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. I wouldn't wish this I have been through on
Kip McKean Or together we shall .... it's plan
Kip McKean said it his going to have a following in every country in the world
by the year 2000
he's well on his way