My jaw dropped when I heard these words from a podcast where Steven Leslie Johnson, who was basically Kip McKean's right-hand man in the ICOC and who also was at the top of the payroll at HOPE WorldWide and overall one of the very tippy-top leaders in the entire International Churches of Christ (and momentarily with the International Christian Church as well) was sitting down with another ICOC evangelist (and ICOC historian), James Lloyd. Both of these two men were in the group of "thirty would-be disciples" that started the Boston movement with Kip and were right there as witnesses to the chain of sex abuse right from the start.
Sitting there with Steve Johnson, James Lloyd states:
“The truth is that the foundational “original sin” of our movement was homosexual sin. Man on man, specifically a male older leader, on young interns. And not just a few times—you can find out, it’s not like nobody knows. The fact that our original sin was a senior leader (Lucas) who is respected and loved and training a group of young men—As the leader gets them in a room and shuts the door and this leader (Lucas) ‘puts the moves’ on these young men. And it’s worse than it sounds because those men then became ministers (perpetrators) and went out into their churches and did the same things to others— and I know that personally, because I was in some of those meetings where it was confessed.
“They thought it was best not to share this with anybody, and I bought into those reasons. They would say things like, ‘He’s got children, he’s got a wife, you can’t just say those things out loud, it could hurt the faith of a young Christian.’ All these things are just the hierarchy and patriarchy saying that we don’t need to bring this thing up about ‘man on man.’ And I don’t personally think that this sin is any different than if it was between a man and a woman by the way— I’m only calling it sin because they weren’t married.
“But the real sin here is that we (church) hid it. People should be taught that this is how our group started. And some of that (sin) has continued for three generations. Some of that trauma was carried on, was passed on to other men as they went out into other (ICOC) churches.”
With no disagreement from Steve, whose silence obviously shows that he knows that what James is saying is true.
So here we have ICOC leaders publicly discussing THREE GENERATIONS of sex abuse originating in central ICOC leadership!
AND, we have ICOC leaders publicly stating that the ICOC leadership COVERED UP those acts of sexual abuse!
"AND NOT JUST A FEW TIMES."
How many times was it? "A few" would mean three, maybe five. So NOT "just a few" meant a whole bunch of guys, and a whole bunch of times.
Let's also remember that ministers and many other professionals are required BY LAW to report sexual abuse. The penalty for not reporting sexual abuse include fines and JAIL TIME. This is no small thing.
Notice that Steve and James choose not to name names here. Maybe one or both of them were victims? They obviously know which of the other high-ranking ICOC leaders were on the receiving end of this abuse, and clearly know the identities of at least some of them who then went on to sexually abuse others.
What does three generations look like?
Chuck Lucas (who was Kip McKean's "spiritual father" and the original founder of the ministry that became the International Churches of Christ (ICOC) and the International Christian Churches (ICC), grooms leaders much younger than himself. He trains them for ministry duties. Once he has their confidence, he sexually seduces them. Chuck has gay sex with them, consensually or nonconsensually. There was obviously a power dynamic that was in play, with Chuck the much more powerful person in each sexual encounter. This happens with Chuck sexually abusing one up-and-coming ministry leader after another. That is generation one.
Generation two: Leaders who were sexually abused by Chuck Lucas go on to become leaders in the ICOC. Some of these leaders go on to sexually abuse others in the church.
Generation THREE: At least one person, possibly more, that Steve Johnson and James Lloyd clearly seem to know about and feel confident enough about it in order to discuss in a public podcast, who was abused by one of those secondary ICOC leaders, then went on to sexually abuse yet a new generation of victims.
Chuck + sex abuse -> ICOC leaders + sex abuse -> 2nd generation of ICOC leaders or members + sex abuse -> 3rd generation of ICOC victims
Victims become abusers. Then the church works to cover up what has happened to save the ICOC leaders from embarrassment.
Yes, that would be awkward to know that the "man of God" up at the front of the hotel room pressuring you to give ever more donations to the church had been the victim of, and perpetrator of, sexual abuse as a part of the ministry.
This reminds me of a story from awhile ago down in Mexico City.
The lead evangelist of the Mexico City ICOC was found to be using church money to rent an apartment for the purpose of having sex with other men.
When the other church leaders found out about this they swiftly took action!
Per the pattern that we are now learning was pervasive in the ICOC, church leaders acted quickly to suppress the story. The leader in question, Josue Ortega, quietly stepped down for unspecified "leadership sins" and was shipped off to lead a smaller congregation in Costa Rica.
Josue Ortega had been put into place by the previous lead evangelist of the Mexico City ICOC, Peter/Pedro Garcia. Pedro Garcia was Kip McKean's brother-in-law, brother of Kip's wife, Elena Garcia McKean.
Pedro Garcia was around from the early days so could have been a victim of abuse by Chuck Lucas. (Witnesses have stated that Kip publicly admitted, in a rare moment of weakness and defeat, to being one of Chuck Lucas' sex abuse victims himself.)
Josue Ortega was pretty clearly gay. I mean, if you ever talked to him you could tell pretty much immediately. (I could tell at least!) And members of the Mexico City ICOC would whisper about how it was odd that he was the lead evangelist and throw off so may gay vibes. Additionally, multiple other top leaders in the Mexico ICOC seem pretty clearly gay. The fact that a decent percentage of the top leaders who are two levels away from Chuck Lucas are pretty clearly gay suggests that they had qualities that their higher-ups were looking for, possibly in more than one sense. At the least it clearly seems to fit into the pattern of ICOC and leadership gay sex improprieties described above.
(If you do not know which leaders in the Mexico City ICOC that I am talking about who seem to be gay, just talk to any long-standing members there. They will be able to tell you! This is not to speak negatively about homosexuality or homosexuals. But we can point out that these poor folks are now forced into heterosexual marriages now and then doing things like having sex with men on the side, in all likelihood without the knowledge or consent of their wives.)
So not to get completely distracted from the greater picture of passed-through-three-generations gay sex abuse among central ICOC leaders that Steve Johnson and friend were discussing, but there is more to the Josue Ortega story as well.
After Josue was "outed" and relocated to Costa Rica, there was a disciple (ICOC church member) who was talking about what happened. Somehow somebody in Costa Rica heard about this and then this disciple started receiving multiple anonymous death threats through the Internet with the IP address tracking back to Costa Rica. So a smoking gun pointing at Josue Ortega trying to silence people talking about what he got caught doing. Sadly that general dynamic is not far from standard operating tactics of the ICOC as demonstrated by other leaders including Kip McKean who are willing to use threats and bullying in order to get their way (talking from personal experience with Kip here.)
Thankfully I found out about this situation and am therefore able to make it known to a larger audience. Just imagine if I had contact with every last corner of the ICOC and ICC and could publish all the crazy stories that are out there?
So the recent revelations that Kip McKean worked consciously and deliberately to silence sex abuse victims within the ICOC and ICC looks even worse now (were that possible) that we are aware of the centrality of sexual abuse that went back to the very beginning of the movement and then is now known to have traveled down through THREE GENERATIONS of abuse victims.
While i certainly will maintain that everyone in this has the capacity to repent of these wicked sins, in order for this to not be a skillfully fabricated lie or the possibility thereof, a link to this podcast should be included somewhere.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1895127/10735028
ReplyDeleteLink to the Podcast with Steven Johnson
hmm and Kip calls his new movement "SODM". knowing that the whole thing started with "sodomy" kind of brings it full circle
ReplyDeleteThe link (https://www.buzzsprout.com/1895127/10735028
ReplyDelete) for the podcast with Steve Johnson brings up a different podcast. It's a conversation with Steve, but James Lloyd isn't on the conversation and there is no mention of the gay sex at Crossroads. Could you please post the link to the correct podcast - i.e. the one that includes James Lloyd and talks about Chuck Lucas?
Lincoln, Nebraska.
ReplyDeletegörüntülü.show
ReplyDeletewhatsapp ücretli show
1NV
John Ramsey what was wrong with the New York City Church of Christ I was in it for over 2 years we were baptized people but wouldn't care for the people love that was the problem top leadership taking on too many things couldn't really care for people or the care was given in elitist type of way formed a sort of a dictatorship was homeless lived on campsites out on Long Island maintain the job best thing that ever happened learns what happens in a cult try to confess sin instead of apologize always confess even to those lower spiritually than you many changes have occurred hope God will really come through this group God bless all of you and forgive you
ReplyDeleteHere's the link to the Steve Johnson James Lloyd conversation mentioned above. Start at minute 25.00 where they mention homosexual behavior. https://www.facebook.com/stevenlesliejohnson/videos/1109647602942209
ReplyDeleteWtf
ReplyDeleteI was ICOC from ‘85 to ~2006, so I remember James Lloyd and Steve Johnson and Kip😖, of course.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your article.
Coincidentally, I was baptized by a guy who would later be sexually abused by one of Kip’s personal converts from his days in Florida.
His name is Mike and you can read his story in The Rolling Stone:
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/icoc-members-alleged-abuse-cult-behavior-1234798928/
So there ya go: third generation.
Everything in your story checks with my experience.
What many members of the ICOC don't know or realize is that the International Church of Christ, founded in 1979 by Kip McKean as the Boston Church of Christ with only 30 other members, is not a biblical church at all; it never has been since its founding! While the ICOC presents itself as a biblically faithful church, it has never returned to the foundations taught by Yeshua and his apostles! The ICOC is very far removed from the teachings and the way of life, and represents its own doctrine, not the true teachings of Yeshua and his apostles! Martin Walther
ReplyDeleteThe original teachings of Jesus and his apostles, who called themselves "the Way," changed slowly and almost imperceptibly over the centuries. Like a shadow, new interpretations and practices gradually overlaid the original message, largely unnoticed by most people. Step by step, doctrines and traditions emerged that while recognized as biblical, deviated significantly from what Jesus and the apostles had originally taught.
ReplyDeleteInexorably, a new religious structure took shape—influenced by cultural elements, pagan ideas and practices, and under the strong political influence of Roman emperors and Church Fathers. Through the decrees and pronouncements of various councils, a new religion eventually developed, one that diverged considerably from the original Jewish teachings: Christianity. Over the centuries, it became increasingly detached from the original foundation of the apostles, and their teachings no longer formed the core of the faith that had once rested on the true teachings of Jeschua.
Martin Walther
Unfortunately, ICOC does not teach the truth and is not a biblical church! I myself was a member of the International Church of Christ (ICOC) in Zurich for nine years and asked myself the same question: Is what ICOC teaches really true, is it truly a biblical church, and is everything really based on the teachings of Yeshua (the correct name for Jesus) and the apostles, or have we been deceived and manipulated, and is ICOC preaching and teaching a different gospel? During my nine years of membership, I spent almost three months at the church in Boston and also spoke with Randy McKean, Kip's brother. I was also involved in missions for almost three years, helping to establish churches in Athens, Jerusalem, and Bratislava. I'm saying this so you know what I'm talking about. No, ICOC is not what they claim; it's a church that teaches its own doctrine, which is not biblically sound! But seeing through this is impossible for most people at first glance. Paul warned against this in Galatians 1:8, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be accursed!" (according to the Textus Receptus, Greek) and also in Colossians 2:8, "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ" (from the Vulgate, Clementine). Unfortunately, we are all constantly deceived, from kindergarten through university, yet most never realize it because they are too gullible! One of the saddest facts in life is that most people don't seek or want to hear the truth because it is challenging and uncomfortable, and it calls into question everything we are told in church and school about history, the monetary system, politics, the media, and governments. We are being deceived about the true facts of what is happening in the world! Those who profit from enlightened people who see through lies don't make as much money, and churches are very often used as a business model. But this is nothing new and goes back to the Reformation, which never returned to the complete biblical teachings and adopted much from the Roman Catholic Church, which has deviated greatly from biblical doctrine. This is because a great deal of influence, power, and money is at stake. According to the New Testament, Satan has power and influence in the present age, even though God remains the sovereign ruler of all things. Yeshua explicitly refers to him as the "ruler of this world" and warns his disciples not to be deceived by him: "...for the ruler of this world is coming, and he has no hold on me" (John 14:30). Paul describes this influence as real: "The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers..." (2 Corinthians 4:4). At the same time, Yeshua makes it clear that Satan is the origin of all lies: “… he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Martin Walther
ReplyDeleteThe ICOC and many other churches ignore the sign of Jonah.
ReplyDeleteThe book of Jonah tells how Jonah is called by God to go to Nineveh and call the city to repentance. He resists the mission, is swallowed by a great fish, and spends three days and three nights in the fish’s belly before being saved. Through Jonah, Nineveh is spared destruction—a clear picture of the salvation Yeshua would bring. This event is not only historical but also prophetic: Jonah is a type pointing to salvation through Yeshua’s death, burial, and resurrection.
Yeshua Himself references this sign when He says:
"For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the fish, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matthew 12:40, Textus Receptus).
At the same time, He calls His own body a temple:
"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19–21).
By this, He connects death, the grave, and resurrection—the only divine sign proving His divine mission. Jesus referred to His body as the true temple of God (John 2:19–21), through which God’s presence dwells among humanity. In the Old Covenant, the temple in Jerusalem was the place where people accessed El Elyon the highest God, the Father in the Trinity through priests and rituals (Hebrews 9:7), but Jesus demonstrates that His body itself is the temple and the connection to the Father. Through His sacrifice on the cross, the way to God is finally opened (Hebrews 10:10–14), and His resurrection after three days confirms that death, sin, and sacrifice are fulfilled, providing permanent access to God.
Jesus announced the sign of Jonah, that He would remain three days and three nights in the grave (Matthew 12:39–40). According to the biblical chronology, He was crucified on Wednesday morning, died around the ninth hour (approximately 3 PM, Mark 15:34), and was buried by Joseph of Arimathea in a nearby tomb before sunset the same day (John 19:31–42). This began the period of three days and three nights:
Wednesday evening to Thursday morning: first night
Thursday evening to Friday morning: second night
Friday evening to Saturday morning: third night
On the Sabbath (Saturday) before sunset, the resurrection occurred, so the tomb was already empty on Sunday morning (John 20:1). Only in this way are the three days and three nights of the sign of Jonah precisely fulfilled.
Ignoring this sign in later traditions led to a false chronology: crucifixion on Friday and resurrection on Sunday, making the prophecy appear unfulfilled. This also shifted the resurrection from the Sabbath to Sunday, the so-called “Lord’s Day,” originally a pagan sun day, and severed the connection to Judaism, which Jesus Himself practiced and taught.
Biblically, this chronology also demonstrates that Jesus is the true temple (John 2:19–21), replacing the Old Testament temple rituals and granting all people direct access to El Elyon (John 14:6; Hebrews 10:10–14). His death and resurrection fulfill the prophecies exactly and confirm that the Sabbath is the actual day of resurrection, not Sunday.
In John 14:6, Jesus declares: “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.” It is clear: only through Him is direct access to El Elyon possible, and His temple-body fulfills all Old Testament temple types, priesthood, and sacrificial systems—the only true access to God for all who believe in Him.
Yet the Roman Catholic and Protestant churches have overlooked these signs. Instead of trusting God’s Word, Sunday was established as the “day of resurrection.” Human traditions, calendars, and liturgical celebrations replaced the divine sign. Thus, the prophetic reference set by Yeshua Himself was ignored, and the precise timeline of His resurrection obscured.
Martin Walther
Ignoring the sign of Jonah places human tradition above divine revelation. It is a test of faith: three days and three nights—no symbol, no metaphor, but the exact prediction of His resurrection. Those who disregard it show that convenience is more sacred to them than truth (Mark 7:9).
ReplyDeleteThe Precise Chronology of the Crucifixion and Resurrection
The Bible provides all necessary details when the evidence is combined:
Jesus was interrogated at night before the Sanhedrin (John 18:28–32; Matthew 26:57–68).
Before sunrise, He was brought to Pilate, examined, and condemned (John 18:28–19:1; Mark 15:1).
Then came the scourging and the path to crucifixion (John 19:1–17).
Crucifixion: “And they crucified Him at the third hour.” (Mark 15:25) — Third hour ≈ 9 AM.
Death: “And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice: ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ … and He died.” (Mark 15:34) — Jesus died on the day before the height Sabbath, Wednesday, at 3:00 PM.
Burial: Jesus was placed in the tomb just before sunset, before the Sabbath began. The Gospels confirm this: it was Preparation Day, and burial had to be completed before the Sabbath (Mark 15:42; Luke 23:54; John 19:42). Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy disciple, provided a nearby rock tomb and laid Jesus there (Matthew 27:57–60). Jesus was buried at the last moment of Preparation Day, before the Sabbath officially began.
Two Sabbaths: Jesus was crucified during Passover week, which had two Sabbaths—the regular weekly Sabbath and the high Sabbath of Passover (John 19:14,31). This allowed the prophecy of the “sign of Jonah” to be fulfilled: He remained three days in the tomb and rose again on the Sabbath just before sunset (Matthew 12:39–40). Sign of Jonah: Jesus Himself declared that the sign of Jonah was the only sign to determine the duration of His death and the timing of His resurrection (Matthew 12:39–40). No other sign gives this information; we must trust His prophecy that He would remain three days and three nights in the tomb before rising. Three full days and nights: the time in the tomb is exactly 72 hours.
Resurrection: On Saturday before sunset, still during the Sabbath, Yeshua rose.
Sunday morning: Women came early, still in darkness, to the tomb (Matthew 28:1; Mark 16:2; John 20:1) and found it empty. The resurrection had already occurred.
With the false assumption that Yeshua rose on Sunday instead of on Saturday, the Sabbath, as the sign of Jonah explicitly shows and proves—the only sign Yeshua gave!—the Sabbath, which is on Saturday, is thus abolished based on a false fact. In this way, the 4th commandment was abolished and replaced by a human commandment, by a human tradition, thereby nullifying God's 4th commandment! Mark 7:6–9 “And he said to them, ‘Isaiah speaks so well of you hypocrites! As it is written: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”… You have set aside God’s commandment and hold fast to human customs. You hypocrites!’”
Yeshua and Paul also repeatedly affirmed the Law! Romans 3:31
“Do we then nullify the law through faith? By no means! Rather, we uphold the law.”
Martin Walther
Deception of the Churches:
ReplyDeleteSunday as resurrection day is not biblically exact but a human tradition.
The Roman Catholic and Protestant churches rejected the sign of Jonah to support their false theology.
Biblical truth about Sabbath and resurrection:
The Sabbath remains holy (Exodus 31:13; Isaiah 66:23).
Sunday as the “Lord’s Day” rests on unbiblical foundations.
Those who take the sign of Jonah seriously recognize the exact chronology, dismantle human constructs, and discern false traditions.
The sign of Jonah is not just a reference to death and resurrection but the key to truth, uniting all biblical details. Yeshua’s resurrection occurred on the Sabbath before sunset, not on Sunday. Those who disregard the sign place human tradition above divine revelation. The sign of Jonah remains immutable, divine, and true—and exposes the deception of churches that built their theology on false, unbiblical foundations.
Even Protestant churches contributed: many simply adopted Sunday practice without a biblically compelling basis. In the Protestant tradition, this shift was not rooted in Scripture but adopted from the authority of the Catholic Church.
The Deeper Spiritual Charge
Considering all this:
The sign of Jonah was a divine test: 72 hours in the tomb, not a symbolic period.
The churches instead defined their own schedule—Sunday instead of Sabbath—altering the divine seal.
This is not just a historical deviation but a theological rejection: it is as if one tells God not to trust Him by disregarding His clear prophecies and time signs.
Thus, by changing the Sabbath to Sunday, many churches replaced divine command with human regulations. They placed themselves above what Yeshua Himself established as a sign of His divine authority. This breach is not a minor theological error but a fundamental betrayal of divine truth as revealed in His own Word.
Those who trust God’s Word above human tradition recognize the truth of the Sabbath, the sign of Jonah, and God’s unbroken timeline. Ignoring the sign defends not the church but a human construction contrary to God’s clear words.
Conclusion
God’s Word holds authority, not our traditions. By connecting the sign of Jonah to God’s Word, we see God’s great plan—and enter into a deeper, holier relationship with Him. The sign of Jonah and the temple is the key to truth, uniting all biblical details. Yeshua’s resurrection occurred on the Sabbath before sunset, not Sunday. Those faithful to God’s Word recognize His plan and break through all false constructs of human tradition.
Martin Walther