Letter heard Around the World

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Written in 2003 to call out the systemic evils permeating throughout the International Church of Christ 'movement', current members should question if these points still apply today:

• In short, what has been sown is now being reaped, and those practices and sins that are systemic to our movement are being exposed by God.

• My criticisms and concerns are not merely about one’s personal style of leadership, and cannot be dismissed as the actions of a few rogue leaders or overly zealous, but immature evangelists. 

• For the most part, we as a ‘movement’ have succumbed to several evils that are systemic-and are bitterly difficult to admit, let alone see our way out of. 

• What is essential to our success is this: not only must the sins and abuses be radically repented of (and there are many), but also, more importantly, the structural evils that helped foster them must be theologically exposed and denounced. 

• Our entire religious movement- our culture and belief system, our spiritual abuses, the way we train our Christians, and our control mechanisms are so widespread and invasive, that unless they are officially, uniformly and publicly denounced, they will continue on forever. Sweeping evils and bad theology can only be rectified by exposing and opposing.

• By and large, intentional and unintentional, we have become a religious hierarchy that has created, fostered and sustained a culture of control and dependence on men, rather than freedom. 

• We have universally maligned our critics, and tried to protect our members from reading ‘spiritual pornography’. Other materials are also censored from widespread circulation-brilliant and Scripturally insightful papers from some of our own teachers among them. Papers that have gone against the party line.

• We have routinely humiliated and marginalized those members who speak out as ‘critical’ and ‘disloyal.’ Many of our churches have autocratic leaders. We give perks to the compliant, and bigger pay checks to those higher up the chain of command. We reward outward conformity.

• We have also exerted ‘influence’ or suppressed suspicions by the use of ‘spin’, non-transparency, and double standards. For example, we are very open about the sins of those underneath us, but not those ‘above’ us, because ‘it will hurt the church’.

• We have seen almost all criticism of the movement to be sinful. We accuse people of having bad hearts or bad attitudes or independent spirits, when very often, they have every right to feel as they do. When anyone does leave the church, they are automatically categorized as a ‘fall away.’ But why? Many have left because of conscience issues, or harsh treatment, or from feeling trapped and guilty by the way they’ve been led. 

• Through our discipleship partner theology, we have attempted, like modern -day Pharisees, to put a hedge around God’s law. In trying to protect or control the Christians, we have routinely violated their liberty in Christ. 

• Our lack of autonomy and freedom has blunted our thinking. There is very little ‘thinking outside the box’ in the ‘ICOC’ in terms of diversity in leadership structure, women’s role in ministry, the collection of contribution, and even our teaching (e.g. the ‘official studies’) All of this contributes to the control of our members and ministry staff, a putting out of the Spirit’s fire.

• The way we have moved leaders around at will and altered the leadership of many churches is also questionable. So many leaders have been moved or replaced for ‘not doing well’ even when their local congregations love them and want them. Conversely, we routinely place evangelists over a congregation without even consulting the members, or allowing the leaders to be commended by those they will lead. 

• Because so many of us have been conditioned to acquiesce, we just keep slipping in more and more control mechanisms and unbiblical practices without discussion or debate. The reason: ‘being unified is more important than being right’. 

• The motives for what we do and why we do it have become so askew that I am afraid many will not be able to recover. Selfish ambition and humanism have led to the systematic abuse of stats and stat- taking, goal setting and goal making. This has ruined countless lives in the process, damaged our integrity and trustworthiness as ministers and leaders, and has fostered a climate of manipulation, fear and men pleasing.

• The consciences of thousands, especially new and vulnerable staff members and new Bible Talk or Family Group leaders have been violated. And they in turn have compelled others to do the same. This is systemic-a phenomenon that reaches from top to bottom. This cannot be denied.

• We have taken off, prematurely, the very weak or very discouraged, because we want a ‘tight ship’ Entire families have been ruined by this conceit and immaturity. We have, in short, slaughtered the innocents.

• The LA Ratio. What is that? What if we had an apostolic ratio, or a Pauline ratio or an Antioch ratio? Would that not bury us in shame? Maybe that is why there is not even the remotest hint of such in Scripture. 

• We have consistently judged the ‘sharp’ or prominent of greater worth than the poor or less talented - because of what they can accomplish ‘for the church’ .We are judges with evil thoughts, said James.

• We have ranked and competed and defiled and manipulated, even used others, to satisfy the wants and needs of sinful pride or insecurity -and to please the men who are ‘over us’ and ‘over them’ and ‘over them’ etc. 

• By and large, we have been extremely arrogant. I would even say, we have become a breeding ground for proud and arrogant men. 

• Besides our entire hierarchy and control mechanisms, there are many: Not only have we allowed it, but we have sustained the cult of personality. We have created and accepted titles that have in turn created barriers and strengthened the clergy / laity mindset.

• We have evolved into a culture where the oppression and squashing of godly men is acceptable, even the norm. Where ‘get in line, or get out’ is said, where ‘make the numbers or get another job’ is casually declared, where ‘comply or die’ is an unspoken truth. There is a reason God has appointed us the leaders – we must be ‘better men’ -so shut up and listen!

• We have built, by design, (or at the very least have not dismantled it by design) a culture of control and intimidation that shuts down and marginalizes men and women who ‘disagree’. This is an absolute abuse of power and total betrayal of our freedom in Christ.

• In like spirit, we have routinely protected those ‘above’ because ‘what if the critics found out’ or ‘it will cause the weaker among us to stumble’. This is a direct violation of scripture – even our elders who sin must be rebuked publicly ‘so that others may be warned’.