Articles on Other Religious Topics

McKean's resignation was preceded by a one-year sabbatical, which according to he and his wife's announcement in November, 2001, was undertaken due to "serious shortcomings in our marriage and family." A similar statement was made in McKean's 2002 resignation regarding "the toll of his [McKean's] service on family members."  Dave Anderson of RightCyberUp speculates that the possibility of McKean's children leaving the ICC prompted both the sabbatical and resignation, noting that McKean's children have been publically touted as examples of successful godly parenting, while at the same time McKean's daughter admitted in 1998 that she considered leaving the ICC.

Anderson notes that McKean's reference to "new governance" in the ICC may indicate a change in the senior leadership structure. Anderson points out that the ICC has been moving away from an entirely autocratic leadership to a more consensual government. At the same time, however, he asks, "Although shared decision-making could potentially reduce the overwhelming power held by top leaders, it leaves important questions like, who will get to determine consensus? How will consensus-makers by chosen? And to whom will they be accountable for their decisions and actions?"

Unfortunately, there are few indications of widespread change throughout the ICC. Anderson lists some of the problems that are not addressed in McKean's resignation letter, or in the official ICC responses:

• mandatory, assigned, one-over-one discipling.
• secrecy surrounding ICC finances, which prevents members from seeing enough information to determine the ICC's financial integrity.
• financial pressure: browbeating members to give.
• exclusive doctrines and attitudes that foster elitism and entrap members who might otherwise leave.
• use of deception in recruitment.
• use of McKean's First Principles Bible study series which can manipulate the commitment of recruits to serve the interests of the ICC.
• an environment of information control that prevents many from seeking outside information about the ICC.
• an environment of behavior control that makes people dependent on the group.

Kip was 1/5 of the problem regarding the organization. Many questions are yet to be answered, such as, how will the leadership be structured? Will they still hold onto the First Principle studies Kip Mckean created? Will the core teachings and practices of the ICC still remain? Will Kip reach out to former leaders such as Jerry Jones, Rick Bauer, Ed Powers and personally apologize to them for shutting them down and "not respecting their leadership gifts which could have complimented his own?" Will they really change the entire system or was this announcement just another way for them to save face?

• Carol Giambalvo & Herbert L. Rosedale, The Boston Movement.
• Jerry Jones, What Does the Boston Movement Teach? Volume One.
• Jerry Jones, What Does the Boston Movement Teach? Volume Two.
• Jerry Jones, What Does the Boston Movement Teach? Volume Three.

SOURCES

Michelle Cambell, "If it Walks Like a Duck and Quacks Like a Duck, Then it Must Be Time to Resign," [Online]. URL http://www.reveal.org/responsetoresignation.htm.

Kip McKean, Resignation Letter, November 6, 2002, [Online]. URL http://www.upcyberdown.org/icocmain/Documents/11_02/mckean_resignation.htm.

Kip McKean, "Kip and Elena McKean to Take Sabbatical," Kingdom News Network, [Online]. URL http://www.upcyberdown.org/KNN/archive/2001/11/11/20011111_001.htm.