The International Churches of Christ is a theologically conservative body that broke with the Churches of Christ in 1993.
Like its parent body, the ICOC considers itself to be non-denominational. Its organizational structure is designed to avoid an overly centralized authority on one hand, and disconnected autonomy on the other.
The ICOC have about six hundred and fifty churches in more than a hundred and fifty nations, forming thirty regions that oversee the church's work within their geographic areas. Each region sends evangelists, elders, and teachers to an annual leadership conference, where delegated cooperate on world evangelism.
As did the early leaders of the Restorationist movement, the ICOC holds to the idea of a single universal church. While recognizing that Christians are separated into denominations and sects, the ICOC holds that this is not the biblical way.
The ministerial training programs of the International Churches of Christ is the Ministry Training Academy, whose program includes twelve core courses divided into the areas of biblical knowledge, spiritual development, and ministry leadership.
The ICOC partners with several organizations. Some of these are arms of the church, while others are unrelated. Among these is HOPE Worldwide, an arm of the ICOC that collects charitable donations to the poor.
ICOC's break with the Churches of Christ was over its discipling methods. Those who became the core group of the ICOC were engaged in a intense recruitment effort, especially among college students and young adults without a church home. In a method called discipling, members of the group would commit themselves as disciples with a responsibility to bring new members into the fold, and then to train them to become disciples themselves. Strict obedience to the discipler is required, and all personal decisions, including dating and marriage, are subject to the approval of the discipler. Members are required to confess their sins, which may be recorded for future reference.
Since the 2001 resignation of Kip McKean, one of the ICOC's founders, the organization there have been reforms in its policy of discipling, but membership has also been declining.
The International Churches of Christ holds that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and the sole source of doctrine and practice. Members of the ICOC consider themselves to be part of the original church established by Jesus Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection, and that this church became evident on the Day of Pentecost.
Those who follow the plan of salvation as written in the Scriptures are saved by the grace of God, through faith in Christ, at the time of baptism. Baptism is necessary for the forgiveness of sins. An understanding of the role of baptism is also necessary for salvation.
A notable difference between the ICOC and the Churches of Christ is that, while the COC permits only those practices found in the New Testament account, the ICOC considers practices to be permissible unless expressly forbidden by the New Testament record.
Typical among congregations in the ICOC is the lack of established church buildings. Churches usually meet in rented spaces, such as hotel conference rooms, rented halls, schools, public auditoriums, or small stadiums, depending on the size of the congregation. This is not true of all ICOC churches, however. After the Tokyo Church of Christ became the first ICOC church to build its own church building, others have followed suit.
Continuing its strong emphasis on evangelism, the ICOC has a program known as the "One Year Challenge," in which graduating students take a year off before starting a career to serve another church in a disadvantaged country or a recently planted church looking to reach the younger generation with the gospel.
Another ICOC program is "Bible Talk." In this program, a small group of disciples meet once a week to read the Bible together and build relationships within the church.
The focus of this category is on the International Churches of Christ and affiliated organizations, corporations, and partnerships. Local congregations should be submitted to the Local & Global category appropriate for its geographical location, however.
Recommended Resources
The International Churches of Christ is a non-denominational fellowship of cooperating churches within the Restorationist movement. An introduction to the fellowship is set forth, and its campus ministries, network, and chapters may be found on an interactive map. Its campus ministries and ministries to singles and families are included, along with a calendar of events and a list of conferences, camps, and academies.
https://www.disciplestoday.org/
Created for the purpose of disseminating news from International Church of Christ congregations throughout the world, the online news outlet publishes news and other articles from correspondents around the world and from its own editorial team. An introduction to the fellowship is presented, and its articles are published in chronological order, with the newest articles first. A guide to other ICOC sites is included.
http://www.icochotnews.com/
International Church of Christ, Nigeria
The ICOC began its work in Nigeria with the planting of the Lagos Christian Church in 1989 by members of the London Church of Christ, before the ICOC left that body. A historical sketch of its work and activity in Nigeria is given, along with a directory of missions and locations in the country, Its leadership, church structure, and constitution are published, and several informational articles and videos are included.
http://icocnigeria.org/
International Churches of Christ Leadership
The organizational and leadership structure of the ICOC is set forth, in writing and on a graph. A list of delegates and service teams are posted to the site, along with proposals, and a plan for united cooperation. A directory of worldwide congregations, future meetings, and global missions are published to the site, including average attendance and other details, and a list of other ICOC resources.
http://icocco-op.org/
London International Church of Christ
A member congregation of ICC Missions and a registered charity in England and Wales, the body includes churches in Belfast, Birmingham, Dublin, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leicester, Manchester, Norwich, and Thames Valley, which are highlighted here, along with its camps, community services, and other programs. A calendar of events, leadership contacts, and a sermon archive are included.
http://www.thelondonchurch.org/
An organization of former members of the International Churches of Christ and some of its predecessor movements, the site provides critical information about the beliefs and practices of the Christian fellowship to former and current members of the ICOC, as well as family members, friends, and others who have encountered the Christian body in some way. The organization’s perspective on the ICOC is given, along with stories from former ICOC members.
http://www.reveal.org/
