International Churches of Christ

The International Churches of Christ (ICOC) is a decentralized fellowship of cooperating, religiously conservative, and racially integrated Christian congregations. With its origins in the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement, the ICOC emerged from the discipling movement within the Churches of Christ during the 1970s. Under the leadership of Kip McKean, a key figure until 2003, the church expanded from its beginnings in Gainesville to Boston, becoming one of the fastest-growing Christian movements by focusing heavily on US college campuses. While experiencing rapid growth, McKean's leadership also attracted criticism. As of March 2024, the ICOC reported a membership of 112,000.

The ICOC operates under a cooperative leadership structure divided into regional families, each with its own representative delegates. The church views the Bible as its sole authority and emphasizes its identity as a non-denominational body united under Christ. Its doctrines advocate for salvation through faith and baptism, rejecting the concept of "faith alone," while stressing global unity. Historically, the ICOC practiced exclusive baptism and strict "discipling." However, since 2002, it has shifted toward a more decentralized and voluntary approach to discipleship. The church promotes racial integration, opposes abortion and recreational drug use, and supports international service efforts through HOPE Worldwide.

According to David V. Barrett in 2001, the ICOC faced significant criticism from the anti-cult movement throughout the 1990s. A major point of contention was the church's discipling system under Kip McKean, which some former members claimed humiliated vulnerable individuals. The ICOC was also criticized for "love bombing"—a tactic of showering new recruits with affection that later turned conditional, which was seen as preying on the lonely and vulnerable. These practices led to the church being barred from recruiting or gaining student organization status on many university campuses.

More recently, the ICOC was implicated in 2022 US federal lawsuits alleging that its leaders covered up child sexual abuse and financially exploited members from 1987 to 2012. Although the plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed these federal cases in July 2023, they subsequently filed similar lawsuits in the Superior Court in Los Angeles, California.