International Churches of Christ

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these messages) This article may rely excessively on sources too closely associated with the subject, potentially preventing the article from being verifiable and neutral. Please help improve it by replacing them with more appropriate citations to reliable, independent sources. (September 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Some of this article's listed sources may not be reliable. Please help improve this article by looking for better, more reliable sources. Unreliable citations may be challenged and removed. (September 2023) (Learn how and when to remove this message) This article possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (October 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

International Churches of Christ
An International Church of Christ worship service
Classification	Protestant[1]
Orientation	Restorationist
Polity	Congregationalist
Associations	HOPE Worldwide[2] Disciples Today[3] IPI Books[4]
Region	Global (144 nations)[5][better source needed]
Official website	International Churches of Christ

The International Churches of Christ (ICOC) is a body of decentralized, co-operating, religiously conservative and racially integrated Christian congregations.^{[6][better source needed][7]} Originating from the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement, the ICOC emerged from the discipling movement within the Churches of Christ in the 1970s. Kip McKean, a key figure until 2003, expanded the church from Gainesville to Boston and it quickly became one of the fastest growing Christian movements with a heavy focus on US college campuses. Under his leadership, the ICOC experienced rapid growth but also faced criticism. In March 2024, the ICOC numbered their members at 112,000.^{[6][better source needed]}

The ICOC is organized with a cooperative leadership structure broken down into regional families that have their own representative delegates. Viewing the Bible as the sole authority, the ICOC emphasizes being a non-denominational church united under Christ. It advocates salvation through faith and baptism, rejects "faith alone", and emphasizes global unity. Historically, the church practiced exclusive baptism and strict "discipling", but since 2002, has shifted to a more decentralized, voluntary discipling approach. The ICOC also promotes racial integration, opposes abortion and recreational drugs, and engages in international service through the HOPE Worldwide.

David V. Barrett noted in 2001 that in the 1990s the ICOC "attracted a huge amount of criticism and hostility" from the anti-cult movement. The church's emphasis on and system of discipling during the period of McKean's leadership was the subject of particular criticism, with some ex-members alleging that it involved the humiliation of vulnerable members. The ICOC's use of "love bombing", which involved drawing members in through showing them love and affection that became more conditional over time, was also criticised, due to its tendency to attract vulnerable and lonely people. The church has been barred from recruiting students on campuses or has been denied student organization status at numerous universities.

In 2022, the ICOC were named in US federal lawsuits, alleging that leaders of the church covered up the sexual abuse of children and financially exploited members between 1987 and 2012. The complaints were voluntary dismissed at the request of the plaintiffs in July 2023 and similar lawsuits were then filed in the Superior Court in Los Angeles, California.