Excerpts from 'What does the Boston movement Teach'

By Jerry Jones, Th.D.

Kip McKean said: "To not have discipleship is to be rebellious to God and to the leadership of the congregation" 1988 Leadership Conference in Boston.

Scott Green said: "To have the attitude that 'Listen, I want you to be an obedient disciple, I want you to do what I say because this is the pattern of God.' Listen, unless you got that person's trust, they are not going to want to obey. So we need to talk about trust, produce friendship; this will produce disciple who want to obey." 1988 Leadership Conference.

Kip McKean teaches: "The person that you are discipling must believe, must trust that you are out for God and their best interest. Because you see there is going to be some advicec they will not understand. But if they trust that you are out for God and their best interest they will obey… they must believe emphatically that your judgment is better than theirs….Friendship which builds trust which allows you to be able to guide them and to mold their lives." 1988 Leadership Conference in Boston.

In an article called 'Because You Say So,' written by Ed Townsend, who was discipled by Al Baird, he writes: "In order to be discipled by others a person must have a trusting heart, one that listens even when it doesn't fully comprehend or see the end result. Proverbs 3:5 teaches: 'Lean not on your own understanding.'…Do you trust those discipling you? Do you trust beyond the point of your own understanding?…Teachability and trust always leads to total obedience….the proof is always obedience. Do you fully obey when you're given direction and instruction or do you interpret, filter or revise what you hear? If we are really going to learn from others, we must decide to fully obey."

At the June 1987 Atlanta Leadership Conference Jim Blough, who was discipled by Kip McKean, explained: "Let me tell you my attitude towards Kip. Let me explain to you. You know, I may have a good quality here and there, occasionally. If you look hard enough, you can find one in almost everyone, you know. But I believe this. I believe if I could become exactly like Kip, I'll be a whole lot more useful to God than I am by myself. Do you know what I'm saying? I believe that. You know what I do? I humbled myself before Kip. Kip says, 'Okay.' I don't argue, I don't question; I do it. Why? Because I want to be more effective for God."

Kip McKean is the leader of the International Church of Christ, a.k.a. as Boston Church of Christ. These are statements about Kip McKean from members and followers.

Scott Green at the 1988 Boston World Missions Seminar said: "I want to be able to imitate Kip McKean. I want to preach like him. I want to think like him. I want to talk like him."

Scott Green further states at the 1988 Leadership Conference: "It would suit me just fine if I could leave this place and say you know - I just want to be exactly like Kip. I just want to be exactly like Kip. That would be enough."

In a speech in Chicago on November 29, 1987 Marty Fuqua stated: "Jesus was loyal to the people he was discipling. The person who discipled me in the Lord is Kip McKean, the evangelist of the Boston Church. I want to be just like him. When he tells me things to do, you better believe I listen. And as I think back on the course of my relationships with Kip, I can tell you honestly, there are few times that I bucked Kip. And I can tell you honestly that I did wrong every time. It was not right to be arrogant, to be proud, to be rebellious…I want the guys who I am discipling to want to be like me."

Sam Laing, converted by Kip McKean and resigned as the evangelist in Boston to become Mission Evangelist said: "Kip McKean is the greatest living treasure that God has given the kingdom on the face of the earth today…the influence of a man like this, just like the influence of a Peter, John, Titus or a Paul, cannot be limited to one place or one situation. That influence must be free to range throughout the world, and to be used by God all over the world." Discipleship Magazine:Summer Quarter, 1988.

Steve Johnson wrote in the Spring Quarter issue of Discipleship Magazine in 1989: "And again to those who believe that I, like countless others in a 'manmade movement' am blindly following Kip McKean, then know this. With eyes wide open I'm following Kip McKean; Consciously, Intentionally; Thankfully. I guess I'm just not as strong as some folks and I need help in following Jesus. And so far, I've found no better help, no better leader, no more righteous a man - no better friend than Kip."

Nick Young referred to God's raising up Kip McKean in the following article from Dallas in 1990: "God, however, would not let this situation go unchecked indefinitely. Consequently, he raised up Kip McKean and the Boston Church of Christ to see exactly what the Bible taught…"

On August 8, 1989, Al Baird responded to the following questions posed by Buddy Martin of Cape Cod, Massachusetts:

Question: Who assigned the evangelist in Nashville?

Al Baird: I appointed him (referring to Jim Condon, JJ).

Question: Who does he report to ?

Al Baird: He does not report to me.

Question: Who does he report to?

Al Baird: He reports to Steve Sapp in Atlanta.

Question: Who does Steve report to?

Al Baird: To Steve Johnson in New York.

Question: Who does Steve Johnson report to?

Al Baird: Steve Johnson is discipled by Kip.

Question: Who does Kip report to?

Al Baird: Kip reports to, to - uh - I don't know - no one.

Kip McKean in June 1988 at the Denver Reconstruction said: "…I believe with all my heart a few years ago the Lord put that plan upon my heart. And you cannot have qualms about me. I am not perfect; I am a sinner. Hey, you can talk to Preston, you can talk to Marty. I am not perfect. But you cannot have any bad attitude toward me personally or toward the Boston church. I say that in the Lord…."

In the Summer Quarter 1989 of the Discipleship Magazine, Marty Wooten (editor) wrote: "Yet, no commemoration of the Boston Church of Christ would be complete without honoring The one man God has used above us all, Kip McKean. To say that Kip is a talented man is an understatement and does no do justice to him. Kip is an incredible balance of talent and is leading because of his example in so many areas. There are brothers among us who are known for their humility, or their passion, or their creativity, or their faith. Kip is leading us because he is known for all of these virtues and many more. In fact, I cannot think of any virtue that Kip is not known for. There is no greater discipler, disciple, brother, husband, father, leader, and friend than Kip McKean. Some say it is dangerous to respect any one man that much. I believe it is more dangerous not to. I would hate to think where we would be if Kip had not pointed the way in the movement and in many of our personal lives."

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