First Principles & Follow Up Studies
Dr. Kip McKean
Dr. Thomas Wayne (Kip) McKean II is a world renowned preacher, missionary, reformer, theologian and humanitarian. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 31, 1954 to Thomas W. and “Kim” McKean, while his father was away on “sea duty.” In time, his beloved father became an Admiral and the Inspector General of the United States Navy Medical Corps.
Kip was baptized as a 17 year old freshman at the University of Florida through the efforts of the 14th Street Church of Christ. He has been happily married to Dr. Elena Garcia-Bengochea since December 11, 1976. Kip initially wrote and published the revolutionary First Principles in 1980, which the Spirit used to propel the then fledgling Boston Movement (named the International Churches of Christ in 1994) into 171 nations by 2001. Kip’s godly and compassionate vision – the evangelization of the nations in this generation – compelled him to personally lead the plantings of the Manila, Bangkok, Moscow and St. Petersburg ICOC’s. As well, in the 1990’s, he was the Lead Evangelist of the Los Angeles ICOC which under his skillful hand grew from 154 to over 10,000 members in 11 years. In short, his theological stance of Christian = Saved = Disciple continues to change the world.
In the 21st century and having to “start over,” God carried Kip and Elena to Portland, Oregon (2003) where these same First Principles led to the Spirit creating the SoldOut Movement (2006), which is more widely known as the International Christian Churches (ICC)! In 2007, Kip led 42 Portland Disciples to plant in Los Angeles the City of Angels ICC. In the ensuing years, as the ICC has spread into 47 nations and counting, Kip founded MERCYworldwide – the benevolent arm of the International Christian Churches (2009), the International College of Christian Ministries (2012), the SoldOut Press International Publishing House (2016), and the Good News Network (2020)! As Kip wrote at the conclusion of every Good News Email, “To God be all the glory!”
Ron Harding M. Min.
Historian of the ICC
August 8, 2020