THE INTERNATIONAL CHURCHES OF CHRIST / BOSTON MOVEMENT
A Preliminary Bibliography
Nov 1996
Updated: Feb 19, 1997

Current Date: June 23, 1999

Please note that I am no longer updating this document.
I'm leaving it accessible on the web simply for archival purposes.
For further information, please contact me at: elliott@email.unc.edu


Compiled by:
Joel Elliott
Dept of Religious Studies
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

Table of Contents:

    1. Official ICC Resources
    2. Published Books and Articles on the ICC / BM
    3. Articles in Newspapers, Magazines, etc.
    4. Some Resources available on the Internet:


Note: The appearance of an asterisk [*] before a sources
indicates that the sources is especially useful

Official ICC Resources


The International Churches of Christ (Official Home Page)

Discipleship Publications International (DPI Books).


The ICC's Evangelization Proclamation

*Ferguson, Gordon. Love One Another: The Vitality and Power of Christian Relationships. Woburn, MA: Discipleship Publications International, 1993. [booklet].

*---. Prepared to Answer. Woburn, MA: Discipleship Publications International, 1995.

*---. Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory: The Victory of the Lamb in the Book of Revelation. Woburn, MA: Discipleship Publications International, 1996.

*Jones, Thomas, and Sheila Jones, eds. Thirty Days at the Foot of the Cross. Woburn, MA: Discipleship Publications International, 1993.

*Jones, Tom, and Roger Lamb. "'You Might be Fighting God': A guide to understanding what has happened in almost 2000 years of church history--and exciting news of what God is doing in our day." In First Principles: International Churches of Christ, edited by K. I. P. Mckean, 28-33. Woburn, MA: Discipleship Publications International, 1993.

*Mckean, Kip. First Principles: International Churches of Christ. Woburn, MA: Discipleship Publications International, 1993. [See studies by Steve Rauch below.]

URL: http://www.icoc.org/who/bible/bible.html

*---. "Revolution through Restoration: From Jerusalem to Rome: From Boston to Moscow." UpsideDown (April 1992): 5-16.

*---. "Revolution through Restoration II." UpsideDown (April 1994): 4- 11.

*Wooten, Martin Edward. "The Boston Movement as a 'Revitalization Movement'." D.Min. Thesis, Harding Graduate School of Religion, 1990.


Published Books and Articles on the ICC / BM


Barnett, Maurice. The Discipling Movement: A Study of the Neo- Crossroads Philosophy among Churches of Christ. 2nd ed., rev ed. Phoenix, AZ: [by the author], 1989.

*Bauer, Rick. Toxic Christianity: The International Churches of Christ / Boston Movement Cult. Washington, DC: Freedom House, 199x.

*Bauer, Sarah. A Time To Speak. Washington, DC: Freedom House, 199x.

*Cates, Carl M. "Cult Rhetoric: A Genre of Manipulative Speech." Ph.D. Dissertation, The Florida State University, 1994.

Deffenbaugh, Don. The Discipling Movement among Churches of Christ. Neosho, Mo.: [by the author], 1986.

Dixon, Danny Andre. Discipling Ministries: An Inside Look. Examining the Errors of Legalism in Discipling Ministries. Nashville: Gospel Advocate, 1987.

Geraghty, Mary. "Recruiting Tactics of a Religious Group Stir Campus Concerns: Some educators warn that it acts like a cult; others say students can make up their own minds." The Chronicle of Higher Education, December 14, 1995

*Giambalvo, Carol, and Herbert L. Rosedale, eds. The Boston Movement; Critical Perspectives on the International Churches of Christ. Bonita Springs: American Family Foundation, 1996.

Summary of contents from: http://www.csj.org/icep.html (AFF's Home Page)

*Hall, Douglas Leon. "Authoritarian Theology in the Boston Church of Christ: A Short-Circuit of Christianity." M.A. Thesis, Abilene Christian University, 1991.

*Henegar, Richard J. "Discipling Churches of Christ: An Assessment of Pre, Peak, and Post Involvement of Former Members using the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator." Ph.D. Dissertation, United States International University, 1992.

Hughes, Richard T. Reviving the Ancient Faith: The Story of Churches of Christ in America. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1996. [pp. 357-63].

*Jones, Jerry. What Does the Boston Movement Teach Vol. 1. Bridgeton, MO: Privately published by the author, 1990. Vol. 2, 1990; Vol. 3, 1993.

Martin, F. H. Multiplying Ministries Movement: A Six-part Informative Lecture Series. Houston, Tex.: Memorial Church of Christ, 1987.

O'Connor, James. Skaken: My Experience in the Boston Church of Christ Discipling Movement. [unknown]: [unknown],19??. [I've got only a photocopy that someone gave to me with no publication information.]

Owens, Marion. Time to Go: A New Look at the Boston Movement. Fort Worth, Tex.: Star Bible Publications, 1995.

*Paden, Russell. "From the Churches of Christ to the Boston Movement: A Comparative Study." M.A. Thesis, University of Kansas, 1994. Electronic copies available at:

*---. "The Boston Church of Christ." In America's Alternative Religions, edited by Timothy Miller, 133-40. Albany: State University of New York Press, 1995.

Pile, William, and Carmelita Pile. Going for the Gold in Discipleship: Experiences in Neo-discipling Congregations. Fort Worth, Tex.: Star Bible Publications, 1989.

Pittman, Rick. Cracks in the Mirror: Experiences in the Boston Movement. Abilene, Tex.: Pittman, 1993.

Robinson, G. James. "Crossroads: Cult or Commitment I. The Gainesville Triangle." Mission Journal 12 (1979): 3-8.

---. "Crossroads: Cult or Commitment II. Where We'll Be When We Get Where We're Going." Mission Journal 12 (1979): 10-13.

Stearsman, Jackie Maxwell. A Critique of the Multiplying Ministries of the Boston Church of Christ. Lakeland, Fla.: Stearsman's, 1987.

*Yeakley, Flavil. The Discipling Dilemma: A Study of the Discipling Movement among Churches of Christ. Nashville, TN: Gospel Advocate, 1988. Out of print, but electronic version available at:

Yeakley, Flavil R. "Male-Female Differences in Response to Conformity Pressure in an Authoritarian Religious Group." A paper presented at the annual convention of the Society for Scientific Study of Religion and the Religious Research Association, St. Louis, MO, October 1995.


Articles in Newspapers, Magazines, etc.


Ahmad, Shaheena. "Church seeks to proselytize Yalies" Yale Daily News, September 13, 1995.

Burdshaw, Anna. "Triangle Church of Christ Takes Heat from Anti-Cult Groups." The Daily Tarheel (Univ of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), December 3, 1993, pp. 1A, 6A.

D'Arcy, Janice. "Leaders of campus ministries target Campus Advance." The Daily Targum, November 14, 1994.

D'Arcy, Janice. "Controversy over Campus Advance not new at RU: Religious group accused of cult-like tactics." The Daily Targum, November 15, 1994.

Dart, John. "Boston Church Keeps Revival Movement Low-key in Southland. LA Times (Home Edition) August 4, 1990, p. F16.

Gordon, Seth. Four articles in The Tech (M.I.T.):

Huang, Thomas T. "Boston Church Recruits Pursue Interphase Frosh," The Tech (M.I.T.), September 1, 1987, pp. 1,11.

Kachur, Robert M. "Special Report: Campus Cultic Groups," U, (April/May) 1987, pp. 2ff.

Gamill, Marion B. "Boston Church of Christ Recruiting on Campus." The Harvard Crimson, Jan 13, 1994, pp. 1, 5

Griest, Stephanie. "Campus Crusaders: The Fast-Growing International Churches of Christ Welcomes Students with Open Arms." The Washingon Post, September 3, 1995, p. F1.

Guggenheim, Ken. "Church's Membership Rises; So Does Criticism." Los Angeles Times September 25, 1994, p. A20.

Mckibben, Dave. "For Former O.C. Prep Star, Bible Beats College, Football." LA Times (Orange County Edition), October 7, 1994, p. A1.

Ostling, Richard N. "Keepers of the Flock (Boston Church of Christ Evangelizing Tactics). Time (May 18, 1992): 62.

Wright, Julie. Three articles from the Wichita Eagle - a daily newpaper commenting on the Wichita Church of Christ. June 3, 1995.




Some Resources available on the Internet:


A Glossary of ICC Terms from REVEAL

"Inspired by a series of posts by former San Francisco Church of Christ member Shalon Goldsby to the Usenet newsgroup alt.religion.christian.boston-church, and by a need to define certain ICC terminology used in a couple of articles written by former members. It may be read, as a commentary on the language of the movement, or referred to in another document to define a word or term that document uses."

Usenet group: alt.religion.christian.boston-church

Bauer, Rick. Responding to the Boston Movement / International Churches of Christ.

Bjornstad, James. "At What Price Success?: The Boston (Church of Christ) Movement" (an article from the Christian Research Journal, Winter 1993, page 24).

Cannon, Stephen F. "The Boston Church of Christ: Has Mind Control Come to Beantown?"

Carden, Michael. "A Look at the International Church of Christ: The Real Scoop." [A positive account of Michael's involvement with the ICC.]

Freedom House Ministries Books & Video Tape Materials on the International Churches of Christ/Boston Movement.

Rauch, Steven. ICC Bible Studies - "the requisite studies before initiation into the ICC, with additional notes by SR." [NB: these are an early version of the study outlines printed in McKean's First Principles (see entry above).

*REVEAL: Former Members of the ICC and predecessors. [An excellent and growing collection of resources.]

What is REVEAL?: "REVEAL is an organization of former members of the International Church of Christ (ICC) and its predecessors, the Boston Movement/Boston Church of Christ and Crossroads Movement/Crossroads Church of Christ, and of family and friends of both current and former members. Its purpose is to bring the ICC into the light of day -- to provide accurate, detailed and complete information about its beliefs and practices. By providing this information, we hope to give people the tools they need to assess the ICC and their involvement in it."

Shadrach's Furnace: The International Churches of Christ. [Very useful site]

Sin lists: Documentation. Maintained by: claytonl@eniac.seas.upenn.edu

"The following documentation will show an accurate, chronological display of televised and written material regarding the International Church of Christ's compilation and distribution of members' confidentially confessed sins and will document the ICC organization's entire public response."

Triumphing Over London Cults (Information about the London/Boston Church of Christ).

URL: http://www.tolc.org/

YAHOO: current links for the ICC: YAHOO: International Church of Christ

Zimmerman, David. Controversy in the Boston Church of Christ. 1994.

Last update: 2/10/97 (updated dead links)
Please send additions or corrections to: elliott@email.unc.edu