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Date Posted: 08:56:43 10/12/04 Tue
Author: Chris
Subject: A comparision of ICC with UBF
In reply to: John 's message, "Development of UBF Lite" on 16:54:12 10/11/04 Mon

Hello John, you are welcome on this forum and I really would like to see an exchange between UBF and ICC members. This may be also helpful because if you hear about the same problems from a different group, the truth may sound not so annoying and there are fewer emotions involved, so it’s easier to understand and accept the nature of the problems.

We have discussed about the similarities between ICC and UBF before, and we have watched the reform process in the ICC from far. Because you are the first (former) ICC member who lost his way to this forum, and we haven’t talked about it for a while, I will try to sum up some of our recent discussions first.

The reason why UBF and ICC are so similar is due to the fact that they both are remnants from the shepherding/discipling movement starting in the 1960s. One fundamental difference is that UBF started in Korea, while the ICC started in the USA. The “Crossroads era” (1967-1979) of the ICC corresponds to the “Korean era” of UBF (1962-1976). The “Boston/ICC era” starting in 1979 with Kip McKean becoming the top leader corresponds to the era when Samuel Lee ruled UBF from the new Chicago headquarters starting in 1977. That is, the real “hardcore” UBF and ICC started when other discipling/shepherding ministries such as the “Fort Lauderdale 5” had already recognized it was an unbiblical dead-end street and only led to spiritual abuse, and had repented in 1976. In the same year 1976 even worse kinds of spiritual abuse became also visible in UBF in Korea, but instead of repenting, Lee called it a “rebellion,” made a few cosmetic changes and went to Chicago. He established Chicago as the new UBF headquarters and himself as “General Director.” UBF and ICC both had a pyramid-shape hierarchical structure, with Samuel Lee resp. Kip McKean at the top.

In the beginning, both ministries grew rapidly, but then they became more and more what has been called “revolving door ministries:” Many members left, who were burned out or spiritually abused, with new recruits filling the seats. In terms of numbers, ICC was always playing in a higher league than UBF. Every number in UBF must be multiplied by a factor of at least 10 or 20, maybe more, in order to get the dimensions of the ICC (though Samuel Lee always bragged UBF was the biggest movement of that kind). Both UBF and ICC claim to be “non-confessional.” Both target primarily students in Colleges and Universities, however UBF is more restricted in that point calling itself a “Campus ministry.” (Campuses are the best fishing grounds for all kind of cults.) Both groups use “one-over-one discipling,” both are very authoritarian. Both fall into the category of “totalist aberrant Christian organizations” (TACOs) as defined here.

Both groups are completely autonomous from other churches; contrary to other Campus ministries they have their own Sunday services and do not cooperate with other churches. Both lay heavy emphasis on what they call “mission,” but what in reality is more about recruiting members for the own organization. Both groups are obsessed with numbers. Both groups are elitist and more or less believe they are “the true church” or “God’s (only real) ministry for this generation.”

Both groups control the marriages of the members and other aspects of the private life of members. What is called “discipler” or “discipleship partner” in ICC is called “shepherd” or “Bible teacher” in UBF. Both groups claim “we are an organism, not an organisation” and similar fallacies.

I cannot count all of these similarities, they are amazing. The most striking similarity is that both groups have a similar record of spiritual and financial abuse and complaints by former members.

And, even the latest history is somewhat parallel. Around the year 2000, in both groups, calls for “reform” became louder. In 2002, in both groups, the top leaders suddenly and unexpectedly were “dethroned” (Samuel Lee never apologized and died through a fire in his house; Kip McKean made a half-hearted apology and resigned). In 2002, even after the death of Samuel Lee, the core UBF rejected any reform and expelled the reform leaders. So the UBF was divided into the Reform-UBF (“UBF lite”) and the (hard)core UBF (“UBF classic”). Because there was no chance for reform, the Reform-UBF renamed itself to “CMI” (“Campus Mission International”) and disassociated completely from UBF.

In the ICC, the reform process took a somewhat different course (but maybe, in the end, the results will be the same, as John indicated). One difference was that in the ICC, there was public repentance and there were apologies. It seems to me that these apologies from many high-ranking ICC leaders were sincere and honest, but the apologies from the top leaders were half-hearted and only were published because the pressure was so high. In the CMI, there never was a public repentance or apology, although the CMI leaders had taken part in the same spiritual abusive practices and hurt many. There was only a draft of such an apology, but it was never signed and published. After the Reform-UBF got separated from the rest of UBF, the reform process immediately came to an end. The reform leaders obviously believed there was no need for reform any more, and it was not an issue any more. Necessary debates on principles like the shepherding/discipling teachings were not continued, and as far as I can see, CMI simply became a “UBF lite” as you called it. Some chapters changed more, some less. Some are still very similar to UBF. Similar to UBF members, CMI members do not write on this forum and do not take part in discussions on the Internet. CMI also closed all reform-oriented websites and discussion forums, and there is meanwhile no overlap between CMI and RSQUBF anymore. We know very little about what is going on in the CMI, but the few things we know are disturbing. Arranged marriages are still practiced in the CMI, at least in some chapters, and similar to UBF, CMI does not publish its new (or old) doctrines.

John, maybe you can jump in here and summarize the reform process in the ICC and the current developments, because we are not really informed. Then, we can continue the discussion and talk about in how far these developments are parallel or different.

Speaking of differences, and in order to be complete, I also want to mention some differences between UBF and ICC. But I think these differences are only outwardly, the core problems are very much the same.

As I said, UBF came from Korea. Therefore it is very much tainted with a Confucianist world view. Authoritarism, blind obedience and hierarchical thinking is even more rooted in UBF. Everything seems to be even more extreme, more abusive and more cult-like in UBF. The Confucianist idea of “having face” makes UBF leaders even more unrepentant than ICC leaders. However you think about it, Kip McKean at least issues a written statement of apology when he resigned. It may have been hypocritical, dishonest or a tactical maneuver or whatever you call it. But Samuel Lee would have never, never issued such a statement. Even CMI leaders could not do it. If ICC leaders have made their hearts like rocks, UBF leaders made their hearts like flintstone or diamond. The idea of admitting fundamental and grave fault and sin as a leader contradicts the Korean value of “having face” and therefore is unthinkable for Korean UBF leaders. Another difference already mentioned is the order of magnitude in size, which did not hinder the UBF leader to brag about UBF as if it had that size. Only in the “prayer topics,” UBF had the same size as the ICC.
Though both groups have “leader-controlled” marriage, it is much more extreme and much more arranged in UBF – again due to the Korean origins. UBF does not have the strange controlled “dating” practice of the ICC, in fact “dating” is completely forbidden in UBF.

Another difference is ICC’s baptism doctrine. While the ICC overemphasizes the role of baptism, UBF completely ignores it. It seems like baptism in the ICC is kind of “baptism into ICC,” it is the event where you make a public commitment to ICC which binds you to the ICC, and from then on you feel obliged to work for the ICC. All cults know that it is of utmost important that people make public commitments, because they will then feel obliged to live according to what they “promised.” UBF achieves the same effect with the weekly “Sogams.” The point where an ICC member is baptized corresponds to the point, when a UBF member shared his first “life testimony” in front of a big audience during a UBF conference. These testimonies have two parts. The first part talks about how bad your former life has been (not only concerning sin, but including everything like old family, old church etc.). The second part talks about how you have been converted by the grace of UBF and how wonderful UBF life is, which is equated with Christian life. It ends with some kind of commitment to UBF and the promise to become a “Campus shepherd.” If you look closely, this is the same what happens in ICC “baptism.”

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