Hi – I’m a former ICoC member and would like to have my comment posted on your site. You can use my first name.

In 1985 I was 19, on my own, and joined a “regular” Church of Christ in the Los Angeles area. At that time the ICoC was just branching out so they had no presence in Los Angeles at the time but had managed to spread its doctrine to about half of my “regular” CoC congregation–so the indoctrinated half packed up and moved down to San Diego where there was an actual ICoC. I almost went with them, and I’m so glad I got out before they took over my life completely. They had me convinced that my previous baptism at a regular CoC was invalid because it hadn’t been done by them so I had to do it again. (I met at least one person who’d been baptized no less than 3 times!) I had to make a list of my sins and they constantly had me worrying that God was ready to take away my salvation at the drop of a hat if I kept sinning. If I missed a single one of the 2 Sunday services, bible study on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and daily reports of every though that ran through my head to my “discipler” (who’d previously just been my friend…), I was sinning and my salvation was in jeopardy. I was admonished for not praying before eating a strawberry Yoplait. I was admonished for watching an episode of Saturday Night Live. Once I started making friends outside the church, it was obvious to them my salvation was in jeopardy. I wanted to ask them if they really believed that Billy Graham, Chuck Swindoll and the like were going to hell because they weren’t baptized in the ICoC but I didn’t dare because such talk would prove that I was “stumbling” in my walk with the Lord. What makes leaving the ICoC difficult is that much of their doctrine is biblically correct – combine that with the fear and absolute control over every minute of your life, and leaving is nearly impossible. Getting out was like cutting off my arm but I had to do it. After I left, I was as good as burning in hell in the eyes of my ICoC friends. Two years later I met up with an old roommate who eventually left as well but not before they made her quit her job and stay home reading the bible all day. Thank God she came to her senses too. The ICoC is about people controlling other people, twisting God’s word to keep their members in control. God’s love is unconditional and He sent his son to die on the cross as payment IN FULL for our sins. ICoC doctrine wants you to believe that is not the truth. Stay away from them!