I address this directly to my dear ICOC brothers holding so rigidly to the hope that we were wrong to expect so much from young Christians.

I would describe your objections in short as follows…
Firstly that the ICC should not be training it’s baptised adults to share their faith and share the scriptures as a first principle of their christian walk. You think this is evil and that we invented this practice ourselves!
Secondly that this is largely responsible for the 50% fall away rate in the ICOC between 1979 and 2002.

I don’t know if you are aware that (like Andy Fleming) I have made a detailed investigation of this whole topic Theophilus. Andy’s PhD falls short in that it stops just before 2003, sidestepping a huge catastrophic event, and followed by an explosive restorative period still happening today as many 100s of former ICOC disciples have moved forward by returning to the ICC (the real ICOC). Andy’s Doctorate therefore remains only partially complete! Nonetheless he is called Doctor because his paper was marked by non-Christians who really had no clue about the topic either!

I have taken the time to study this out exhaustively, unlike Fleming and Jacoby, who flagrantly ignore a huge body of scripture from Genesis to Revelation in what has now become their false teaching regarding ‘falling away’.

I would gladly share the scriptures with you to try to change your mind Theophilus.. if you were open to that. Indeed, although I have offered, it appears as if you are not interested. Still, I will share those Scriptures here all the same.

In essence falling away is a key feature of Jesus ministry. https://morganites.org/catastrophic-christianity/

The vast majority of falling away is over:

POWER

Part 1 https://morganites.org/catastrophic-christianity-part-ii/

Part 2 https://morganites.org/rr-6-catastrophic-christianity-part-iii-former-icoc-hotnews-dj-fall-away/

SEX

https://morganites.org/rr-7-0-the-real-reason-the-icoc-fell-apart-2/

And MONEY.

Part 1 https://morganites.org/rr-8-1-catastrophic-christianity-money-and-loosing-your-salvation/

Part 2 https://morganites.org/more-bang-for-you-buck/

There are no examples regarding falling away due to evangelism in scripture!

If I consider your objection, it is noteworthy that I’ve heard this a number of times in a number of different ways from you and others in the last few years Theophilus. Up until now, when the example of the ICC is so clear and the fulfillment of your predictions regarding ongoing falling away so accurate, after due consideration, I have some questions for you. How do you see the following Scriptures?

Acts 8b:1,4, Acts 11:19,26

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. – Those who had been scattered preached the Word wherever they went. Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

This does not say that everyone except the Apostles and young Christians were scattered. In fact, in the face of such extreme persecution, it was clearly the most mature and experienced disciples that stayed in Jerusalem to face down the murderous rage of the religious against the church. Younger, less experienced converts, were amongst the refugees fleeing for their lives. And what does the Acts 8 and 11 passage say about the refugees? It says that those young Christians needed time to heal from the psychological scars of the threat of imminent stoning to death or being run through by sword? No! (Lk 14:26-27). It says those younger in the faith needed time to develop a strong, deep and more sincere relationship with God before they thought about taking part in the evangelistic work of the mature disciple? No! (Judges 6:14). They needed a period of extensive teaching and counselling to prepare adequately for the arguments with the people they would meet when they were mature enough to start their evangelistic journey? No! (Mt 10:19), none of these modern inventions applied to these refugees! Luke simply writes: ‘Those who had been scattered preached the Word wherever they went.’ This means that all except the Apostles were preaching the Word, regardless of their level of maturity. This flies in the face of the modern theology of the former ICOC churches and also your attempts (dear Theophilus) to explain their lack of evangelistic success and their ‘concerns’ regarding the rapid growth of the ICC worldwide in comparison.

One only has to look at the valiant hearts of ICC Ukrainian refugees in 2022 starting churches in Lviv and Warsaw and the Russian disciples from Moscow who started the Tbilisi church, as well as the wartime appointments of those men and women who stood in the gap to lead them during the war in Ukraine since 2022. At my time of writing this, I am visiting the Dublin church taking part with them for a few days in the evangelisation of Ireland. On my second day I sat in on two Bible studies and again on my third and fourth day. In all these places young disciples are embracing the mission and reaping the benifits.

But this is in stark contrast to ICOC theology and the lifestyle that goes with it. The life experience of ICC ‘young Christians’ makes ICOC teachings on maturity look very much like a smoke screen, hiding the lack of evangelistic obedience, of many of those claiming to be mature, who also have little to show in terms of saving souls. And in spite of these mature disciples, holding stonewalling-beliefs, regarding the less mature advancing quickly through to maturity, they themselves are often claiming to be either too traumatised by the fervour that they had in the ICOC prior to 2003 or demotivated by the lukewarmness their leaders have tolerated for over 20 years!

Let’s imagine shall we that the former ICOC churches had a significant proportion of young Christians which they do not. Let’s imagine also that the converts that they have require several months or years to mature to the point where they can start to share with other people. This would mean that there is a growing number of young converts over the last 20 years that are becoming more and more passionate about their evangelism as they reach maturity. We should also be seeing a constant increase in the effectiveness of soul-winning in the former ICOC congregations. None of my friends have reported this and this has not been reported by any of the leadership. I have seen it claimed by my friends in years gone by that things are ‘getting better’, only to be refuted by disciples placing membership in ICC congregations from the former ICOC churches and the leadership reports published by the former ICOC churches themselves.

It has not been mentioned in any conversations I’ve had with my ICOC brothers that they have seen young Christians raising up into leadership. I can only assume that the growth rate is still slow. So this is in actual fact, a very theoretical doctrine regarding the maturation of young converts. A maturing process leading to increased evangelism is likely not happening in practice in the former ICOC churches.

We have dwelt extensively here on Acts chapter 8. Let’s look at some other examples that contradict the modern theology of the former ICOC churches.

The modern ICOC lifestyle!

It is an interesting point to note that the Jehovah’s Witnesses have a belief about most of the converts documented in the Book of Acts. Their official position is that many, or most, or all of these converts were part of their 144,000 (long story – special members who can be baptised quickly) and that this is why the New Testament conversion process is so short compared to the length of time it takes to become a Jehovah’s Witness today. They simultaneously believe that there may still be members of the 144,000 roaming the Earth today.. but I’ve had some of their most senior members admit to me, that it would be virtually impossible because of their modern theology, to be able to baptise someone as quickly as converts were baptised in the New Testament. The average ICC baptism happens after about two to three weeks of bible study. It involves the candidate understanding and developing the kind of urgency needed to know that baptism is something that must happen as soon as possible and should not be delayed. At the same time, it must be preceeded by sufficient instruction so that the person understands what they are committing to. And this is sufficiently dealt with over a two to three week period with someone who is studying a few times a week. This is in sharp contrast to the one to two years that it takes to become a baptised Jehovah Witness. This is one of the main problems with the Jehovah’s Witness conversion process. It clearly does not involve urgency but rather a Western educational system of long periods of study followed by a graduation ceremony. Indeed the adoption of this conversion process coincided with the popularisation of Higher Education amongst the working classes.
The former ICOC churches have a similar attitude to conversion as today’s Jehovah’s Witnesses. This is the testimony of a young man who was studying with the former ICOC church in London a few years ago.

James: ‘Would you give me two short sentences on why you joined us instead of ICOC for an article I’m publishing please?’

Reuban: ‘I was studying the Bible with the ICOC and the ICC at the same time. Decided against the ICOC because they didn’t seem to be in a rush to study with me, it felt a bit relaxed. With the ICC, they were urgent and so it was in line with ‘discipleship’ [Scriptures] – the disciples were focused on my salvation.’

Reuben has been a disciple for a few years and went on his first mission team in his first year (much like myself). He is recently married and now cranks his ministry in Scotland together with his lovely wife!

Acts 18:24-28 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Here was a man who only knew the baptism of John but who was already teaching accurately before he was baptised in Jesus name. How would this man get around the ICOC teachings in 2024. He would have to stop ‘teaching accurately’ and stop ‘vigorously refuting’ anyone until he had time to mature. Where are the exceptions to the rules in the modern ICOC? The ICOC today would have to exclude men like this from their ranks. They cannot admit that these ‘exceptions’ (like the persecuted Jerusalem disciples) could go ahead and preach immediately after baptism, because once they would allow Apollos to preach, they would also have to admit that anyone with talent and skill regarding doctrine, can go ahead and do this straight away after converting. They would then be losing the maturity argument in it’s entirety. What would stop anyone else from going straight into an evangelistic training? This new ICOC doctrine is unbiblical. It is simply the case, that the bible does not highlight exceptions but the normal experience of young Christians sharing their faith before, during and just after convertion.

The example of the persecuted diaspora (Acts 8, 11) was there for the Apostle Paul who was one of their persecutors who himself preached as a young Christian!

Acts 9:18-23
Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptised, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him,

The ICOC today would be just as astonished and baffled as these Jews, that Paul would be preaching in such an immature state! Who told this man he could do this? Hasn’t anyone explained the doctrine of maturity to Paul? He is certain to fall away quickly! We need to stop this abuse!

Not only the young converts of the Jerusalem church, but Paul of Tarsus and young converts like Apollos coming in from out of town were thrown into ministry immediately after baptism. Not a single Apostle was concerned that this happened. Instead you can tell that this was emphasised as an act of the Holy Spirit. So those who forbid young Christians to evangelise are blaspheming against the Holy Spirit!

And we do not have time to discuss in detail the cases of Lydia and and the Jailer (Acts 16) who not only became brother and sister in a matter of days but both simultaneously started house churches by influencing several others during their own convertions. Likewise Cornelius (Acts 10:7,24), who brought colleagues, friends and family to be baptised at his own baptism! Crispus of Corinth, who though only in possession of an immature faith, ‘risked the falling away of his whole household’ [sarcasm] who he brought for baptism without ‘taking time to grow himself into maturity’ [sarcasm] (Acts 18). The Apostles were so insensitive as to allow this situation where the whole household were baby Christians [sarcasm]! In the modern ICOC, they will again need to make light of the Ethiopian in Acts 8 where he went on his way with no-one to mature him in Christ!
The modern ICOC would write a letter to the Apostles that would go something like this….

‘Brother, That seems like its going well. We have some points of concern to bring up though brother. I remember we came into a mission field too in 1991 and we didn’t have the numbers you are having there in Palestine and Asia Minor. I just fear though its Deja Vu… baptise at the front and a very high percentage fall off at the back, then we just declared they fell because they hadn’t got good hearts for God. It sounds like a race, a competition who’s doing the most etc, Its sounds good Paul to be honest with you, but my heart sinks for the many who wont get a chance to develop deep faith and trust in God and his deep love for them. It will be as soon as they are out of the water.. focus on getting them strong enough quickly and get them evangelising asap, and before ya know it history repeats itself. I’m just not ready to go back to that place where people fall away. Sorry Paul. Good Luck and God Bless brother. Theophilus.’

All these babies from the New Testament would need to remain on the sidewalk in ‘timeout’ for setting such a terrible example to other young Christians. And our ICOC brothers will continue to remain concerned, stopping ‘the Lord’s hand’ from being with the young Christians (Acts 11:21, Mt 23:13), denying responsibility to join us (Mt 26:58) and suffer with us, the slander of ex-members and false evangelists spouting ridiculous ideologies about ‘falling away because of evangelism’. They will stay in their panelled houses while they watch us from afar, with conflicted hearts, satisfying their need to justify their churchianity with slow roast Jehovah-Witness-style conversions and calling them disciples. It is not the ICC’s continuity of the practice of raising evangelistic young converts that is an abuse, but it is the poisonous venom of the new ICOC maturity doctrine that is preventing them from making true worshippers. To my ICOC brothers in Ireland. The country is now being evangelised under your noses! We are planning over 20 mission teams worldwide this year. The harvest is plentiful but the WORKERS are few!

Brothers. Stop leaving the babies on the sidewalk. Roll your sleeves up and come and get stuck in!