VENIA ET VERITAS “GRACE AND TRUTH”

“You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

2 Timothy 2:1-2

Since its inception in 2013, the International College of Christian Ministries – now known as ICCM – has grown from one school in Los Angeles to 27 extension campuses in Abidjan, Boise, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Davao, Edinburgh, Denver, Johannesburg, Lagos, Las Vegas, LA, London, Manila, Mexico, Miami, Minneapolis, New York
City, Rio de Janeiro, San Francisco, Santiago, São Paulo, Seattle, Sydney, Tampa, Toronto, Washington DC! This “dream become reality” was made possible when the Lord answered our prayers on August 16, 2012 as the California Bureau of Postsecondary Education approved our application for the founding of the ICCM. We received the “Verification of Exempt Status” from the State of California which
authorizes the ICCM to grant Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate Degrees in Ministry in accordance with “our” Biblical doctrines and standards.

This “school of prophets” (2 Kings 2:3-5) is not a substitute for Jesus’ plan to train ministers by walking with them side-by-side for a period of years. (Mark 3:13) However, largely unacknowledged by conservative Christendom, Jesus had women in His company when He traveled with the Twelve. (Luke 8:1-3) Imitating this aspect of Jesus’ ministry, in the ICCM, we have an equal number of men and women students. The SoldOut Movement Leadership believes that “our appointed ministers” – Evangelists, Women’s Ministry Leaders, Shepherds, Shepherdesses, MERCY Directors and Administrators – are among the best trained and most effective in all Christendom. Whereas most Christian Denominations have “seminaries” that offer degrees, what we have lacked hitherto is the vehicle to accredit the robust and dynamic course of training that our leaders already undertake, while augmenting our present efforts with more academically-rich Biblical studies.

Interestingly, the European Degree System – Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate Degrees – has been one of the most successful European cultural exports in history. “The Doctorate” (Latin: docio) originated in Medieval Europe as a license to teach (Latin: licentia docendi) at Medieval Universities. Its roots can be traced to the early church when the term “Doctor” referred to the Apostles, Church Fathers and other Christian authorities who taught and interpreted the Bible. This academic program is now present in almost every part of the world – even in China and Saudi Arabia, which are countries not viewed as being “pro-western.” This Degree System has been fully embraced globally, as the most legitimate indication of competency and qualification in a professional field. With the founding of the ICCM, we are able to accord these very high honors to our students as we recognize years of training and work for the advancement of the Gospel all over the world in this generation.

Noteworthy for some countries, these degrees have helped facilitate our missionaries receiving visas. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education (http://chronicle.com/article/Where-Life-Earns-Credit-/64618), “The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) estimates that about half of all colleges and universities offer some form of experiential-learning assessment… In a national study of 48 colleges, the council found that students who completed some form of a prior-learning assessment had higher graduation rates than other students, and also completed their degrees faster.” In other words, more and more colleges offer credit to their students for “on the job” learning and experience. As well, these individuals earn their degrees “more quickly” than students in traditional four-year degree programs! So in the ICCM, we too recognize past years of training, service and the “expert building” of churches. (1 Corinthians 3:10) Therefore, an ICCM BA Degree may be attained in one of two ways: 1) By years of service as an appointed Evangelist, Women’s Ministry Leader, Shepherding Couple, MERCY Director or Administrator; or 2) By being selected to be an intern (paid or unpaid) training under a Ministry Leader while going through the formal training sessions of the ICCM. Excitingly, since the ICCM is “a work in progress,” we now award Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate Degrees in one of four “tracks:” Ministry, Shepherding, Charity Services and Administration.

There are three prerequisites to being accepted into the ICCM to earn the prestigious BA Degree: 1) The applicant must be at least one year old in the Lord; 2) The applicant must be trained and serving as a Bible Talk Leader; and 3) The applicant must be recommended by a full-time ministry individual. (One or all of these prerequisites may be waived by the local ICCM President if there is due cause.) After being accepted, the ICCM student is to complete the following course work.

SEMESTER ONE (Seven months followed by a one-month break.)

1. The reading of the 66 Books of the Bible and the memorization of each of their authors, dates of writing, themes, targeted audiences, outlines and key Scriptures.

2. Also tested on each of the monthly exams will be one of Kip McKean’s seven foundational sermons of the SoldOut Movement: The Dream; Glorifying God; Structure, Order and Protocol; A Greater Glory; Jesus and Paul: The Innovators of the True Women’s Liberation Movement; The River of God; and Harvest the Earth.

3. Write one-page reflection papers on each of the following books: The Master Plan of Evangelism (Coleman); The Disciplined Life (Taylor); Elevate – Jesus’ Global Revolution for Women (Dr. Elena McKean); The Five Love Languages (Chapman); A Tale of Three Kings (Edwards); and First Love – Restoring your Relationship with God (Moreno). All ICCM papers are to be written on Google Docs – 12-point font and single spaced.

4. Write a one-page reflection paper on each GNN Episode shown during SEMESTER ONE.

5. Read Revolution Through Restoration I, II and III. (Dr. Kip McKean)

6. In either SEMESTER ONE or TWO write a one-page report on a Geographic Missions Conference or on an International Crown of Thorns Church visited that calendar year.

SEMESTER TWO (Three months followed by a one-month break.)

1. The monthly exams will cover Kip McKean’s practical ministry sermons: The Ten Com-mandments of Preaching; Jesus’ Bible Talk; and Writing Changes the World.

2. The memorization of the geographic map of the United States of America – states and their capitals – as well as the names of the leaders of all the SoldOut Movement Churches in the United States

3. The memorization of the geographic map of all European, Central & South American, and Caribbean Nations, as well as the names of the leaders of all the SoldOut Movement Churches in these nations.

4. Write a one-page reflection paper on Speak Like Churchill, Stand Like Lincoln (Humes).

5. Write a one-page reflection paper on The Untold Story: Chronicles of Modern-Day Christianity (Harding).

7. Write a one-page reflection paper on each GNN Episode shown during SEMESTER TWO.

8. In either SEMESTER ONE or TWO write a one-page report on a Geographic Missions Conference or on an International Crown of Thorns Church visited that calendar year.

9. Purchase the Pulpit Commentary (hardbound) to begin to build a personal library.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEMESTER THREE (Seven months followed by a one-month break.)

1. Purchase and read the 2,148-page Two Volume Set of the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Luke (Bock).

2. The memorization of the five-page outline by Bock of the Book of Luke (pp. 44-48).

3. The monthly exams also cover the sermons on the different chapters of the Book of Luke preached at the previous ICCM Session.

4. The memorization of the geographic map of all African, Asian and Southern Hemisphere Nations, as well as the names of the leaders of the SoldOut Movement Churches in these nations.

5. At each monthly ICCM Session, a sermon outline on an assigned chapter of Luke will be due that the student is to preach at a Midweek Service.

6. Write a one-page reflection paper on Money Is the Answer for Everything. (Willis).

7. Write a one-page reflection paper on each GNN Episode shown during SEMESTER THREE.

8. In either SEMESTER ONE or TWO write a one-page report on a Geographic Missions Conference or on an International Crown of Thorns Church visited that calendar year.

SEMESTER FOUR (Three months followed by graduation.)

1. The monthly exams will cover sermons on the World Religions: Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witness, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, and Atheism.

2. Scripture memory work associated with refuting the false doctrines in “Christendom” and the World Religions will be included on the exam.

3. Two Research Papers will be written on two Protestant Denominations of each student’s choice.

4. Write a one-page reflection paper on each GNN Episode shown during SEMESTER FOUR.

5. Write a one-page reflection paper on Proven Genuine – An Examination of Suffering in the Book of Job. (Smellie)

6. In either SEMESTER ONE or TWO write a one-page report on a Geographic Missions Conference or on an International Crown of Thorns Church visited that calendar year.

Throughout this two-year period, the following “practicums” must be completed:

1. 200 certified hours of Staff Lessons and Leadership Conferences.
2. 200 certified hours of Bible Talk Leaders Meetings.
3. 200 certified hours of Small Group Bible Discussions.
4. 200 certified hours of Personal Mentoring Time.

Our ICCM Students from DC are Belinda Turner, Chanel Jones, Cornellius Griffith, Danielle Dorvil, Dara Teamer, Jamelah Grate, Donnie Boone, Joshua Galindo, Keyanna Dudley, Khadasia Alkaul, Lawrence Toney, Marvin Alcantara, Michael Ajibola, Myles Swartz, Nelson Brown, Priscilla Velez, Ronel Dorvil, Stephen Raman, Sterling Swann, Sydney Brown, and Tish Chaney!