The Crown of Thorns Project

The Soldout Movement of Churches & The Crown of Thorns Project

In the first century, it is clear they collaborated to build a cohesive and cooperative family of churches with a central leadership. (cf Acts 15:2-ff)  This central leadership had a central leader (James, Acts 15:13 “Brother’s, listen to me…it is my judgment…etc”).  From this central leader and the central council of leaders commands/edicts were issued (Acts 15:23-30) and then carried by leaders from “…town to town” who then “delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.”  The results of the church’s obedience to the central leadership are remarkable, “So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.” (cf Acts 16:4-5).  There are examples of churches imitating churches (1 Thess 2:14, “For you became imitators of God’s churches in Judea”) and overseeing evangelists (traditionally called “Bishops”) sending in leaders to “straighten out what was left unfinished” and directing these leaders to appoint and train leadership over numerous churches in various towns (cf Titus 1:5).  There are examples of leaders directing churches and entire regions of churches on matters of raising finances for distribution to varying needs throughout the churches (Paul addressing the church in Corinth: “Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.” 1 Cor 16:1) and these finances going to the central leadership for distribution. (“…send them with your gift to Jerusalem.” 1 Cor 16:3)  

All of these scriptures (and numerous others, e.g. 1 Cor 4:17 “everywhere in every church”, Philippians 3:17, Philippians 4:9, 1 Thess 1:6-8, and so on) paint a picture of a collaborating movement of churches with a central leadership and a central leader.  In our effort to imitate this, we are part of a movement of churches with a central leadership based in LA (our “Jerusalem”) with a central leadership we call the “Crown of Thorns Council” which is comprised of the “World Sector Leaders” and our movement’s “Shepherding Couples” and central leaders in Kip and Elena McKean (see kipmckean.com).  Our first collaborative initiative is the “Crown of Thorns Project” – which is a plan to place pillar churches in leading cities in several nations throughout all 6 inhabited continents.

The next step in “The Crown of Thorns Project” is for each of the world sectors to initiate their own “Crown of Thorns” projects in their specific geographical area of the world. Being a part of the “Soldout Movement” family of churches means we collaboratively sacrifice alongside our family of churches when called to do so by our central leadership and thus are not an autonomous ministry. We recognize the need for a central leadership and work with that central leadership to plant new churches, train ministry leadership, and fiscally support newer church plantings and their associated missionaries. It is amazing to see what our God can do through determined, unified, and faithfully sacrificial disciples of Jesus in a short time. In just the past 7 years, God has moved to begin almost 50 churches on all 6 inhabited continents, in a dozen different nations. It is to his glory we are a part of this family and have been able to see this much come to pass. Who know’s what the Lord has in store for his people in the near future?