ICF (International Christian Fellowship) is a
charismatic Christian denomination. The headquarters is located in
Zurich,
Switzerland.
History
ICF was founded in 1990 by Heinz Strupler. In 1996, leadership was taken over by Leo Bigger and Matthias Bölsterli, who emphasized an international policy of expansion. Around 2005, worship attendance at the Zurich church was 2,000 participants. In 2017, it was 3,500.
[Warren Bird]
World megachurches
Leadership Network, USA, February 4, 2017 In 2020, it would have more than 40 associated churches in 12 countries. ICF has 4
Bible College
A Bible college, sometimes referred to as a Bible institute or theological institute, is an evangelical Christian or Restoration Movement Christian institution of higher education which prepares students for Christian ministry with theological ed ...
s,
ICF College
ICF may refer to:
Business
* ICF International, an American consulting firm
* Integral Coach Factory, an Indian manufacturer of rail coaches in Chennai
** ICF coach
* International Cablemakers Federation
* International Cremation Federation
* ...
.
Beliefs
The denomination has a
charismatic confession of faith
A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets.
The e ...
.
Small groups
Senior pastor Leo Bigger (b. 1968) with his wife Susanne introduced a hierarchical structure of groups, called "g, 12", consisting of groups of 12 people of which every group leader was a group member in the superordinate group, terminating in the group led by Bigger. In 2004, official terminology was changed from "g, 12" to "SmallGroup". The graphical representation was changed from presenting the Bigger couple at the center of a circle instead of at the top of a pyramid, but the topological structure of the system remains unchanged. "g, 12" is conceived as a
pyramid scheme, urging each group member to strive to become the leader of a derivative group.
livenet.ch article
/ref> The one who serves the others best shall be their leader.
Small groups are set in place to promote group discussion on biblical principles. Members are encouraged to start new groups if their own group becomes too large to the point of fair discussion being jeopardized.
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Evangelicalism in Switzerland
Protestantism in Germany
Charismatic denominations