The ICOC affirms the reality of hell as a place of eternal, conscious suffering for those who die without the redemption offered in Christ. This conviction is a significant driver of the movement's intense evangelistic culture: the eternal destiny of the unbaptized motivates urgent, comprehensive outreach. Every member is expected to evangelize consistently because the stakes — eternal salvation or damnation — are ultimate.

The ICOC does not teach annihilationism or universalism. Its reading of Matthew 25:46 and other passages treats eternal punishment as co-extensive with eternal life — equally enduring, equally literal.