Difference in Southern Baptist and Fundamental Baptist

Welcome to the board, Chris.

 

Yes welcome to the board Chris, and thanks for your thoughts.

 

Chris, I like your post. I hope most IFB churches are like yours. I just know the ones in our neck of the woods even have the "sinners" stand before the church to confess and ask forgiveness from the church. If they refuse, they are out. But I think probably that is an exception to the way most IFB churches run things.

<edited only to correct a typographical error>

[ February 25, 2005, 06:58 AM: Message edited by: C4K ]

 

AMEN! Just what I was saying only phrased different. Our church is the same. It is God's Word that will convict a person to comply to God's rules.

 

I am not condemning SBC churches at all. I was saved in one and hold the pastor near and dear to my heart.
I have no bitterness from my past that I want to get out on this board.

People on this board time after time condemn IFB churches because they say we are to strict!
Where did we get it from? The BIBLE.

So I do not condemn anyone for the church they go to. You want to be SBC more power to you. Amen!
But don't condemn (this is not only for you but for all who have AMENed to you) teh IFBers either. Don't condemn us because we do hold the Bible as our standard and try to live up to it.

As my teenager would say, "Don't hate me because I follow God's law!"

And as I say, " Don't dish out what you can't take."

Our main mission is to live a life for Christ. To preach His word and get the "Good News" out to the lost.
IFBers just cut to the chase and throw out the middle man so to speak. We don't win people to Christ by holding a "Christian Rock" concert at our church. We are simple. We preach God. Nothing fancy, no gimmiks, no tricks up our sleves.Open the Bible and read.

And all are accepted in our church, even those woman who wear pants.

 

BibleMaMa, if that is what you meant, you should have said it....but you had a strange way of putting it in your post and you had some completely wrong misconceptions.

 

Well it depends on how a person takes the message. I am not elaborate in my speech. I do tend to ramble and jump from one thought to the next and in that sometimes they get fused together.
But yes, basically that is the idea I was trying to get across.

 

PS, the post before PastorSBC, soem of that was intended to be funny so don't have a cow.

 

I never have cows I prefer chickens

 

BibleMaMa, I understand what you are trying to say, and I commend you for living a life in line with God's word. It just sounded in your earlier post that you lump SBC and Catholics as being similar, when there is nothing farther from the truth. That was why the cow's being birthed.

 

I Am Blessed 16
"I would not go see that movie simply because of the 'play on words' of the last name."
"
Our little group had a somewhat similar response to Kill Bill. What can I say? We're a bunch of middle aged Dutch women, cruelty and violence can shock us deeply , sexjokes on the other hand... either get a or a

"YES, that is what it was intended to sound like!"
"
I know, I saw part 1 as well with the same group.

 

Is it true that IFB "movement" is basically a fellowship of pastors as opposed to a fellowship of churches? SBC churches fellowship together on a regular basis through associational activities. SBC pastors have their fellowship meetings. However, I have not heard much about IFB churches getting together with one another for joint activities.

 

First of all IFB is not a movement, secondly some of IFB chuches are so independent they don't know the what fellowship means.

Many IFB churches do felloship together on a regular basis.

 

WE fellowship with other churches. We fellowship together. Independent, what a B E A utiful word.

 

When I was a student at SWBTS and what I saw gave me the idea one day of Baptist Catholics. They are Baptists and are loyal as Catholics not always knowing why except what they were told. Most of them have never been outside of an SBC church. They were proud that they "believed the Bible" and assumed few others did.

My experience at SWBTS as a student was great but what I saw among the SBC leaders was not good at all. What I read in the state papers from some states was nothing more than pure gossip and bragging. Most of the time the news is about someone or patting themsleves on the back and how gerat Baptists are doing. How many state papers do you know that exalt Jesus. When we heard state wokers and leaders speak in class most of the students were glad when the speaker left. Too often the speaker would talk about what Baptists are doing and not what God is doing.

What I have seen among some I know as pastors is downhill from the time they leave seminary and get involved in denominational. They study less and get more involved in the denominational side of things. Many have lowered their ethical standards too.

 

"Is it true that IFB "movement" is basically a fellowship of pastors as opposed to a fellowship of churches?"
"
It can be. My own church does not maintain official ties with any other Christian institution.
We do however have informal ties with a small group of other churches and Christian organizations through personal connections. A couple of the Elders help keep us involved in right to life activism in the Netherlands, our 2 pastors fellowship with some Evangelical churches and a couple of conservative Christian schools and I am 'responsible' for maintaining our relations with the Catholic Church (such as they are).
Sigh...
That last bit probably needs some explaining...
We don't have a graveyard attached to our church, we often use one attached to a Catholic Openair Biblemuseum in our neighbourhood. It's quite beautiful and not filled with kitschy ornaments. We borrow the Byzantine Catholic church that is attached to that graveyard for our funeral services, when we bury someone there.
The priest is an old friend of mine and we have coöperated on a couple of other endeavours, including a joint visit to the Passion of the Christ by interested members of both his and my church, preceded with lectures of both me and him about the Roman Catholic tradition&legends surrounding Good Friday.

 

Yes it is true that some IFB churches "encourage" their women to wear pants have short hair and not go to movie theaters or drink alchohal at any time.

Some preach it as well, and it is not only an ecouragement - but a demand of all members of that church.

That is however changing. I grew up in IFB churches my whole life and many were like you describe, but in the last 10 to 15 years there have been great changes in the IFB churches.

I was just speaking with a Pastor friend of mine who was talking about all the good discussions that are now being had at seminaries by young fundamental baptist preachers.

I would not say these men are "more relaxed in their standards" but they do believe in testing all the standards and convictions of their spirtual forefathers by the scriptures.

No place in the scriptures forbid going to theaters. They had theaters(not movies, but live shows) in Christ and the Apostles day but they did not say "no going to theaters". They simply gave us principles to live by.

Some IFBs over the decades(as well as other denominations in the old days) took those principles and made their own application of them to the theater, and concluded that the theater is wicked and evil, and has no redeemable qualities.

Now there are some Bible believing IFBs that are questioning some of these applications, as to their validity.

It is common in conservative churches(whether IFB or not) to think the stricter your church is(the more extra-biblical rules you have) the more right they must be. This is faulty though and does not line up with the scripture, more rules is not always right. Sometimes less rules is right.

Colossians 2:20-22

"20Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21“Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings."

IFBReformer
http://www.ifbreformation.org

 

IFBreformer said: "I would agree with you that the SBC did leave God's standards in some areas, especially when it allowed women to preach"

Most SBCers would agree with ya here. Its VERY rare in Southern Baptist life - and having women pastors does not characterize the majority of Southern Baptist Christians' views. For that matter, EVERY denomination has a "fringe" that tries to push the limits.

 

The Bible may not say, "Do not smoke".

But; how can we preserve our bodes as Holy Temples if we do?

The Bible may not say, "Do not go to theaters".

But; how can we abstain from all appearances of evil if we go to see a "G" rated film in the same building that an "X" rated movie is playing?

I believe the Bible covers every situation that may arise in our lives.

That is why God gave us the Word - so we wouldn't have to stumble around and find the answers from the world.