Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches

An IFB church is Independent of other churches. There is no governing body outside of itself. That being said, most Baptist churches are very independent anyway. Other denominations tend to have governing bodies which regulate them to some degree.

IFBs are often more adamant about the independent part though. We don't go for all those associations and fellowships, fearing that we will be yoked together in some way with churches that we would disagree with over important issues.

Im still confused by the Fellowships of Independent Baptist Churches though. lol

 

Check out the Independent Fundamental Churches of America, International (IFCA) CLICK HERE to see how a bunch of independents can have fellowship.

 

Christianyouth, the IFB movement started in the 1920's through the 1940's. In the Northern Baptist Convention (later called the American Baptist Convention) and the Southern Baptist Convention were liberals (in this case, preachers who did not believe that Jesus was God, believed that there were mistakes in the Bible, believed in evolution, etc.) who our spiritual ancestors wanted to kick out of their conventions. Unfortunately, they failed at this, so the founders of the IFB movement left the conventions and started their own movement.

We are "independent" because the IFB leaders took their churches out of the conventions, but did not start new conventions because they saw the power the old conventions had over individual churches, the Bible colleges, etc. So that is why we are independent. So, instead of "conventions," our spiritual ancestors started "fellowships" with little or no power over individual churches.

We are "Fundamental" because the preachers in the conventions who fought against liberalism were called "Fundamentalists," since they stood against liberalism and for the most important doctrines of the Bible, called the "fundamentals of the faith."

That's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

 

Very many IFB churches are now practicing what they used to abominate. I could not say that they aren't "true" IFBCs, but I'd quickly add that they aren't what true IFBCs used to be.

"And all the people said ..."

 

Both the IFB and the SBC churches are independent and generally conservative now. Is there any basic difference between the two other than their history and misconceptions about each other?

 

IFB means this in our church:
Independent:
We follow the example of the New Testament churches and do not belong to any association
or convention. We govern ourselves. We don't pay our missionary monies to any central fund; we support missionaries that we in our local church vote on, and our support goes through a clearinghouse only.

Fundamental Baptist: We believe that the Word of God is the guide for our lives, and we believe the Bible to be the total unerring Word of God. We believe in Creation, Salvation, The Rapture and the Tribulation, and the Reign of Christ for the Millenium. We believe in the triune Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and they are all one in the same. We are saved by grace and we are once saved, always saved. We believe in only two ordinances of the church as presented in the New Testament: Baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper for believers to memorialize Christ's blood bought salvation by his death on the cross. We believe in the sanctity of life. We believe that a Christian will endeavour to walk in the newness of life and serve God by following the Great Commission.

Anyone that can add what I have forgotten?

Debbie C

 

John and Debbie have summed it up very well.


As for using Powerpoint and contemporary music, that's the choice of any autonomous church body.

Our church bought the Celebration Hymnal Orchestrations a few years ago when we started our tiny orchestra (currently 3 players). It haas some 'newer' stuff that has stood the test of time ("I Will Call Upon the Lord", "He is Exalted") and the good old stuff like "I'll Fly Away" and "Sweet By and By".

 

I have been in both kinds of IFB churches: some have very rigid standards of appearance such as dresses only for women, short hair for men, no contemporary music, etc. Others are more relaxed in the standards of appearance for believers. But both churches held to the Fundamentals of our Faith in doctrine.

John and Debbie:

 

legalistic churches, Gwen......ours is not so legalistic. Ya know, it's strictly preference on those things, Pastor's wife wears only dresses, as many women in our church choose (I grew only wearing dresses to church so it's easy for me to stick with it) and the staff wives are required to wear dresses (my daughter, for example, the youth pastor's wife) but I see women in church with pants all the time. We don't have drums when we all bring our instruments - another preference. My son got saved a few weeks ago and he is a dynamite drummer, but nope, not at our church. There is a "fellowship" here in our town that will suit him better, and they believe what we believe, so I ok with him going there.

Church is church to me...not a concert, not a party, not an exhibit of anything but worship, praise, and hopefully conviction for the lost and dying world we live in. We strive to be a Philadelphian church, not a Laodecian.

May all Baptist churches keep their candlestick lit!!! The Lord could return at any moment.

 

Dcorbett,

Although our preferences differ in many areas, I'm glad that your church is doing a fine job of meeting needs. God's best to you all.

Congratulations on your son's salvation.

 

dcorbett wrutes:
"IFB means this in our church:
Independent:
We follow the example of the New Testament churches and do not belong to any association
or convention. We govern ourselves. We don't pay our missionary monies to any central fund; we support missionaries that we in our local church vote on, and our support goes through a clearinghouse only.

Fundamental Baptist: We believe that the Word of God is the guide for our lives, and we believe the Bible to be the total unerring Word of God. We believe in Creation, Salvation, The Rapture and the Tribulation, and the Reign of Christ for the Millenium. We believe in the triune Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and they are all one in the same. We are saved by grace and we are once saved, always saved. We believe in only two ordinances of the church as presented in the New Testament: Baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper for believers to memorialize Christ's blood bought salvation by his death on the cross. We believe in the sanctity of life. We believe that a Christian will endeavour to walk in the newness of life and serve God by following the Great Commission."

Based on the above, the only basic difference from the SBC that I can see is that the IBF does not send its missionary money throught a "clearinghouse" as the SBC does througth the IMB. Am I missing something?

 

i used to go to an IFB Church.

i liked it alot - cause i love the hymns (that's all they sang - with only piano)

they also said that we couldn't help out with the church if the guys didn't have slacks and collerd shirts, and if the girls didn't have a long dress...

they believed in OSAS... and some other stuff...

dont remember... but i was baptized there!

 

Hi again, christianyouth.

My wife and I have been out of town for a couple of days celebrating our 27th anniversary and 25 years on the mission field, so I'm just now getting around to answering your post.

I'll answer your last question first. Bro. Dan Roberts is a good man, a good missionary, an old friend, and he has been with our mission board all these years! Unfortunately, we live on different islands and a long way from each other, so I rarely get to see him.

As you describe your church, it most certainly can be an IFB. What most folk on the BB don't seem to understand is that there is a wide range of IFB churches and fellowships. Among our supporting churches I have some that sound exactly like yours.

God bless!

 

Being a missionary, let me be quick to point out that the two groups do missions in very different ways.

(1) SBC missionaries are supported from a central fund, and IFB missionaries go on deputation to get monthly support from individual churches.

(2) SBC missionaries, at least in Japan, are more prone to institutionalism (though this is evidently changeing due to the recent upheavals in SBC missions), while most IFB boards concentrate on church planting--though ABWE, for one, is an IFB board that leans toward institutionalism.

I am watching the SBC right now, hoping that yes, they are heading back towards their roots, an approach to missions that is similar to us IFBs. Any comments or corrections here from SBC missionaries or pastors?

 

I agree. Saddly though I know many IFB churches that forget the "I" as well.

 

I know what you mean, 4His_glory. The autonomy of the local church may be the most ignored of the Baptist distinctives.