OK I had to register for this message board because of this thread, it is right up my alley. My wife and I were members of an IFB church since 1999. My brother is a missionary through an IFB board in Papua New Guinea. I was saved long before joining an IFB church, but not yet past the "milk" of the Word until joining an IFB church, that is not at all to say the same thing would not have happened at a SBC church, which we did belong to before this but were not very close to the Lord in our relationship.
I joined and I don't think any other church has ever educated me as well on the Scriptures and allowed me the opportunity to teach and learn through that process as well. I can't thank them enough for that.
However, when my wife and I started having marital problems the one thing I realized about an IFB church is that the help for that was mostly convictional. We weren't doing something right, praying enough, asking for the right things, etc. We both felt very guilty for this and yet we were drifting farther and farther apart and also we didn't feel like very many if any people within the church could relate to our problems. We eventually separated more than a year ago. I think we both felt ostracized to an extent and left the church. I think the normal IFB response to that would be, "you don't feel ostracized, you feel convicted", in any case my wife now attends a large, quite liberal, IFB church and I attend what I would consider an average SBC church. Before I mention the differences I must say it is very difficult in this day and age to find a true Bible believing (cover to cover), Scripture driven church, whether IFB, SBC or any others I looked into. Here are the differences I see:
- Music -- this difference is probably the most instantaneous and noticeable difference. I have to say I like the old hymns but they too were contemporary at one time and the newer hymns I think are much more lively and have me much more in a mood to learn about God and not looking at my watch.
- Bible versions -- this one I have a problem with. People in SBC have told me the KJV is archaic and too hard to understand. Hogwash, it is at a seventh grade reading level. I have other versions to compare to, and while doing research years ago to prove my brother wrong (his contention was that KJV was thee preserved and correct text) I found much more evidence to the contrary, in other words I found more evidence that my brother was indeed correct. The KJV has an absolutely amazing history its preservation is nothing short of Providential, and the watering down and flat out extractions from other versions is nothing short of wordly interpretation. There is no doubt our school systems have been dumbed down help propigate this line of thinking but that is a subject for another thread as is the entire KJV vs. other versions controversy. I have my opinion obviously but I also think Christians have too many things to argue about so I pick and choose these debates very carefully. I would never argue for someone to throw their versions away, but intellectually speaking I would encourage everyone to research both sides of the controversy before just saying one is easier to read. Most people I talk to are amazed at the evidence. If your seriously interested in the controversy read a book called "Touch Not the Unclean Thing" by David Sorenson. Been years since I read it, but it was a fascinating read.
OK sorry rabbit trail.
- IFB in my opinion can be overly dogmatic about issues such as NO alcohol, women not wearing pants, issues that are totally non-scripture but yet they claim IFB is best because of its literal interpretation of the Bible. Now I don't think for a second that following these practices are bad in any way shape or form and do make you stand out from the world. But I do oppose it being scriptually based, just be honest about why it is believed. With that said I think many of the SBC churches I have been to are far too liberal in dress and in being part of the world rather than being in the world. I have seen SBC preachers preach in colored T-shirts, and girls dressed like they are going to a club as soon as they leave church. I do think in God's house you should dress respectfully, your best if you can, but if your coming from work then by all means do not make that an excuse not to come and come in your work clothes. I have also heard of an IFB church telling a girl she needs to go home and change before coming into church. That, in my opinion, was very wrong and if that girl never steps foot inside another church that person who told her to leave will some responsibility in that.
- IFB churches tend to condem other churches because they don't think like they do, and I am not talking about being tolerant here. I have heard statements that in essence compare their love of the Lord to other churches because of their guidlines.
- SBC churches for the most part are just as independent as any IFB church you find. I think there is just a much wider range of conservative to liberal churches within the SBC. There is a growing range within the IFB as well, but you know more of what to expect walking into an IFB church.
OK, I have ranted long enough and need to get off my break and back to work. Just some of my thoughts and opinions on the two entities.