The Nature of Fundamentalism

I am very familiar with Detroit Baptist Theolgical Seminary as I have many friends who went there and I know some of the Proffesors from that school.

They take a beating for not being TR Only(and definitely not KJV only) and their views on Calvinism but despite that many BJU and Maranatha graduates I have know do attend there for seminary.

I am not as clear on their official position on seperation - I will have to look into that.

IFBReformer

 

IFBreformer, I am in that younger generation of fundamentalist as well. I too see the inconsistancies of the previous generation, that beign said though I am thankful for many of the truths that they stood for and continue to stand for. My desire is to see more balance and less bickering, more focus upon God, rather than upon man; more focus upon the truth rather than issues and individuals.

I am encouraged by what you said regarding what is going on in the seminaries. Are we on the verge of a shift?

I grew up in southeastern MI, too, what suburb are you from? I'm grew up in Clinton Twp.

 

Speaking to Some from DBTS, and from Calvary (Landsdale) I am encouraged as well by the product of the seminaries, more than I am the seminaries themselves. But that should really be the way it works. A seminary should be a place where the teaching prepares a student to study the Word and logically develop Biblical philosophies and positions, rather than a place where philosophies and doctrines are spoon fed and indocrinated.

It really will be important for those who end up leading the IFB movement from my generation to definately abandon many of the inconsistent positions and practices that abound in our circles today, and at the same time, avoid swinging the pendulum too far, which is what created the lack of balance already. To moderate many of the extreme elements, without compromising the Truth of God's Word, its a tough balance, but one that is necessary for survival. The risks being flirted with are

1. Becoming so separate as to be irrelevant by being divorced from reality
2. Becoming assimilated, and becoming irrelevant by a lack of identity

I know IFBreformer understands this, cause I've seen his website. It is also something I have talked to many of those that I know who are either in or going into the ministry who are in my demographic.

 

I will give that a harty amen. That is my feelings exactally. I gald that there are many in my generation who are leaning this way. I think we are on the brink a wonderful change in fundamentalism.

Well said.

 

Some pastors associated with BJU are members of the FBFI [I think that stands for Fundamental Baptist Fellowship International]. FRONTLINE MAGAZINE (500 W. Lee Road, Taylors, SC 29687)
[info@fbfi.org] may be a publication of this group.

Perhaps other groups or circles of fundamental Baptists are:

the Baptist Bible Fellowship

Southwide Baptist Fellowship

World Baptist Fellowship

 

Son, every younger generation clearly sees the faults of the past generation and usually determines to correct them. In doing so, they in turn make their own wrong decisions which the following generation will try to deal with.

Young fundies...good luck!

 

Correct. They took a credibility hit when Dr Bell was exposed.

Yes. Interestingly, these groups held a joint Bible conference in Chattanooga last year sponsored by the home church of Tennessee Temple.

This may be a sign that historic fundamentalism's obituary in these groups was premature.

 

Interesting. I know about the BBF and Southwide Fellowship, but I do not recall hearing anything about the World Baptist Fellowship. What "flavor" are they?

 

I don't know. It was the first time I had heard of them. Similar I would guess.

 

I did a web search. They appear to be a missions sending board.

 

FYI -- Circuitrider is Superdave's father.

 

Check this thread.

This is all public knowledge, BTW, per Frontline Magazine.

 

I think that the World Baptist Fellowship
is associated with fundamentalist Baptist churches in the Texas area that were once associated with Dr. J. Frank Norris or the
school some of his associates or friends started.

I think that the FBFI had their annual meeting
at Dr. Rod Bell's church in Virginia only a year or two ago. Is he no longer pastoring there?
I think that he was the elected moderator of the FBFI at one time.

 

Check this thread.

This is all public knowledge, BTW, per Frontline Magazine. </font>[/QUOTE]I think Dr Bell's situation is an example of how sin should be dealt with. He confessed his sin and resigned his pastorate and his position in FBFI. He went to trusted brethren to assist him in dealing with his sin, he was recently restored to his church, then moved his membership to another church in another state. His sin was never downplayed, never excused, never ignored, and never made light of.

I know the FBFI has its problems, but how is this a "hit" as another poster mentioned above?

 

When someone in the leadership of an organization that is known for promoting high moral and spiritual standards is found to have had problems like Dr. Bell's, I don't know how you can fail to see it as a hit to the organization's credibility.

I used to be a member of FBFI and got the magazine. (Dropping my membership wasn't associated with any problem or lack of agreement with the group. I dropped before the Dr Bell's problems) Dr Bell wrote often and well. He was very, very highly respected.

I agree that after it happened it was handled very well and scripturally. However, he covered this problem up for some period of time.

FBFI's detractors don't care how it was handled- only that it happened. They took some pretty courageous stands. One being against KJVOnlyism... You don't think their enemies were happy to see a very prominent, visible leader fall? You don't think they used it in an attempt to diminish the influence of the organization?