Where are Independent Baptist churches growing?

In Louisiana, the fastest growing churches are the non-denominational type which are charismatic.There are a FEW that are SBC-contemporary that are growing really quickly as well.
The Ind Bapt churches do not grow as fast as the other type of churches. My own churches runs about 450 in Sunday School, that includes the bus ministry. We are aggressive in going out on visitation and inviting people. Fundamentalism does not draw people as does the contemporary type churches or the charismatic churches. Down here, I wouldnt say the older guys are being brought in,, not in Baton Rouge or New Orleans. New Orleans only has ONE Fundamental Baptist church on the east bank and one on the west bank. The east bank church has about 30 people, whereas the one on the westbank runs about 200.
Fundamental Baptist churches, it seems, are the slowest growing if you want to compare the SBC, the National Baptists, etc.
Since I have been Missionary Baptist, SBC and now Independent Baptist, I think I can say the SBC would be faster growing type of church down here.
Tim

 

This is one that is growning by leaps and bounds! In fact they are just now building a new sanctuary to hold 'em all!

www.tvbc.org

click on the "what's new" link here and see the building in progress.

This is my home church.
Enjoy!

In HIS service;
Jim

[ April 03, 2005, 03:50 PM: Message edited by: av1611jim ]

 

In there areas I have lived, Indy Baptist Churches were not growing, in fact many of them were basically dying.

 

There are two IFB churches in the small city in which I live. One of them has had about 50 in attendance for the past 10 years. The other has had around 175 in attendance for those years. I don't know the pastor of the smaller church. The pastor of the larger one is a pretty arrogant guy. He will cross the street to keep from speaking to a SBC pastor. That kind of attitude could not possibly be conducive to church growth.

In all fairness, we have several SBC churches that have been plateaued or declining for 10 + years. Most of them have pastors who are "good old boys." They have been in the area for decades, and they seem to be primarily concerned with maintaining the status quo.

The lack of growth favors no particular group of Baptists...or other denominations.

I think that IFB pastors as a whole place a premium on church growth (I commend them for that), so it surprises us when we come to the realization that IFB churches are made up of people who are the same as those making up SBC churches or other churches. They face the same problems, i.e., lethargy, coldness, worldliness, etc.

 

Like all things your perspective is relative.

SBC is considered in decline as a whole. We have some of the fastest growing big churches around, but we have many that are not doing to good.

The same will be true of Independent fundamental churches ...

Bad leadership kills a church. Sometimes good leadership helps. But, it is only God's leadership that should matter.

My 2 cents ...

 

We have 1,206 members and 1,069 were present last Sunday in our SBC church. When Jim and I transfered our letter there about 4 1/2 years ago, membership was closer to 500.

 

You know..this is a great idea for a post. Good idea.

That said.. let me start........
My brother attends the church that I attended for 8 years. I was the only deaf person there and my brother,also deaf, but uses hearing aids, has been going there for quite some time. He told me a few weeks ago.. "they just starting to warm up to me".
I had a BIG problem with some of them. One time, after being on the road and not being home on weekends for about 6 months, I returned home with news or my mission work, the camps that I attended,etc. I asked the pastor if I could share with them what had happened.. naturally he said yes, and he didnt mind it at all. A few of them, though, mumbled under their breath and one man who was a Pharisee was saying yeah yeah yeah..come on..yeah .. he wanted me to shut up. I wasnt up there 5 minutes. I lost it..and began yelling at the man.."Excuse me.. you in a hurry, you got someplace to go? No, you dont, you dont work.. Be quiet until I am finished!" Oh boy.. big mess.. but they learned I was not going to take their elitist trash.
Yeah, I believe you man.. I believe that you were not welcomed into that church. I even believe that some of them didnt want you there.. more than just not willing to shake hands..they probably wanted you gone.VERY sad.

Older preachers.. .. I dont see that as a trend in Louisiana. Many churches seek out younger men with families..and .. I dont mean 24 yr olds. I mean.. 40 year olds with some experience in life that comes with that age. The church in New Orleans, the pastor just resigned and said he is prayin for a youbng man with family to come along. Amen..thats good.

I am IBF myself, left the SBC in the early 90's. I got many SBC friends and I think the person that crosses the street to avoid speaking with an SBC pastor needs to ask himself if Jesus' love is in his heart. I got problems with that type.
SBC churches are folding left and right. Same with Assemblies of God and Ind Baptist..same thing. Good thing is new ones are springing up.

AV1611Jim.. thats not fair buddy! You pastors in Montana cant count the wild animals that attend your open air meetings!!.. Moose.. coons, wolves.. you cant count them.

 

I would agree. I think SBC, IBF, BGC, CBA, you name it are declining while other SBC, IBF, BGC, CBA, you name it church plants are springing up.

There are alot of SBC churches in the south that are just pitiful.

 

How does your church measure church health?

 

The SBC definitely has flourished in the south and yes some of the churvches are not doing well. Same with IFB too.. same thing..
The sBC churches in the rural area tend to be more family-controlled. Those types usually dont grow.
Diane..glad to hear your church is growing..hope spiritually as well.

tim

 

Here’s my opinion and I’m not talking about all IFB Churches, but the IFB Church I attend seems to be more concerned with “decision making” than “disciple making.”

Take myself; I used to attend a United Methodist Church, just 3 years ago. My wife and I were attending a 3-hour Disciple class every Thursday night. The Methodist Church’s disciple class is a yearlong class and there are 5 classes. I attended 2 classes, each a yearlong and I was really being feed spiritually and growing as a disciple of Christ.

Needless to say I had some conflicting views with the Pastor and I left the Church and found a more conservative Church an IFB Church. I have been there for 2 years and I have noticed how my spiritual life has suffered and I feel that I am no longer getting what I need. The Church seems to be more caught up in “decision making” numbers than making disciples out of their congregation.

I have four Churches on my list to try within the next couple of months. A Free Methodist Church, A Southern Baptist Church, a Baptist Church that is associated with the Indiana Fellowship of Regular Baptist Churches and an Independent, nondenominational Church.

 

I think its understood that the Ind Baptists are bigger on soul winning and the SBC folks are better with disciplehsip.. I agree with that.

 

You won't find a perfect church and probably not one you will agree with on everything.

Most churches do a poor job of making disciples. They have so many other things they deal with. But often there are individuals who are doing it in a community.

 

I have always thought that if I was hearing, and pastoring was truly my calling, I could do better than the guys that are around here. However, I assume its like everything else, looks easy, but once you get there, is much harder than you could imagine.
I dont play favorites. I dont have a problem with money.. I think my church is run well (deaf church).
If I were to leave the church I am in now and look elsewhere.. in a town with MANY Baptist churches, I dont think I could find a good one soon. It would have to be Independent Fundamental... there is one churhc out in the woods.. Fundamental Baptist Church. I went there for revival and brought my interpreter with me. NICE country church..good preacher.. soul winning.. have an education man for discipleship.. yeah..thats where I'd go.

 

Dr. Tim;
I laughed when I read your comment about counting wildlife.
Sometimes it seems the wildlife are the only ones up here who really care about their Creator.

But; I must point out that the link I provided is for my home church. It is in Idaho. A town called Meridian, a suburb of the capitol of Idaho, in a "metro" area of about 400k. Not much "wildlife" there!

OTOH; in the same general area are SBC churches who are growing, and other IFB churches who are shrinking. Go figure, huh?

In HIS service;
Jim

 

How does our church measure church health? I'm not sure how to answer that!

Our Sunday School attendance is over 700. We have a growing Hispanic Ministry and a Ministry to the Deaf (Interpreter in the services). We have a thriving Youth Ministry that incorporates youth from other churches that don't have programs during the week for their youth. We have consecutively baptized over 100 a year for a good number of years. We've got discipleship classes for just about every need, including weight loss or the newly saved. Every age group has a pastor and programs. We bus in kids from the after school programs for our Wednesday night programs and feed them supper.

How would you judge church health?

http://fbcvr.com/newsletters/MAR302005newsletter.pdf

 

Sounds like God has blessed your church because it has a great attitude about helping others and serving them.

I have always been of the opinion that God's work is bigger than any person. Because God's work is beyond our scope we must encourage other churches by helping them. It is God's work not ours.

Sounds like your church is a real treasure.

I would tend to primarily judge church health by one thing: their love for one another, and secondly by their disciples. I think it is quite easy to measure church health as Jesus spoke about in the gospels.

 

Haha..that makes me feel good, Diane.. I only had a hanful of deaf yesterday.