November 9, 2006 (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) -

The following e-mail is similar to many others that I have received through the years. I have edited this e-mail to hide the identity of the author, but the substance of the e-mail is exactly as I received it:

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Dear Bro. Cloud,

Yours is one of the few rational IFB websites I've encountered that I've actually learned something from, and I thank the Lord for you and your work as it is much needed.

My name is -------------. I'm ---- years old and I had been attending ------------ Baptist Church for --------. They claim to have 900 members, but I've only seen about 300 or so at any given service. It was my first experience with an IFB [Independent Fundamental Baptist] church.

I grew up in other types of churches, but I never felt comfortable in them and I never took part in their Pentecostal beliefs and practices, and so having become disillusioned with them and becoming increasingly more conservative, I decided to look elsewhere. That's when I walked into ---------- Baptist Church. I knew that Baptists didn't do the type of things that Charismatics did, but I didn't know what the difference was between the SBC and IFB were, of which ------------ was of the latter type.

Things were going fairly well there for me at first, although I was dismayed with their “New Member’s Class.” I was there ready to learn, but it was mostly a waste of my time. Needless to say I learned very little about what IFB’s were all about, and Sunday school wasn't much help either, being nothing more than a mini service before the service.

Our Pastor was always keen on defending the KJV, although he didn't state the reasons why, at least not since I had been attending.

I have noticed that IFB's have a tendency to be pig headed. Many of them seem to be under the delusion that Satan has not entered into their churches, that they are 100% infallible and beyond scrutiny, and the few who disagree or attempt to reform or correct are ostracized from their midst. This is my biggest problem with the IFB movement. Just because someone says they're an IFB and claims to be for the KJV or whatever, doesn't mean that they are right about everything, or a good teacher or even a Christian for that matter, yet many IFB's believe anything and everything they say without question. Where is this severe lack of discernment coming from?

In a nutshell, my church seems to exhibit many of the problems that the IFB church faces today from what I've learned, but there are many good things about it as well. The music program is very good and we do baptize quite a few people. The women dress modestly, and the preacher is aggressive about soul winning and the bus ministry, and although his messages often start out well, he usually goes off topic into a rant about some issue, a common complaint about IFB preachers, and one I think needs addressing. I would like to see more IFB preachers just be themselves the way God made them, and not try to be just another Jack Hyles clone.

I left this church quietly, without saying anything to anyone and ignoring their calls and visitations, as I couldn't with a good conscience continue to belong to a church that sells books by someone whom I feel to be a false teacher. I also don't care for the Jack Hyles "man worship" thing.

However I'm having second thoughts. I'm not getting any younger, and I just want to serve the Lord, so I'm thinking of putting my issues aside for the cause of Christ. After all, there are no perfect churches, but where do I draw the line? Do you think I'm wrong about this? I'm asking you Bro. Cloud as a man of experience. Should I return to this church? Are there any other IFB churches that would be a better choice? I feel helpless and confused. It's almost as if one needs to stay out of churches nowadays in order to stay spiritually strong! God forbid.

May God bless your ministry,

Bro. -----------

REPLY FROM BROTHER CLOUD

Hello.

I appreciate the communication and sympathize with you about your current dilemma. There are many kinds of Independent Baptist churches, and I certainly do not recommend all of them or even most of them.

Generally speaking I have observed that most IB churches can be lumped into the following broad categories: The Hyles group, the Baptist Bible Fellowship (BBF) group, the Bob Jones (BJU) group, and the independent independent group (for lack of a better term).

The latter are churches that can't be lumped into any of the aforementioned groups and don't follow after a man or an association or a school. The pastors tend to think more for themselves and refuse to be forced into giving the loyalty that belongs to Jesus Christ alone to a man or human institution. Among the latter you will find many spiritually healthy churches, in my estimation. I have had the privilege of preaching in many of this kind of IB church and fellowshipping with hundreds of this kind of IB pastor.

It is exceedingly rare, though, to find such true spiritual health among those who follow a man or an institution, and this is particularly true for those who revere the late but still influential Jack Hyles.

Such churches appear to have some good things, but a closer look reveals that even the apparent good is corrupt.

These churches usually have strict and modest dress standards, but a closer look shows that too often there is a focus on the externals to the neglect of true internal spirituality and that great ungodliness is often hidden behind a squeaky clean outward appearance.

These churches feature strong pastoral leadership, but this is too often corrupted by the manner in which they lord it over the flock and do not allow criticism, demanding unquestioning loyalty and other such unbiblical and ungodly nonsense.

These churches have a zeal for evangelism, but that is corrupted by the practice of "quick prayerism" (e.g., quickly running through the "Roman's Road" and quickly leading people in a sinner's prayer even when there is no conviction and repentance and quickly pronouncing them saved when there is no biblical evidence thereof). Quick prayerism results in large numbers of unregenerate people in the community being proclaimed saved and given a false assurance of salvation and effectively being inoculated to genuine new birth salvation. Quick Prayerism also tends to bring unsaved people into the church through baptism and thus weaken the church.

These churches feature bold, pointed preaching against sin and error, but too often this is corrupted by the gross biblical shallowness of it all so that preaching/teaching ministry does not produce Christians who are strong in the Word of God and the Faith of Jesus Christ, who can stand on their own feet spiritually and rightly divide the Word of God. True expository preaching is rare. The preaching and teaching focuses rather on story telling and motivationalism. Often the Scripture text is merely a pretext.

Independent Fundamental Baptist simply means that a church is independent of a denomination and Baptist in doctrine and church polity and Fundamentalist in zeal for the truth and separation from error, but that a church is Independent Fundamental Baptist does not mean that it is a spiritually-healthy church. A man-centered church is not a Christ-centered church, and a church that follows man-made tradition is not a church that is committed to the Bible, regardless of what name it bears.

I thank God that being independent I am not responsible for nor yoked together in any sense whatsoever with other IFB preachers and churches. I can fellowship with those with whom I am likeminded. As an Independent Baptist I have that privilege, and so do you.

I trust that you can find a spiritually-healthy independent Baptist church in your area. I know many people who drive an hour and more to attend such a church, and it is well worth it. If there is not such a church within commuting distance, I would strongly recommend moving to an area where such a church exists. If you are open to moving, I will be glad to recommend some churches in various parts of the country.

It’s probably true that IFB churches tend to be “pig headed,” but I don’t think that is a problem that is limited to IFB churches. It is human nature problem to think that you are right in all things and not to want to be challenged. I have encountered the same attitude among New Evangelicals and Charismatics and Christian Rockers and Roman Catholics and Reformed and you name it. It is not wrong to study to shew yourself approved unto God rightly dividing the Word of God and then to stand on the truth that God has shown you, but it is wrong not to allow your teaching to be questioned.

The assembly is the house of God today, the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15). In the context of 1 Timothy 3, that refers to the assembly that has pastors (elders, bishops) and deacons.

It is not God's will for His people to neglect the house of God. At “the end of the day,” each believer needs to do everything possible to find a way to be faithful to the house of God and to do what he can to make it stronger for the glory of Jesus Christ. It is easy to criticize and there is a place for godly criticism, but I must also ask myself, “What am I contributing in a positive way to the church of Jesus Christ? If the whole church were like me, what would the church be?”

In Christ,

D. Cloud