Especially about another member of the church, said Josh Elliott, a former member of Vineyards Oklahoma City church. Toledo, Maumee, Bowling Green, Lima, Findlay all relatively large communities. Now, gentlemen we have a problem in the Independent Baptist movement. Thou shalt not eat at a restaurant on Sunday. The Problem Among Independent Baptists with the Gospel By TylerR Jan 25 2016 We've got to get more serious about the gospel, what it is and what we say that it is or what we will allow to be called the gospel. The Star-Telegram included in its count churches where alleged abusers had served before or after alleged abuse occurred because the allegations could affect the congregants. This is especially important, since the pastor needs his bodyguard detail rotated every so often. Although I did finally deconvert I resent the years I lost trying to live under these ridiculous guidelines. They believed that the neo-evangelical emphasis on cultural engagement with the world, and especially liberal or mainline Protestants, was a mark of unhealthy compromise that would eventually undermine true biblical faith in America. In your cynical statement about the seemingly unseen book of rules, you failed to mention that they ultimately came from a God who loves you, and has your best interest at heart. A bit later can you guess where this is going? When the apostles, the first members of the first church, and others went out preaching the Gospel and establishing other churches, this authority was transferred to them. You served them that way. I remember one of the missionary wives who was married to the man who used to be a division leader in the bus ministry at hac and fbc and I always thought she looked and dressed so incredibly homely, almost as if she walked straight out of Little House on the Prairie set. Additionally, many independent Baptist fundamentalists practice "second-degree separatism," distancing themselves not only from "the world" but also from fellow Christians who do not share. * This paywall nonsense is unnecessary, counter-productive, and really disrespectful of the papers investigative team. I grew up in a similar church. Yelling, storytelling, and moralism replaced proclaiming simply what God has said. *, At Christianity Today, Kate Shellnut offers a short, helpful summary of the Star-Telegrams horrifying findings, along with some reporting on how the independent fundamentalist Baptist community is responding to its revelations (not well). I remember thinking what an idiot he was. Autonomy of local churches: each church is independent. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist. He witnessed the same authoritarian approach. Thou shalt not work a job as a woman even if thou canst afford the private school and live in a shitty house because your husband spends all his after tax money on the private school and tithing. All of the above were part of the unwritten code at my Fundy church 40 years ago. Be firm with him. You're the power. Pastors of large churches and leaders of fundamentalist institutions such as Bob Jones, John R. Rice, and Jack Hyles still identified with the label fundamentalist. This movement was characterized by a staunch commitment to biblical orthodoxy filteredthrough the King James Bible, an adherence to second-degree separation or that idea that Christians must separate themselves frombothunbelievers (the world)andfellow conservative Protestants who did not separate sufficiently enough from unbelievers (Billy Graham and the rest of the neo-evangelicals fell into this second category), and a propensity for strong white preachers who ran independent congregations that were not accountable to denominations. Shellnut also draws on Messiah College historian John Feas description of these independent fundamentalist Baptists, so lets turn to that. It's you who are singing the songs that need to be heard. Twenty-one abuse allegations were uncovered exclusively by the Star-Telegram, and others were documented in criminal cases, lawsuits and news reports. He is his own man and refuses to be tied down or corralled by anything. That space between he describes as the world of Jerry Falwell has grown over the years. The Star-Telegram discovered at least 412 allegations of sexual misconduct in 187 independent fundamental Baptist churches and their affiliated institutions, spanning 40 states and Canada. Thou shalt not look at pornography, and if thou dost thou shalt delete thy browsing history so thy wife of thy youth dost not find it, and thou shalt confess thy sins at the alter on Sunday morning.Thou canst repeat this cycle each week for the lord hast made provision for modern man if he dost confess his sins before god each day and every Sunday. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gods-grace-bible-study-wi/support Truth Unbound with Walter Swaim 11h ago Generally speaking howe. So, down through the centuries, the . He might not be guilty of the allegation, but notice how the church network is still allowing a man publicly accused of sexual abuse to minister. Select your instrument according to the child's size. (1)"I put him on the "auto trash" list because he never offers anything that is edifying, or even Biblical, but just his snide remarks and liberal/protestant opinions!" (2) "You are not my brother. It was beyond comprehension in my little brain back then. You have left them now to themselves, and stepped into your own world. (2) Evangelical culture has a conference and lecture circuit with celebrities and quasi-celebrities who come to cities for weekend workshops and one-night lectures that provide opportunities to sin and go, leaving behind casualties. This is why I love Jesus. Thou shalt not drive a nice car for that is vanity and takes money from the missionaries who need airplanes and new tin roofs, and food out of the fat visiting evangelists bellies (unless your the man of god, then you can drive a Suburban or a $95k brand new F350). UGH!!!! I am still a very committed Christian, but I was thankfully out of the IFB world once I left for college (a secular university). But, I have a few, from the legendary Dr Bob of Longview: Thou shalt watch football on Monday night. They attended Bill Gothard seminars and proudly embraced that whole creepy business. It was they who lied -- first to themselves, and then to you. If you'd like to see the rest of this post (the whole of which was too large to post here), thank you and it's here. To question the sovereignty of the pastor is to disturb God's order and invite upon oneself separation from the church, and therefore from the very source of salvation and hope. In that case, thou shalt work on your bus route until 3 am Monday morning, then get your sorry, lazy ass ready for your theology classes at our bible college that morning. Women need not apply and should not study martial arts. Every Evangelical sect/church/pastor/evangelist/missionary/congregant has their own rules they think are Biblical. You just dont like this particular list of rules because they run counter to your Biblical list. They repented and were restored..every like 6 mo. Thou shalt always obey the speed limit, EXCEPT when the Pastor says it is Gods will that thou shalt go 10-20 miles over the speed limit so as not to miss lunch at camp. To get up is to be on the firing line and get switched back down. This means that God changed his mind, yes? This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. It was they who didn't truly commit to the truths upon which they claimed to be basing their lives. - Truth and Song I recently read an article essentially asking this same question, What's Wrong With the Independent Fundamental Baptists? They sent their kids to Bob Jones and Pensacola the only choices permitted to them. I pray for all of you. or a year or whatever. Trieber took his glasses off. Independent Baptists are not part of any denominational organization, such as the Southern Baptist Convention. These other distinctions, distinctives and emphases all serve, in varying degrees, as proxies for that.). And in a real and important sense you will always love them. History of Landmarkism. They usually have a loose association with other Baptist churches, but they are self-governed, not governed by the association. The message is set. And lets not forget the old For him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin catch-all At my IFB church that I grew up in I loved how they used to use that one to justify saying anything they didnt agree with or like was a SIN . If she doesnt approve of this, tough; she shouldve thought of that before she married you. You arent any different than those of us who have been where you are Cathy. Accept no conditions for surrender. I spent thousands and thousands of hours reading and studying the Bible. I preached over 4,000 sermons. The submissiveness of women to their husbands can be found here which is not only present in churches, this is a cultural phenomenon which also impacts the faith. I am far from perfect. Bruce Gerencser, 65, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 44 years. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist. Don't hold it against me. Im still a believer but cringe when I hear someone try to say what is sin and what is not. Maybe you would. I never understood it. Many of you signed my Bibles. And if they failed to treat that greatest of gifts with the sacrosanct respect it deserves, then shame on them. Homosexuals are evil perverts who despise God and should be kept away from society generally and children especially. A few members of that church were hard-core, old-school fundies. But evangelicals should recognize that clerical sex abuse is widespread, and some evangelical and fundamentalist churches do cover up problems and pass them on to others. They would rather believe a lie that upholds their comfortable lives than face a truth that challenges it. Defeat him totally. Copyright 2023 The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser Powered by Flywheel, Independent Fundamentalist Baptist Lingo, A Guide to IFB-Speak, Black Collar Crime: Pastor Eddy Noelsaint Accused of Rape, Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Youth Pastor Josh Henley Sentenced to Forty-Five Years in Prison for Sex Crimes Against Children, Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Student Ministry Leader Vernon Willis Accused of Inappropriately Touching Church Girls, Evangelicals are an Existential Threat to the United States, Some Atheists Think I was Stupid for not Deconverting Sooner, Black Collar Crime: Catholic School Teacher Verity Beck Accused of Murdering Her Parents, Black Collar Crime: Evangelical Evangelist Chris Brooks Accused of Assaulting His Wife, Why I Write The Black Collar Crime Series and Will Continue to Do So Despite Criticism from Evangelicals, Dr. David Tee Thinks Everyone Who is Not a Christian is an Atheist, Bruce, I Pray You Will Have Your Eyes Opened and the Truth will Guide You, Dont Dress Like a Whore if You Dont Want to Get Sexually Assaulted Says Lori Alexander, Thou shalt obey all adults at all times if you are a child or teenager, Thou shalt obey your husband at all times if you are a woman, Thou shalt obey your parents at all times, Thou shalt obey the police and government unless the pastor says it is a sin against God to do so, Thou shalt give a faith promise missionary offering, Thou give an offering any time the pastor says God is saying to collect a special offering, Thou shalt attend church every time the doors are open, Thou shalt pray for every meal, but ice cream at Dairy Queen after church requires no prayer, Thou shalt only use the King James Bible 1611 edition which is really the 1769 revision, Thou shalt only use the Scofield King James Bible, Thou shalt not have long hair (over your ears, collar) if you are a man, Thou shalt not have a block cut hairstyle if you are a man, Thou shalt not have facial hair if you are a man, but if you are a woman you can have facial hair, Thou shalt not have tattoos unless you have prison tats from your life before Christ, Thou shalt not take the hem out of your Levi jeans or alter your clothing in any way so that you look worldly, Thou shalt not wear pants (britches) if you are a woman, Thou shalt not wear shorts, but a woman can wear Baptist shorts also known as culottes, Thou shalt not expose any flesh if you are a woman, especially your thighs, breasts, or back, Thou shalt only wear dresses with hemlines below the knees if you are a woman, Thou shalt not have any physical contact with the opposite sex if you are unmarried, Thou shalt not have more than one hole in each ear if you are a woman, Thou shalt not pierce any body part except your ear, and then only if you are a woman, Thou shalt not watch TV, but if you are a carnal Christian and must watch TV thou shalt only watch, Thou shalt not go to the movie theater, but using streaming services is okay, Thou shalt always have tracts in your shirt pocket or purse, ready to evangelize at a moments notice, Thou shalt drive a car with church advertising stickers, IFB cliches, or Bible verses attached to the bumper, Thou shalt park down the street when visiting the local strip club or whore house lest the pastor know you are there and stay away, Thou shalt not listen to secular music, especially rock music, which is from the pit of hell, Thou shalt not listen to contemporary Christian music (CCM), Thou shalt not drink fermented alcohol after all, Jesus drank Welchs grape juice, Thou shalt not cuss, but saying darn, shoot, crap, freaking, and fudge are okay, Thou shalt not date non-Independent Baptist girls or boys, Thou shalt not have any non-Independent Baptist friends, Thou shalt home school your children or send them to a Christian school, Thou shalt only read pastor-approved Christian books, Thou shalt only believe what the pastor says you are to believe, Thou shalt say you have victory over sin, even if you are lying, Thou shalt adhere to the perception is reality rule, Thou shalt send your kids to the same Christian college the pastor went to, Thou shalt leave the church if you commit adultery, get a divorce, or get pregnant outside of marriage, Thou shalt believe everything the pastor says even when you are certain he is lying, speaking evangelistically, or embellishing his illustrations, Thou shalt wear a bra if you are a woman, and it can only be a white, underwire bra, Thou shalt not mix bathe (Baptist for swimming with the opposite sex), Thou shalt not go to amusement parks unless the youth group is going, Thou shalt not show emotion unless praising Jesus from 10:00 am to noon on Sunday or giving a testimony during Sunday evening service, Thou shalt say AMEN during at the appropriate time during the pastors sermon, especially when he shouts, pounds the pulpit, or performs gymnastics, Thou shalt not be angry even though the pastor is allowed to be angry, but thats because his anger is righteous anger, Thou shalt be for what the pastor is for and against what the pastor is against, because if you dont, a bear might come out of the woods and eat you, Thou shalt ignore any science that contradicts the Bible, Thou shalt never try to fix your own problems because the pastor is the official fixer of all problems, Thou shalt takes notes on the sermon even if the rabbit wanders five miles off the trail or the sermon is incoherent, Thou shalt always tell the pastor what a wonderful sermon he preached, even when you have no idea what he was talking about, Thou shalt always tell Sister Bertha what a wonderful job she did with her off-key rendition of, Thou shalt not use canned (taped) music for music specials.