I have been involved in the Independent Baptist Movement since I was 17 years old. When I first learned about the Movement I dived in with both feet and loved every minute of it. You could not say anything to me that was negative about the IFB, I would not believe it and would mark you as a heretic.
Then I got older and my eyes were opened. We were involved in a church hurt and I, along with others, angrily turned against the IFB. I used every resource I had to expose what I thought was wrong with the IFB movement. This has gone on for about two years.
Recently, I was using the Internet to research some negative information about a certain IFB church locally. My "partner in crime" had alerted me to something going through the grapevine. This was when the Lord grabbed a hold of my heart and spoke to me. God showed me somethings about what I was doing and He showed me that I needed to separate myself from the friends I had. It was only then I realized what sowers of discord these people really were and how Satan has used them to confuse and to cause strife in local churches. Not only was this true of them, it was true for myself as well. Once again, God put it into my heart to love the IFB movement and to remind me of why I was so excited about it all those years ago.
Before anyone accuses me of putting a "denomination" over Christ, I can only say that could not be further from the truth. Yes, I am proud to be an Independent Baptist and believing that doesn't dishonor my salvation in Christ. If I were to say I am proud of my Irish Heritage, would that anger you and make you call me un-American? I would hope not, that would be silly. In the same context, it is just as equally silly to accuse me of being unchristian because I say I am proud to be an Independent Baptist. Such statements are made by people who harbour anger and are prejudiced against all IFB churches, pastors and members. If you take nothing but the Bible and wipe your mind clean of hate, I believe you will find that the IFB is the closest thing to what the Bible teachers. Many will sneer at that statement, but that is because they are NOT using the Bible to uphold their beliefs. If you look at the sermons that preachers preached in former revivals years ago (true revivals) you will find that the only place that preaches messages like that, that changed people, cities and countries, are the Independent Baptist churches. You will not find life alternating Bible preaching in most Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, etc. pulpits. Notice, I said BIBLE preaching. For the most part, Independent Baptist are the only churches still around that are preaching what our fore-fathers preached. If a church is preaching the Bible like it should be preached and is seeing souls saved and saints changed, then it is not wrong to be proud and want to tell the world what church you belong to.
Independent Baptist often get accused of putting men on a pedestal. Sadly, this is often the case. But, may I submit to you, that these same people that use this statement are also in error. People who make this statement often cant see Christ because they are too busy looking at the people that have hurt them. It is the same attitude of people who wont come to church because they say they don't like hypocrites. They let a few "bad" people ruin the entire IFB church for them. They, without meaning to, have put these people before Christ in their lives and letting hate blind them from seeing truth. In fact, I have seen many people be guilty of the very same problems they accuse IFB churches of.
In this blog, I would like to post some reasons of why I am an IFB. There are so many sites online of bitterness and hate AGAINST the Independent Baptist church and I am sick and tired of that. This is going to be an IFB friendly zone. I am working on somethings I hope will be helpful and in the right Spirit. Please check back often.
