Independent Fundamental Baptist

What are Independent Fundamental Baptist? The name Independent Fundamental Baptist is of recent origin and came into being as a result of many modern day Baptist churches compromising the Word of God and teaching and practicing false doctrines.

The word “Independent” means that the church is not a member of any council, convention or is a part of any hierarchy outside the local congregation.

The word “Fundamental” means that the Baptist church uses the New Testament strictly as its authority for faith (doctrine) and practice. In recent years the news media has called doctrinally unsound church such as the Charismatics and Pentecostals “fundamentalists”. Even some TV evangelists have referred to themselves as being “fundamentalist”. But they should not be confused with Fundamental Baptists. They are in fact worlds apart. Many of the TV evangelists and all of the Charismatic and Pentecostal churches promote teachings which are not Biblical. Fundamental Baptist use the name in its strictest sense as meaning holding to the fundamentals of the New Testament teachings without error. True Independent Fundamental Baptist Churches uphold the purest teachings of the early church as revealed in the New Testament.

This is personal opinion but I believe that a lot of Independent Baptist churches formed when the Southern Baptist Convention implemented something called the “co-operative” program. That monetary contribution had to do mostly with missions. Some Baptist felt like only 3 cents of every dollar got to the missionary in the field. Hence, many Baptist preachers “broke” away from the SBC. The SBC was a group of Independent churches until the co-operative program made you Southern Baptist by a monetary co-operation. Here again, this is my opinion and is from studies I have made into history because I was not around then.

Independent Fundamental Baptist churches have fellowship one with the other and often cooperate in such things as evangelism. They, however, will only fellowship or cooperate in joint meetings with churches of like belief. They will not participate, on a church basis, in any outside function with churches which do not also strictly base their faith and practice on the New Testament.

At this time there is a movement within the Independent Baptist ranks to fellowship together with other groups.