1. Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Some Observations on IFBdom

Discussion in 'Fundamental Baptist Forum' started by robt.k.fall, Nov 25, 2011.

  1. robt.k.fall

    robt.k.fall Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2010
    Messages:
    134
    Likes Received:
    3
    It's been pointed out on many threads IFBdom is not monolithic. Hopefully, the following illustration will help folks better understand the movement's dynamics.

    First, think of Christianity as a universe. As in the real universe, the Christian universe has its black holes. The CU's black holes are made up of apostate and heretical movements and organizations. I'll leave the defining of apostasy and heresy to later in this thread if definitions are needed.

    Like the real universe, the CU is divided up into galaxies. The CU's galaxies are roughly, the Lutheran, Reformed\Presbyterian, Anglican\Methodist (Wesleyan)\Holiness (Pentecostal), and Baptist (Bible Church). This post deals with the last.

    The Baptist galaxy has more sectors than the others. It's three main sectors are the Continental\German, Anglo-American, and the Slavic (Russian). The label Independent Fundamental Baptist applies to one of the A-A's sub-sectors. Other sub-sectors are (again roughly, as this listing is by no means exhaustive):
    • the denominational organizations (the American Baptist convention, the Southern Baptist Convention, the various Black and other ethnic bodies.
    • Primitive Baptist
    • Old Regular Baptist
    • Free Will Baptist

    Independent Fundamental Baptist churches are roughly divided North and South depending on which through convention they trace their DNA. In the North, separation from the Northern Baptist Convention was based mainly on doctrinal grounds. There was a sharp contrast between the modernist denomination structure and the Fundamentalist churches (the GARBC, the FBF and others). In the South, separation was based in large part on the perceived support of worldliness by the SBC.

    Has there been cross pollination between the two, yes. Though, in the last ten or so years, the two have had less to do with each other. This is due to the rise of KJVOism in the southern strain of IFBdom and the recognition that the cultural standards of East Texas don't transfer easily to the tundra of Northern Minnesota.

    I'll expand more on this as needed.
     
  2. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Messages:
    9,788
    Likes Received:
    698
    Faith:
    Baptist
    The Fundamental Baptist Fellowship is Northern? Isn't it headquartered in Deep South Taylors, South Carolina?
     
  3. JesusFan

    JesusFan Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2011
    Messages:
    8,913
    Likes Received:
    240
    just curious, where would the North American Baptist Conferences churches fit into Baptist map?
     
  4. Sapper Woody

    Sapper Woody Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jul 5, 2011
    Messages:
    2,314
    Likes Received:
    175
    Right next to Orian's Belt, across from the Big Dipper.
     
  5. Squire Robertsson

    Squire Robertsson Administrator
    Administrator

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2000
    Messages:
    15,371
    Likes Received:
    2,405
    Faith:
    Baptist
    As much as the FBF has a "headquarters", yes. It's in Taylors as that's where its current president John Vaughn lives. Over the years, the FBF has grown beyond its original geographic borders. Its basic philosophy of ministry is rooted firmly in the Northern Baptist (pre-convention) movement.
     
  6. Jerome

    Jerome Well-Known Member
    Site Supporter

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Messages:
    9,788
    Likes Received:
    698
    Faith:
    Baptist
    Well that's the address provided on their website—Wade Hampton Blvd. to be exact.



    Thanks, I found this explanation of the FBF by Dr. Bob on the FFF:

    I think this, rather than any real growth, probably explains its shift southward (disgraced ex-FBF head Rod Bell out of Virginia was apparently also in the BJU orbit?)
     
    #6 Jerome, Nov 26, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 26, 2011
  7. robt.k.fall

    robt.k.fall Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2010
    Messages:
    134
    Likes Received:
    3
    Actually, Dr. Bell has long been retired from the active ranks of FBF leadership. As for the influence of BJU, it is present. However, in the last year or so, the faculty (especially Larry Oats) of Maranatha Baptist Bible College, Watertown, Wisc. has written a slew of articles in Frontline.

    I won't quibble too much about Dr. Bob's estimation on the FBF. With this exception, where else would the Baptist graduates have gone?

    The Squire wrote "as much as the FBF has a 'headquarters'" because the FBF doesn't have much of any "headquarters" staff outside the editorial staff of Frontline. The Wade Hampton address is where Dr. Vaughn collects the mail. The organization has active regional groupings in the US, Caribbean, and Pacific Rim.
     
  8. robt.k.fall

    robt.k.fall Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2010
    Messages:
    134
    Likes Received:
    3
    Regretfully, I am unfamiliar with this group.
     
  9. robt.k.fall

    robt.k.fall Member

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2010
    Messages:
    134
    Likes Received:
    3
    On my usage of North and South

    There was/is one historic differences between Northern Baptist Churches (pre convention) and those in the Southern Baptist Convention. Francis Wayland (a Northern Baptist leader) said it best in 1859
    In reading Hiscox's The New Directory for Baptist Churches, we find he writes that decisions made by councils called by a local church are only advisory. They are not binding unless adopted by the calling church. For over a half a century between the break up of the Triennial Convention and the forming of the Northern Baptist convention, Northern Baptists organized their inter church efforts along functional lines (The American Baptist Missionary Union, The American Baptist Publication Society, The American Baptist Home Missionary society, et al.) These organizations were founded and operated by like minded individuals not by churches. The FBFI continues in this tradition.

    FWIW, in looking at a recent Frontline "Church Directory", I see two churches in California and one each in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia, and South Carolina.
     
Loading...