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IFB Standards for Staff and Church Workers

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Many Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) churches have what are commonly called staff or worker standards. These rules strictly regulate what church staff and church workers wear, how they look, and how they behave. Some churches even require staff members and workers to sign their names to these rules, thus signifying an agreement between them and the church. Not abiding by these rules usually results in loss of employment or loss of ministry opportunities. All too often the offender is labeled rebellious or a backslider and run out of the church.

In the fall of 1979, I resigned from Montpelier Baptist Church in rural northwest Ohio and moved to the central Ohio community of Newark with my wife and newborn child. Polly’s maternal uncle, the late James (Jim) Dennis, pastored the Newark Baptist Temple — a hardcore IFB institution. Polly’s father, Lee, was the church’s assistant pastor. We planned to join the Baptist Temple and serve the Lord there while waiting on God to direct us to our next ministry opportunity. (Please see The Family Patriarch is Dead: My Life With James Dennis.)

The church needed someone to oversee its bus ministry (unpaid). I thought, at the time, that doing this would be a perfect opportunity to put my Bible college training and skills to work. Instead, Pastor Dennis told me that he couldn’t give the position to me because it would like he was playing favorites with family. Later behavior would suggest that his real problem was with me personally. Numerous other family members would work for the Baptist Temple, just not Bruce Gerencser. This initial bit of conflict between us led to four decades of what can best be described as an adversarial relationship. I suspect that the root of the problem traces back to the fact that Pastor Dennis did not want Polly to marry me, and neither did Jim’s wife nor Polly’s mother. Yet, here we are, 42 years later.

Granted, I was a contrarian, not afraid to speak my mind. This put me in the doghouse more than a few times. Let me give you a couple of examples related to church staff and church worker standards. I taught Sunday School, drove a bus on Sunday, and helped do mechanical work on the busses during the week. Polly worked in the nursery, sang in the choir, and worked for the church’s non-licensed daycare. She later taught one year of third grade for the church’s non-accredited school, Licking County Christian Academy. At the time, I was a general manager for Arthur Treacher’s in Reynoldsburg, and later part of a new store management team that opened stores for Long John Silver’s in Zanesville, Heath, and Westerville

As workers at the Baptist Temple, we were required annually to read and sign the church’s standards. Polly quickly signed, but I refused to do so. I thought then, and still do, that it was manipulative (and stupid) to demand people sign the standards; that the only person I was accountable to was God. My “rebellion,” of course, caused quite a stir in the church. “Poor Polly,” people thought. “Bruce needs to get right with God!” The real issue wasn’t my “heart,” as much as it was my refusal to play by Pastor Dennis’ rules.

Pastor Dennis’ church standard regulated everything from length of hair, facial hair, what women and men could wear clothing-wise, and what entertainments people could participate in. The spouses and children of staff and church workers were expected to obey these rules too.

Refusing to sign caused a huge rift between Pastor Dennis and me, one that never healed. Because I refused to sign, I was removed as a Sunday School teacher. Ironically, I was still allowed to drive busses and repair them during the week. Nothing changed for Polly. I suspect this was due to the fact that Polly was so quiet and passive, and I was so outgoing and outspoken, that people saw me as Polly’s overlord Polly as a wife who dutifully followed her husband’s edicts. To this day, some family members refuse to see that Polly has come into her own; that the only “boss” in her life is herself. Some ill-informed Evangelical family and friends think that Polly is an unbeliever only because I am; that once I die, she will come running back to Jesus and the IFB church movement. Boy, are they in for a big surprise.

During our time in Newark, I played recreational basketball at least three times a week. During the winter, I would play basketball at the YMCA or join other church men for games at local school gymnasiums. During the summer, I would, after work, join my fellow manager, Neal Ball, at local playgrounds for pick-up basketball games (I also played softball). One day, I drove over to the Baptist Temple to pick Polly up from work. She was working for the church’s daycare, Temple Tots, at the time. I was wearing gym shorts — remember the short shorts of that era — a ratty tee-shirt, white socks, and Converse tennis shoes. As I walked into the church building, Pastor Dennis saw me. Like a bull charging a red cape, Jim came towards me, letting me know that I couldn’t enter the building dressed as I was. He was livid, and so was I. How dare he respond to me like this. I was just there to pick up my wife. He stomped off, as did I. He later let Polly know that I was not allowed to enter the building again unless I was dressed properly.

One night, we were at Polly’s parents’ home when Pastor Dennis stopped over for some reason. Polly’s dad was still the church’s assistant pastor, though they had cut his pay and forced him to work a factory job to make ends meet. (The Baptist Temple was notorious for paying poor wages, including paying married women less than men.) Polly’s sister was living at home at the time. She worked for a nearby nursing home. Kathy, dressed for work, came down the stairs while Pastor Dennis was standing at the front door. He looked up, and much to his horror, saw that Kathy was wearing pants! OMG, right? The good pastor quickly became angry, and with a loud voice lectured Kathy and her mom and dad over the evils of women wearing pants, and that Kathy, as the daughter of the church’s assistant pastor, was required to obey the church’s standard. According to Jim, this was to be the first and last time Kathy wore pants. It wasn’t.

The standards haven’t changed much at the Newark Baptist Temple. Men can now have hair that is a bit longer and are permitted to have facial hair, but the dress standard for staff and church workers remains as rigid and legalistic as ever.

While the Baptist Temple seems extreme to the uninitiated, such rules are not uncommon in IFB churches and colleges. The standards at the Baptist Temple were similar to the rules at the IFB college Polly and I attended — Midwestern Baptist College in Pontiac, Michigan. Pastor Dennis was a 1960s graduate of Midwestern and was later given an honorary doctorate by the college. It should come as no surprise that his rigid legalism matched that of Tom Malone and his alma mater. Polly’s father was also a Midwestern alum.

Yesterday, someone posted the male platform standard for the North Platte Baptist Church in North Platte, Nebraska. The church is pastored by William Reeves. (Three of six church staff positions are held by Reeves’ children — nepotism at its best.) I have written about Reeves and his church before:

If a man wants to be on the platform — the dog and pony show stage — at North Platte Baptist, he is required to dress and look a certain way:

platform standard north platte baptist church

I don’t know the context of the Twitter exchange between pastors William Reeves and Andrew Sluder — pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Asheville, North Carolina. Both men are arrogant, self-righteous pastors who are proud that their IFB dicks are bigger than those of other preachers. What I want to bring attention to is not dick size, but the requirements at North Platte Baptist for any man appearing on the church’s stage.

All men must:

  • wear a suit, a tie, and a white shirt
  • wear polished, clean dress shoes
  • be clean-shaven

Men are not permitted to wear necklaces or bracelets, nor are they to have a beard or mustache of any kind.

Sound crazy or bizarre? Trust me, in the IFB church movement, such standards are quite common.

Keep in mind that these are Pastor Reeves’ rules. He is the CEO, king, and potentate of North Platte Baptist. His word is the law, and those who refuse to play by his rules aren’t welcome.

charles spurgeon

I find it interesting that the church’s platform standard says that men who have facial hair are not trustworthy and lacking in personal character. Wow! I wonder if they realize that Jesus, the apostles, and the Apostle Paul all likely had facial hair, and that some of the preachers revered by IFB pastors, say Charles Spurgeon, had facial hair. Even God has a beard. I have seen his picture.

And here’s the thing, North Platte Baptist and other IFB churches have lots and lots of rules and regulations governing congregant/staff dress, appearance, and behavior. Rarely are these standards made known to new attendees. Better to hook them first with fake “love and kindness” before letting unwary attendees know, as Paul Harvey would say, “the rest of the story.”

Did you attend an IFB church? Did the church have specific requirements for staff and workers? Did the church have a platform standard? Please share your experiences in the comment section.

Bruce Gerencser, 66, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 45 years. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.

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8 Comments

  1. Avatar
    ObstacleChick

    My experience was with a fundamentalist Christian school which was founded by Bob Jones University graduates (so IFB). The school’s dress code was similar to the platform standard minus the white shirt, suit, and tie. Boys could have no facial hair, and there was a diagram in the handbook for acceptable hair length. Boys were required to wear shirt tucked in with a belt.

    Girls of course had separate rules for skirt, sleeve, and neckline standards (skirts and dresses only of course). We were allowed to wear pants, never jeans, at extracurricular events like sports events.

    I despised all that BS.

    I attended a Southern Baptist church so there weren’t written rules, but most men wore suit and tie to church (for deacons ot was required), though some farmers didn’t wear a suit jacket. Women had to wear skirts/dresses but there weren’t specific rules. Sunday night and Wednesday night were more casual, and some women might wear pants to those services (though they might get the side eye).

  2. Avatar
    Brian Vanderlip

    Narrow-minded, rigid, shallow, black and white thought believers use all opportunities to harm themselves and others. What you wear and how you wear it and how you shave or don’t shave, what you think or don’t think, are not yours to own except to be offered up in obedience to the almighty (in this case, the preacher) who is paid to be God’s mouthpiece. How can I harm thee, let me count the ways!
    We had to polish shoes on Saturday night in prep for Sunday service. We all had the white shirts and ties, the ironed pants.
    As kids, we just saw it as dressing up like old people. Nobody cared what we said about it, just that we complied. This is the beginning of the thought-control. Later, as the child matures, more active, invasive thought insertion is used. Memorize the Bible so you no longer have to talk: Just quote verses. God’s words are better than anything you could say! Steven Anderson has long been methodically memorizing his Bible.

  3. Avatar
    Steve Ruis

    Re “I find it interesting that the church’s platform standard says that men who have facial hair are not trustworthy and lacking in personal character.” You can see clearly from this that these people are only interested in control, that is power to require your obedience.

    This same people will claim that we were made in god’s image, that god created us (men) with facial hair, and then turn around and support such a stupid rule.

  4. Avatar
    Sage

    Hmm I don’t think my fashion choices would be appreciated by these people. Butat least I am clean shaven, so I might get by..unless they dislike my eyeshadow colors.

  5. Avatar
    John Renolds

    I am not familiar with this type of religion. However, looking from the outside in all of you are acting like victims. If you don’t like your religion just leave, why go on a blog and complain? I would never criticize my priest like this and I have not agreed with a lot they say. I say if he wanted everyone in clown suits and you didn’t like it? leave. I think his request on beards is odd as I the Jesus had one. But making sure people look uniform makes sense to me. I would feel odd if a lady got up in a bathing suit or a guy got up and read the Bible in shorts and tee shirt. Anyway I stumbled on this stuff and thought it was a bit entertaining and childish.

    • Avatar
      Bruce Gerencser

      The simple answer, John, is that many religions cause psychological and physical harm. You are a Catholic. Does your religion harm people? that’s a rhetorical question. Should those harmed by Catholicism and its priests just ignore their harm and not warn others about what takes place within such churches? Should people not be warned to not let their children out of their sight; that churches of every sect are pastored by sexual predators?

      I find it interesting that you know nothing about the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church movement, yet you feel qualified to pass judgment on my writing or those who comment on this site. Before self-righteously tapping on your keyboard, I suggest you educate yourself first before passing judgment.

  6. Avatar
    Sage

    Wow, John, do you see even one tiny bit of irony in your post? Let me summarize the irony for you “If you don’t like it…just leave.” Maybe you are trying to prove your point by being the example of your post?

    But that aside, I am curious. Why would you never criticize your priest? Is it somehow improper to call out a priest? Are they above critique and guidance from parishoners?

  7. Avatar
    Megan

    My husband and I attend an IFB church in Australia. While there is no “contract” to speak of, all men and boys are made to wear a suit and tie, or,at least a tie. My husband is one of 2 or 3 males that refuse to. May husband dresses the same way he always does. Button up shirt and jeans/casual pants. There is no basis in scripture for wearing suit and tie. In Matthew, Jesus has a go at Pharisees for dressing up and looking fancy on the outside, but are “whitened sepulchres” on the inside. Jesus is quite blunt that He is not impressed by our attempts at dressing up. My husband finds it odd, however, that other than certain areas being covered, women are not held to the same standard. I can walk into church with a frumpy dress from Walmart and no-one bats an eye. 😳🙄

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