It is not uncommon to hear Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) Christians say, “I need a good church home. Any suggestions?” This question is typically used by people who are either disgruntled members or people who are moving to a new community and need a church to attend.
Due to their emphasis on doctrine and social practices, it is not uncommon for IFB congregants to get upset over something their pastors said or did. Church splits are common, with offended members moving on to other IFB congregations. I pastored an IFB church in southeast Ohio for eleven years. The church grew rapidly, exceeding 200 in attendance in the mid-80s. During this time, two nearby IFB churches had splits. Overnight, our attendance increased by 50 people. These folks were committed followers of Jesus. I knew a bit about the splits at their churches, but decided to accept them as members, even though I knew that this was risky for me to do. Why? People coming from church splits typically don’t stay for the long term. And sure enough, two years later, every one of our new members had returned to their previous churches. The very problems they had at their previous churches cropped up at their new church. Disagreements over my preaching and how the church operated arose, leading these people to move on. I did not attempt to keep them, knowing that their previous churches were “home.”
Often, IFB Christians move to a new community. The first thing they do is to look for a church home. It may be a community with 10 churches, but if they aren’t “like-minded” congregations, IFB Christians will not visit them. From their perspective, non-IFB churches are liberal or worldly. When no IFB church is available, it is not uncommon for people to start new churches. In their minds, every community needs a sin-hating-Bible-preaching IFB church. Of course, as sure as the sun comes up in the morning, people who start new churches can/do leave for friendlier confines.
I learned as a pastor that people come and go. I also learned that I couldn’t make everybody happy. And, finally, I learned not to burn the bridges I had built with leaving members. Over the years, numerous congregants left to find a new church home, only to return a few years later. Without exception, I welcomed them back into our church — no strings attached. Sometimes, these folks stayed, but others would, in time, become disgruntled again. Two families came and went three times in eleven years. Something in my preaching would upset them, and off they would go to “friendlier” churches.
Are you a current/former IFB church member? Did your churches have a lot of turnover? Please share your experiences in the comment section.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen 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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Gosh, that’s alot of splitting for sure. The whole point of what Jesus taught was in John 17, “that they would be one” about not taking offense and receiving, loving one another. If you split an atom, you get energy. It’s powerful, like dynamite! If you split a church, you get an un-unified body of believers, which lessens the power of a corporate Body working together. “Oh, how good, how pleasant it is for brothers to live together ❤️ in harmony. It is like fragrant oil on the head that runs down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, flowing down the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon that settles on the mountains of Zion. For it was there that Adonai commanded the blessing 🙌, even life forevermore” PSALM 133
The one constant I have observed on my own religious journey, particularly during my youth in the Pentecostal religion, is that the more fundamentalist someone becomes (regardless of their actual religion), the more they let the perfect become the enemy of the good. 100% on my side or you’re my enemy, and I’ll just take my ball and go to another playground. I’m sure this is a phenomenon that happens outside of religion, but it seems the most fervent among religious people. It’s almost like their only way to be validated is by being around like-minded people. Any variation makes them uncomfortable.
Yeah, man. John is RIGHT! Whatever happened to, “iron sharpens iron”? We all need to be refined. And usually God uses the guy who totally disagrees with us to do it! Alot of people run from a bit of good, creative dissent, 🤔 not sure what’s so scary about it, it actually makes life INTERESTING to have variety and be challenged!
The funny thing is, 🤣🤣(complete confession and disclosure here) my biggest problem used to be with IBF’s many years ago, I thought they were all a bunch of religious Pharisees, but about 16 years ago, God showed me that He had some holy people there, too. He’s got His remnant everywhere, and often some of them are in “denominations” that we don’t agree with!
Lol 😆
When i went to college, I became friends with a girl from Ohio who attended an IFB church while growing up. While she and her twin sister had attended public school, her twin went to Pensacola Christian College (while my friend was at a secular university). Anyway, my friend’s pastor had scouted out a “suitable” IFB church for my friend to attend. I had started going to a large Southern Baptist church near campus because (a) I had joined the Baptist Student Union which was a ministry of that church; (b) they provided a shuttle to the church; (c) the had a large College student ministry pulling in stude8from our campus and from a couple of other nearby universities; (d) and most importantly they provided free lunch after the service. But one Sunday, I decided to go to church with my friend. The pastor and his wife picked us up at campus, and after a 20 minute or so drive, we arrived at their small church. It didn’t take me long to be triggered because they were so similar to the fundamentalist Christian school I had attended (which was founded by Bob Jones University people). I never went back.
Anyway, my friend found her church home while she was at college, and I found mine. However, my attendance frequency declined the longer I was in college. It would have diminished even more if there wasn’t a guy attending on whom I had a crush.
When i went to college, I became friends with a girl from Ohio who attended an IFB church while growing up. While she and her twin sister had attended public school, her twin went to Pensacola Christian College (while my friend was at a secular university). Anyway, my friend’s pastor had scouted out a “suitable” IFB church for my friend to attend. I had started going to a large Southern Baptist church near campus because (a) I had joined the Baptist Student Union which was a ministry of that church; (b) they provided a shuttle to the church; (c) the had a large College student ministry pulling in stude8from our campus and from a couple of other nearby universities; (d) and most importantly they provided free lunch after the service. But one Sunday, I decided to go to church with my friend. The pastor and his wife picked us up at campus, and after a 20 minute or so drive, we arrived at their small church. It didn’t take me long to be triggered because they were so similar to the fundamentalist Christian school I had attended (which was founded by Bob Jones University people). I never went back.
Anyway, my friend found her church home while she was at college, and I found mine. However, my attendance frequency declined the longer I was in college. It would have diminished even more if there wasn’t a guy attending on whom I had a crush.