What is “Independent Fundamental Baptist”
Independent Baptist churches (which may be referred to as Independent Fundamental Baptist, or IFB) are Christian churches holding to generally Baptist beliefs, but characterized by being independent from the authority of denominations and ecumenical conventions, although many Independent Baptist churches belong to fellowships. They remain autonomous and congregationalist in nature and are generally fundamentalist in teaching. The IFB movement is not a denomination per se although there are similarities.The term Independent Baptist was applied to these unaffiliated churches in the late 1800s and early 1900s when national Baptist denominations and conventions in the United States and England started modernising and, in the opinion of the now Independent Baptist churches, liberalising. Perceived weakening beliefs in these denominations about core Christian doctrines such as the infallibility of the Bible, the nature of God and Jesus, and separation from worldliness caused the more conservative local churches to react by separating from these denominations. Some joined new denominations that were more conservative in their beliefs while others did not join any particular denomination and remained “independent”. These local churches often set about establishing other Independent Baptist churches.
Independent Baptist - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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