# Independent Baptist

Independent Baptist churches (also called Independent Fundamental Baptist or IFB or Bible Baptist Churches) are Christian congregations, generally holding to conservative (primarily fundamentalist) Baptist beliefs. Although some Independent Baptist churches refuse affiliation with Baptist denominations, various Independent Baptist Church denominations have been founded.

## History

The modern Independent Baptist tradition began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries among local denominational Baptist congregations whose members were concerned about the advancement of modernism and theological liberalism into national Baptist denominations and conventions in the United States and the United Kingdom.
In response to the concerns, some local Baptist churches separated from their former denominations and conventions and reestablished the congregations as Independent Baptist churches. In other cases, the more conservative members of existing churches withdrew from their local congregations and set about establishing new Independent Baptist churches.
Although some Independent Baptist churches refuse affiliation with Baptist denominations, various Independent Baptist Church denominations have been founded. There is the World Baptist Fellowship founded in 1933 at Fort Worth, Texas by J. Frank Norris. Doctrinal differences in the latter led to the founding of the Baptist Bible Fellowship International in 1950 and the Independent Baptist Fellowship International in 1984. Various independent Baptist Bible colleges were also founded.
During the 21st century, the New Independent Fundamental Baptist movement was founded out of the Independent Baptist movement by Steven Anderson, which Independent Baptist writers have criticized. Independent Baptists generally reject many of the doctrines taught by the New IFB, including the claim that the atonement was not fully fulfilled in the cross, but instead done by Jesus in burning in hell.
In 2014, Independent Baptists comprised 2.5% of the United States adult population according to a survey by the Pew Research Center.

## Beliefs

The beliefs are mainly Baptist and fundamentalist. They refuse any form of ecclesial authority other than that of the local church. Great emphasis is placed on the literal interpretation of the Bible as the primary method of Bible study as well as the biblical inerrancy and the infallibility of their interpretation. Dispensationalism is common among Independent Baptists. They are opposed to any ecumenical movement with denominations that do not have the same beliefs. Due to a lack of central authority and an independent congregational polity, Independent Baptist churches may often have variances from each other in a number of areas in theology and practice. This includes issues such as on music, dress standards, the practice of communion and soteriology, however they are homogeneous on issues such as opposition to the practice of homosexuality, the ordination of women, the charismatic movement, evolutionism and abortion. Independent Baptists generally avoid public school, instead either homeschooling or using private church schools.
Independent Baptists generally believe in abstinence from alcohol, and do not use fermented wine in communion. They believe that the Lord's Supper in the early church was done by heating up must into grape syrup, and then diluting it with water when it was needed for use again to avoid fermentation.

### Fundamentalism

As Christian Fundamentalists, Independent Baptists are opposed both to Liberal Christianity and Neo-Evangelicalism (which is particularly associated with Billy Graham). Independent Baptists believe that Neo-Evangelicalism errs by failing to practice separation sufficiently, rejecting their perceived Ecumenist attitudes in some modern Evangelical circles.

### King James Onlyism

Many Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) churches adhere to the exclusive use of the King James Version (KJV), a position commonly known as King James Onlyism. The Independent Baptist influencer David Cloud, drawing on the arguments of Edward Hills, asserts that the King James Version should not be viewed simply as a translation of the Greek and Hebrew texts. Instead, he regards it as an independent variation of the Textus Receptus, rendered in English rather than Greek, and providentially preserved as the purest form of the Textus Receptus The King James Only position has also been championed by notable Independent Baptist pastors such as Jack Hyles (1926–2001) and Lester Roloff (1914–1982), who maintained that the KJV perfectly preserves the Word of God. Similarly, Jack Chick (1924–2016), best known for his Christian comic tracts, also strongly advocated for the King James Only stance. A more extreme form of King James Onlyism was advanced by Peter Ruckman (1921–2016), who argued that the KJV constitutes "new revelation," even superior to the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. In contrast, some IFB leaders take a more moderate position. John R. Rice (1895–1980), for example, argued that while the KJV is preferable to modern translations like the American Standard Version, it is not without flaws and should not be considered perfect.
As a result of King James Onlyism, Independent Baptists often believe that the correct vocalization of the name of God is Jehovah, arguing that God would not allow the full pronunciation of name to not be preserved.
There are Independent also Baptists who reject any forms of King James Onlyism. For example, the Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary treats the original manuscripts of the Bible as the inerrant Word of God, a position that places it in opposition to the King-James-Only Movement. King-James-Only adherents have criticized DBTS (together with Bob Jones University and other institutions, including Central Baptist Theological Seminary) for playing an influential role in convincing some Independent Baptist groups to adopt modern Bible translations.

### Soteriology

Independent Baptists exhibit a range of views on soteriology, reflecting diversity within the movement. Some align with Free Grace theology, as seen in the works of writers like Jack Hyles, Curtis Hutson, Shelton Smith, Ernest Pickering, and Peter Ruckman. Others, such as David Cloud, advocate for a more moderated view which softly alings with Free Grace ideas, although still remaining distinct from it. However, many other Independent Baptists support Lordship Salvation, highlighting the theological variety within the group.
Independent Baptists often emphasize the distinction between law and gospel, a concept famously illustrated in Lester Roloff's sermon, "Dr. Law and Dr. Grace." In this sermon, Roloff described the law as revealing humanity's sins and exposing their inability to attain righteousness through their own works. This understanding, he explained, serves to guide individuals toward grace, where they can find forgiveness and redemption.
Independent Baptists also strongly affirm the necessity of the literal shedding of Christ's blood on the cross as central to his atoning work. They reject interpretations that treat biblical references to blood as mere metaphors for death, instead emphasizing the literal and physical aspect. Many also teach that after his resurrection, Jesus presented his blood on the heavenly mercy seat, often considering the literal blood of Christ as the object of faith, an interpretation drawn from the King James Version rendering of Romans 3:25.
Views on the sinner’s prayer also vary within the movement. While some consider it essential to receiving Christ, others critique this perspective. Notably, Jack Hyles, in his sermon "Fundamentalist Heresy," argued that the sinner’s prayer lacks biblical support as a requirement for salvation.

### Ecclesiology

Independent Baptists disagree among themselves on the issue of secondary versus primary separation, which is a debate on if a Christian should separate from merely from the unbelieving (primary separation) or also from those Christians who do not sufficiently separate themselves from the unbelieving (secondary separation). The concept of secondary separation was heavily criticized by Independent Baptist writer Curtis Hutson in the Sword of the Lord newspaper and was opposed by influential figures like John R. Rice and Lee Roberson. However, it found strong support from prominent pastor Jack Hyles. Some Independent Baptists also believe in so-called "third degree separation", which is the belief that one needs to separate from Fundamentalists who do not practice secondary separation.
Some Independent Baptists adhere to "Baptist Successionism," the belief that Baptists trace their origins through an unbroken lineage of Christians dating back to the Apostles, with medieval groups like the Waldensians and Albigenses cited as pre-reformation representatives of Baptist principles. Some proponents take this further by embracing Landmarkism, the view that only Baptist churches constitute the body of Christ and that only Baptists will be raptured at Jesus' coming. However, this perspective is not universally accepted within the Independent Baptist movement. Writers like David Cloud have strongly criticized the denial of a universal body of Christ comprising all true believers. The Baptist brider position has also been criticized by Paul Chappell, who although stated that there have always been churches which held to Baptist distinctives, still rejected the claims that only those churches which have a succession from the Apostles are valid.
Independent Baptists differ with each other on multiple ecclesiological issue. Issues such as open versus closed communion, how much authority a pastor has, how many pastors a church should have and the validity of baptisms from other churches.
Baptist churches that adhere to fundamentalism often call themselves "Bible Baptist Church", "Fundamental Baptist Church", or "Independent Baptist Church" to demonstrate their membership in the movement. However, there are also many churches which are mostly doctrinally aligned with Independent Baptists, without using the name "Baptist" to identify with the rest of the movement.

### Ordinances

Independent Baptists believe in memorialism, the belief that the Lord's Supper is symbolic. However, Independent Baptists may differ in how frequently each church takes the Lord's supper, believing that there is no set frequency on how often it must be taken. Independent Baptists refuse to use fermented wine in the Lord's Supper, believing that the yeast in the fermented wine corrupts the symbolism of the Lord's Supper.
As Baptists, Independent Baptists are strongly opposed to the practice of Infant Baptism.

### Worship music

Many Independent Baptists such as David Cloud, Paul Chappell and Ernest Pickering have rejected the use of contemporary Christian music. Pickering argued that styles such as rock music are overly emotional, entertainment-focused, and man-centered, making them unsuitable for church worship in his view. According to Pickering, biblical principles should guide Christians to use hymns rather than CCM, which he felt lacked the reverence and theological depth appropriate for worship.

### Other issues

Most Independent Baptists believe in dispensationalism and the pre-tribulational rapture, however a few hold to a post-tribulational view of the rapture. They may also have differences on issues such as the eternal generation of the Son, dispensational salvation, Calvinism, moral standards, dress standards among other doctrines.
Independent Baptists generally hold to orthodox Christology, agreeing with the ancient condemnations of Monophysitism, Nestorianism, Apollinarianism, and even Monothelitism, although a few Independent Baptists have rejected the claim that monothelitism is heretical.$^{:238}$ Independent Baptists such as Hymers Jr have emphasized that due to the unity of the person of Christ in his two natures, the blood of Jesus can also be called the blood of God.

## Sexual abuse

In 2018, an investigation by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram identified 412 abuse allegations in 187 independent fundamental Baptist (IFB) churches and institutions across the United States and Canada, with some cases reaching as far back as the 1970s.
In November 2023, Investigation Discovery released Let Us Prey: A Ministry of Scandals, a 4 part documentary, highlighting sexual abuse and cover up within the Independent Baptist movement.
Independent Baptist authors have responded to sexual abuse scandals in various ways. Shelton Smith (who is the current editor of the Sword of the Lord) has argued that while Independent Baptists need to take allegations seriously, he has still expressed scepticism on the cases of cover up happening in large scale within the Independent Baptist movement. Some Independent Baptists such as David Cloud have instead reacted to these allegations by arguing that they are only common in certain segments of the Independent Baptist movement. David Cloud in response stated that other Independent Baptists already attempted to deal with these cases in the 1980s and 1990s.

## Notable individuals associated with Independent Baptists

* Ben M. Bogard (1868 – 1951)
* J. Frank Norris (1877 – 1952)
* Mordecai Ham (1877 – 1961)
* John R. Rice (1895 – 1980)
* Robert T. Ketcham (1889 – 1978)
* George Beauchamp Vick (1901–1975)
* David Otis Fuller (1903 – 1988)
* Lee Roberson (1909 – 2007)
* Lester Roloff (1914 – 1982)
* Oliver B. Greene (1915 – 1976)
* George W. Dollar (1917–2006)
* John Birch (1918 – 1945)
* Peter Ruckman (1921 – 2016)
* Robert Sumner (1922 – 2016)
* Maze Jackson (1923–1996)
* Jack Chick (1924 – 2016)
* Jack Hyles (1926 – 2001)
* John A. Stormer (1928 – 2018)
* Ernest Pickering (1928 – 2000)
* Rolland D. McCune (1934 – 2019)
* Curtis Hutson (1934 – 1995)
* Gérard Dagon (1936 – 2011)
* R. L. Hymers Jr. (born 1941)
* Shelton Smith (born 1942)
* Clarence Sexton (1948 – 2023)
* David W. Cloud (born 1949)
* Chuck Baldwin (born 1952)
* Kent Hovind (born 1953)
* Paul Chappell (born 1962)
* Gary Click (born 1965)