WHAT IS INDEPENDENT BAPTIST?

Updated April 14, 2009 (first published April 29, 2008) (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org; for instructions about subscribing and unsubscribing or changing addresses, see the information paragraph at the end of the article) -

From time to time people write to ask, “What exactly is an independent Baptist church?”

One reason I have never written an article on this subject is the fact that the Independent Baptist movement is not homogenous. There is almost a bewildering variety of doctrine and practice among Independent Baptist churches.

I have decided, though, to answer the question, plainly acknowledging that the answer will only be my own.

It is doubtless true that if you had 1,000 Independent Baptist preachers write an answer to this question, you would get 1,000 different answers!

I would say first that the Independent Baptist movement is large. There are thousands of Independent Baptist churches.