I grew up my whole life in an IFB church. I felt the Lord’s call on my life to serve Him in a full-time capacity when I was 16 years old. I attended a Baptist Bible College and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Pastoral Theology. Upon graduation I got married and my wife and I found ourselves serving the Lord in an IFB church. We both have a heart that wanted to serve the Lord (and still do) and we found ourselves busy in ministry. I had to work a full-time job and the ministry work was an u paid position I wasn’t on staff at the church. We started a Jr Church program for the kids that was not offered before because, “The children don’t need to be in Jr Church…they need to be under the preaching of the word of God” So we got past that obstacle. Then I preached one time a month as well as lead music and my wife and I on top of all that started and ran a VBS, and we both sang in the choir. About a year in we saw red flags. 1.Our church didn’t support missions because “a missions board was unbiblical …the Apostle Paul didn’t use a Missions Board”. 2. The second red flag was in choir, when the choir director wanted a female to read a Bible verse before we sang. We were in practice and the Pastor was also in the choir and was quiet for the whole practice until he broke his silence and stood up, “I forbid her to read this verse before the choir sings…the Bible forbids women to speak in the church”. 3. The third red flag was the straw that broke the camels back for us and the IFB. My Pastor said that according to scripture I couldn’t be a Pastor because we didn’t have children. And further more in his interpretation of scripture they had to be older children like college age, because the Bible says “Having his children in subjection”. I sat down with my Pastor after hearing his stance and said what about Paul and Timothy? We hear nothing about there families or kids and they were Pastors. His reply was “Well no they were church-planters not Pastors.” I said don’t you have to Pastor a church to plant a church. And again he just took scripture out of context. Just a month ago I accepted a job as a Youth Pastor at a church that didn’t say “Baptist” and used another version than the KJV. When I told our Pastor that I accepted this position he disagreed but was kind to me in person. The next day I got the worst text message I’ve ever received by anyone let alone my pastor. He ripped me up and down, my character, and said I was compromising by going in this direction and God would not bless this. My own family has shunned me for leaving and accepting this position. There’s so much more to the story, but since our leaving God has blessed us each step of the way and has shown us that He is still at work and wants to use us. The church I was in was fear driven and not a church I believe Jesus would have any part of. I’m so glad this is all in our past. The church we are serving in now is not IFB but they love Jesus and others and preach the Bible. There are still good IFB churches which do things the right way but they one I grew up in and then got married and served in were both places that held tradition higher than doctrine, and sin was covered up for years. Yet they still believe they are doing it right that’s why they have a small crowd. I believe those churches are dying because sin has been covered and the Lord has removed His hand of blessing. I’m glad to have a new chapter and leave the IFB behind.
