For as long as I can remember I have grown up in an IFB church. I made my first profession of faith when I was 7, and then another time when I was about 10 or 11, and had some more professions of faith between 13-18, and then finally had is settled at 19 years old. Whenever the church doors where open my family was there, every Sunday school service, Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, and if there was revival we were there. I had preached a couple of sermons in my teens, I sang in choir, served on bus ministry, and played instrument for the services too! Mean less to say, I was involved, and really struggled with my salvation in Christ. Reading some others stories, I have seen personally salvation being hounded by other IFB goers to lost people, it’s happened to one of my brothers by my mom.

While being raised in IFB, I was always taught that KJV is the only true Word, IFB is the only true religion or denomination, all other religions/denominations are wrong and need to be saved! “Contemporary church” is wrong just because of the way they worship in song! I listened to contemporary music but it was monitored on how much “worldly” instruments were being used. I was indoctrinated to believe that if you didn’t go to church I was better than you! I had basically told someone that one day, and looking back I can see what IFB has done to me, and that I was way wrong in what I had said.

I just started listening to the podcast as of yesterday, and it is very nice to know that I am not the only one who has the same beliefs that I do about IFB. I started getting out of IFB about two years ago and it is still a struggle for me today. There are some day’s a struggle with if God still loves me, because I didn’t pray today, read the Bible today, or even go to church this week. I guess you can say I have anxiety about it, but plan on getting help in the near future to have more peace in my life. A couple of months ago I came out with friends and family that I was changing denominations, and I got social support, but found out not long ago that people from my former IFB church do not agree with what I am doing for myself and my family. My parents, siblings, and grandparents still go to the same IFB church I was raised in, and I hope that they can see what I see today.