I was raised in an Independent Fundamental BIBLE Church in Southern Ohio (you know, because regular IFB would have still been associated with another group and not totally separate). I got invited to go by a friend I made when I was in Kindergarten, and this was the first church I had ever attended. Historically, my family was Catholic, but my Mom was non-practicing. At the time, it was myself, my mother and my sister living with my Mom’s boyfriend. I kept going to the church with this new friend I had made, and eventually my sister also started coming. Not long after that, my Mom also came and the three of us became Christians at that church; however, my Mom’s boyfriend would not come. As typical, we started going to all three services each week, plus whatever special services might have been going on…our life revolved around whatever that church was doing. Eventually, my Mom broke it off with her boyfriend and we moved into a rental home of one of the church members and it stayed that way for about 10 years before my Mom finally met someone and remarried.
Pastor was a Bob Jones guy; KJV only, loud, slamming hands on the pulpit, Sword of the Lord newsletter, dress and hair a certain way, culottes for the girls, no form of secular music, etc. Heard him say several times that he wouldn’t live to see grandchildren because the rapture would take him before that could happen (he has four now). Anyone that left the church was 1 John 2:19’d. Never question the MOG.
As someone who is naturally curious and likes to ask questions, I was labeled the rebel and continually questioned my salvation since I could never keep up with all of the man-made “requirements”. I remember one incident that happened in maybe 3rd or 4th grade, our music assignment was to lip sync a song. A group of my friends wanted to do Beastie Boy’s “Fight for Your Right” as a trio, but I was told to pick something out of the hymnal at church instead. I ended up going behind my Mom’s back and doing something else and it really gave me a lot of guilt. As the years passed by, I would get invited to other church’s and events, but would always get turned down since they were either too liberal or too worldly. I tried serval times just not to go to that church, but that was never an option. Even once I got to High School, if I spent the weekend with friends, I would have to be home Sunday morning so I could make it to Church. My sister on the flip-side, stayed to it.
After graduating high school, I joined the military. I finally felt like I was free to be myself, and began trying to figure out who I was. I started drinking, smoking, and got a couple tattoos & piercings. That was about the extent of it, no drugs or being promiscuous or what one might consider to be typical young adult life, but I later found out my Mom fasted for several days because she was worried about my salvation and hedonistic lifestyle. About 5 years in to being in the military, I met my wife who was raised in country churches (between Southern Baptist and Presbyterian). We had a lot of friction in the beginning, because I had certain foundational “truths” that were ingrained into me about how to be a Christian.
I’ve never really been able to articulate how indoctrinated I was growing up and how it still greatly affects my walk with Christ.
Thank you so much for your podcast. It’s been a great help to know that I’m not the only one who still struggles with certain aspects of the IFB indoctrination, despite knowing the truth and having the truth set you free. May God continue to bless this ministry.