What Is an Independent 
Fundamental Baptist Church
   

Independent -

 An independent church is a church that is
self-governing and self-propagating.
   It is free from any control from outside its membership
including a denomination or convention.

 

Fundamental -

A Fundamental church is a church that believes

in the fundamentals of the faith.

The fundamental doctrines of the faith are:

  1) The inerrancy of Scripture meaning Scripture is without error.
  2) The virgin birth of Christ.
  3) The substitutionary atonement of Christ.
  4) Christ’s bodily resurrection.
  5) Christ’s bodily return to earth in the second coming.

    These beliefs were reaffirmed because many churches were rejecting these doctrines in the early 1900’s.  In more recent years, fundamentalism has also been associated with separation from apostasy and worldliness.
 

Baptist -

A Baptist church is a church which adheres
to all of the following  distinctives:

   Biblical Authority -  The Bible is the final authority for the faith and practice of
 * 2 Tim 3:16-17                                    the church.
 
 

   Autonomy of the Local Church -  Each church is sovereign and cannot
* Acts 6:1-7                                                                            be controlled by a board,
                                                                                                hierarchical system or another
                                                                                                church.
 

   Priesthood of believers -  Every believer can go directly to God
* Heb. 4:14-16                                                      without human intercession.
 
 

Two Ordinances of the Local Church =
Believer's Baptism and the Lord's Table.

   Believer's Baptism -  A person is baptized by immersion after he places
* Acts 8:35-39                                           his faith in Jesus Christ.
 
 

   The Lord's Table -  The Lord's Table is a symbol of Christ’s broken body
* 1 Cor. 11:23-24                                 and shed blood.
 
 

   Individual Soul Liberty -  Every individual has a right to interpret the Bible
* Rom. 14:5-12                                                    for himself and believe that interpretation.
 
 

   Saved Church Membership -  Only saved individuals can join the
* 1 Cor. 1:2                                                                    local church.
 
 

   Two Officers of the Local Church -  Pastor and Deacons.
* 1 Tim. 3:1-13
 
 

   Separation of Church and State -  There should not be any organic
* Mat. 22:15-22;  *Rom 13:1-7                                                union of  the church with the
               *                                                                                   state.  There should not be a
                                                                                                    state church or church state.