Thank you for this! As a religious abuse survivor, this is my message to Baptist pastors, The weakness of complementarian theology on display in Duggar trial. Woodbury, the teenage abuse victim, said that the use of an implement was designed to separate the hand from the act and leave it only to be seen for a loving embrace. Big mistake. Repeating that experience (with a potentially different outcome) is not high on my list of things to do. Male authority is an essential tool in IFB teachings. She mentioned it to other members of the church. if( width > 480 ){ After all, bare skin on a woman at IFB churches is seen as an impure temptation for its men. Justin Woodbury, 41, has left the IFB. What struck me the most was your family's willingness to ostracize you. zoneId = 'Array'; Lol). I was born into a Christian family. Holding hands, kissing and hugging are all strictly prohibited. Gothards teachings are very prominent among the independent fundamental Baptists, with an emphasis on submission by women to men. Independent Baptist - Wikipedia The anxiety of NOT going was somehow worse. I hope your husband will follow the logical path out of christinsanity with you. The Duggar family, so much in the news lately, are Independent Fundamental Baptists (IFB), a loosely affiliated, singularly cultish denomination of Christian fundamentalists. Not from the point of view of them as people who are moral ends in themselves. I remember a man of 40 chuckling and asking me as a 12-year-old victim waiting for the court date of my abuser, Did you hold your dress for him while he did it?. Most Americans don't understand that there are flavors of Baptist Christianity, everything from liberal to hardcore Fundamentalist. Want to share a story? Former Independent Fundamental Baptists - IFB KJV. Somehow, I made my hands call a loved one to tell them to hurry up and turn on the TV because, our story is on., I remember sitting in silent shock. Especially about. Former Independent Fundamental Baptist church member Jennifer Waggoner tells her story of being molested at age 4 and how she used to think it was normal. You've been through a lot. I must assume that their church experiences had been mostly positive their entire lives, and so it made sense to them to share this "blessing" with their children. Iowa Baptist missionary convicted after giving 4-year-old gonorrhea Although, if Westboro is any indication, I might have guessed. He and his wife have six grown children and thirteen grandchildren. Megyn Kelly interviews Michelle & Jim Bob Duggar youtube. Its hard to find the time to sit and type a huge intro when you have a very busy toddler needing your attention. Gothards curriculum was used by the Duggar family of the television show 19 Kids and Counting. In 2003, the couples eldest son admitted to touching two of his sisters. and our Ten months into his tenure as the fourth executive director of the , This weekend offers a plethora of nature- and space-themed activities and events to learn more about the , WEDNESDAY, April 26 NASA astronaut and Space Station commander Terry Virts is a thumbs-up, can-do , As Michigan State University wraps up its school year, the College of Musics large ensembles are , Friday evening (April 28), as part of National Library Week, the East Lansing Public Library will hold , Think you have what it takes to out-spell other high schoolers in the area? so despite still going to church I refused to mention God at home, didnt tell her bible stories (they are morbid anyway! Retrieved December 10, 2021, from https://www.inquisitr.com/2378049/josh-duggar-founder-of-reformers-unanimous-accused-of-sex-abuse-cover-up-protecting-sex-offender-from-prosecution-report/. It was either you were in this community and you were in this church and you were in this school either all in, or you kind of disobey the rules, Rebekah Chatfield explained in a video interview with City Pulse about her experience in the church and school. Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) Deception - Exposing the Dangerous Teachings of the Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) Denomination Welcome to BaptistDeception.com Edit Exposing the Dangerous Teachings and Traditions of the Independent Fundamental Baptist Denomination Please scroll down to find a list of articles for your convenience. document.write ("?zoneid="+zoneId+"&block=1&blockcampaign=1"); Deva, I'm sorry you suffered the same childhood. Former Independent Fundamental Baptists - IFB KJV Join group About this group A group for those who have formally been associated with the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement, IFB. I appreciated reading your extimony - though didn't appreciate the ostracism and neglect you experienced. My brother is very enmeshed with them and is hook, line, and sinker into Christianity and I dont know if he will ever come out of it. } Visible Anyone can find this group. Where to find us. Under this belief, authority comes from God and is bestowed on the pastor, who is always a man. if( width > 480 ){ They've lived like pod people, afraid of the wide scary world outside of their pod. I Have PTSD and I Never Went to War, Only to Church - The Mighty Questions: Bruce, Is the IFB Church Movement a Cult? Unfortunately, so is the mishandling of sexual crimes. There are so many young boys I knew who were sweet and kind as young children only to grow into cold and unkind men who ordered women about. Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here. Its a theological landscape that leaves the vulnerable children, women and LGBTQ folks at the mercy of a strict Old Testament theology that is backed with commands to still their rebellious souls, even if it requires a paddling that leaves bruises or welts on their behinds. OPINION: Views expressed in Baptist News Global columns and commentaries are solely those of the authors. And his spankings would include an entire discussion of what the bad actions were, followed by additional discipline. I was surprised, however, to see him finally face some legal repercussions for some of his abusive actions. We are here to support all questioning or former Christians and encourage you wherever your path may take you. That lawsuit was dropped in 2018; neither party will discuss why, according to NBC News. No comments on this item By now Ive written about everything from ants to skyscrapers and met more fascinating and wonderful people than I can count. They dont do dancing. That firm was Gibbs & Associates, founded by David Gibbs Jr. of the Christian Law Association. I had a brother (well, more than one) just like Josh. '&charset='+document.characterSet : '')); Spanking kids stems from the book of Psalms, where readers are implored not to spare the rod or risk spoiling the child. We have a FAQ! console.log("Calling zone: " + zoneId); I never understood it as a child but I understand it even less having a child of my own now. Well actually 90% of my parents church experiences have been negative even when pastoring. So despite feeling like *I* was probably not a Christian by that definition, I struggled to follow the prescribed plan and get joy. The Anatomy of the IFB Church Movement I have enjoyed this site so far and am so very glad I stumbled upon it. Constantly negative and joyless and somehow I get told that I shouldn't be happy like I am unless I'm attending church regularly and reading my Bible and praying. I have never felt so happy and free. '&charset='+document.characterSet : '')); If you ever considered yourself a conservative Christian, youre likely familiar with the Duggar family. Dellatto, M. (2021, July 11). }else{ I am a former Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB), who now embraces Reformed Theology. I went through several guys that ended up being jerks (one was severely abusive and knocked me around a bit. For me it was being impure cussing and having a beer. if (document.mmm_fo) document.write ("&mmm_fo=1"); Southern Baptist Fundamentalism, Then and Now - The Gospel Coalition If they decide God wants their respective child to marry, they are introduced to each other and are given a month to court which requires constant adult supervision and prayer. Duggar was running for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Tim Hutchinson in the Republican primary election. I definitely understand where you are coming from. If you don't step forward to sever the control it will last their lifetimes and have a damaging effect upon your maturity. I have never felt so happy and free. You can't control them any more than they can control you. I have never been to an Independent Baptist Church, so would not have known. A hallmark aspect of the Christian Fundamentalist and patriarchy movement is that men were the bosses in the church and at home, and women were to serve them. A former Baptist missionary has been found guilty of sexually abusing a 4-year-old, who tested positive for gonorrhea last April Jordan Webb, affiliated with an Independent Fundamental Baptist church, could face up to 32 years in prison at his sentencing. Independent Fundamental Baptist (IFB) Deception if (document.referrer) document.write ("&referer=" + escape(document.referrer)); Hes very logical so I have no doubt that he might eventually come my way but until then I just silently roll my eyes and scream on the inside when he says stupid things like Jesus did that for us! Chatfields church is only one of hundreds of IFB churches scattered across the U.S. Nearly every person interviewed for this report, both on the record and off the record, referred to IFB as a cult. General And to this day that's true. "I don't care what he says, I will never believe that a young, innocent baby deserves hell.". Former independent fundamental baptist church members what was the craziest thing you heard was a sin did you do it before and after. She confirmed that the strict authoritarianism of Chatfields church and school was a contributing factor to her alleged abuse and exploitation by Lee Chatfield. I was b, "Original sin" is a clever way of getting you hooked for life on church mind control. Danthropology. Men in the church are also bestowed with authority over women and their wives, as well as children. She can't be." Gothard), (F. B. Hyles' Daughter Exposes the Cult - Way of Life Say nothing until you are ready. Though it was not as strict a background, it wasn't far off. This image was widely distributed on Twitter following City Pulses report Chatfield was under criminal investigation for alleged sex abuse. David Gibbs Jr, like Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, has been a regular speaker at IBLPs conferences. Read More. Homes and schools such as those run by Grace Baptist were designed to reform rebellious children and develop them into better Christians, Heiler said. In response to the concerns, some local Baptist churches separated from their former denominations and conventions and reestablished the congregations as Independent Baptist churches. Baptist History - A Brief Survey Independent Fundamental Baptist zoneId = '12'; I missed the birth of my niece and several other big family events during this time, which hurt a lot. (n.d.). You can reach Lawrence at: It is such an annoyance. Pearl advised the father to tell the child to be quiet or he would be spanked. I would love if they came. An 1970s-era handout from a Bill Gothard Institute in Basic Youth Conflicts seminar that shows the father as the hammer who hits the wife, the chisel, to shape the children in a Christian home. Each week, Rusty Chatfield, the father of former House Speaker Lee Chatfield, stands at the pulpit behind a humble wooden cross no flashy jewelry and gold; only a Bible and a few pages of notes guide him through a sermon. Victims of abuse always will have a target on them. Men are given a free pass to abuse or mistreat women, and women are said to be responsible for it occurring in the first place. 2023 Baptist News Global. Is a parent responsible for training a child? Visit our Resource Page (https://www.reddit.com/r/exchristian/wiki/resources) for help. From what I read in your extimony, they will challenge you and probably abandon you (though hopefully your husband will not). It was called Mr. Blue. And the issues may or may not relate to religion. I honestly feel i am done having children and the comments i have gotten from family are horrid. They most often have come to the aid of offenders and not the victims. He also recalled an instance from his youth involving a particularly physically abusive father, who he said pulled out a gun after he had been abusing his wife and children one evening. When the child didnt stop, Pearl directed him to pull over and get a switch from a tree. Non christians committed suicide because they were joyless, had depression because they were selfish, and drank too much to ward off the feeling that they were missing God in their lives. Somehow, I made my hands call a loved one to tell them to hurry up and turn on the TV because, our story is on.. This is the Independent Fundamental Baptist Church movement. 'https://citypulsebanners.creativecirclemedia.com/www/delivery/ajs.php':'http://citypulsebanners.creativecirclemedia.com/www/delivery/ajs.php'); If caught, then these predatory men may only face calls for repentance within a doctrinal atmosphere that sees young, abused women as a seductive temptress rather than groomed, manipulated, and exploited targets., (Kyle Kaminski contributed to this report.). What is an IFB Church? The Life and Times of Bruce Gerencser Your extimony was well written. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. In all the churches referenced in this report, women are prohibited from wearing pants. The duo have published four books and volumes of articles on the topic, starting with their 1994 book, To Train Up a Child. It was updated and republished in 2015. My husband worked 12-14 hour days and was gone M-F. A group for those who have formally been associated with the Independent Fundamental Baptist movemen Former Independent Fundamental Baptists - IFB KJV After doing some reading lately, I realize we fell into the Quiverfull/Christian patriarchy family types as well . Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. I survived the Christian fundamentalist world - Baptist News Global Victim shaming abounded, and victims say that if a young girl was raped, Gothard insisted that they were no longer virgins and were not pure.