What is an Independent Baptist Church?

By Dr. B. Clayton Shumpert
Baptist International Missions Inc.

To some people an Independent Baptist Church is a strange phenomenon. Being accustomed to the various associational and denominational groups of Baptists, they cannot comprehend the nature of a church that is not affiliated with any of these. Surely a church that stands "all by itself" must be very strange.

Actually, independent churches which have been Baptistic in doctrine have existed since apostolic times. Long before the Protestant Reformation began there were independent churches in both Europe and Asia. An Independent Baptist Church, therefore, is nothing new or novel. It has an ancient and glorious heritage. Though, in various periods of church history, members of independent churches have been persecuted and even slain for the faith, such churches continue until the present day. There are 15,000 in the U.S. alone.

What are the distinctives of an Independent Baptist Church? They could concisely be set forth under five major headings.

A CHURCH THAT IS SELF-GOVERNING
The churches established by the apostles of Christ were all independent churches. That is, they were free from any outside control. The New Testament does not reveal the existence of any synod, conference, association, presbytery, denomination, or other form of human organization exercising control over the local congregation. Each local church was viewed as a self-governing body.

An aggregation of local churches was never looked upon organizationally as a "church," but always as "churches," emphasizing the individual prerogatives of each congregation (Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 11:16). Each local church chose its own officers (Acts 6:1-6). Each exercised its own discipline (1 Corinthians 5:13). Churches were not responsible to any higher ecclesiastical body, but were subject only to God (Revelation 2:4-5). Internal problems were handled by the individual congregation (1 Corinthians 6:1-5). The maintenance of pure doctrine was the responsibility of the local assembly (1 Timothy 3:15, Revelation 2:14-16).

The Holy Spirit directs each group of believers (Acts 13:1-2). As a result, great liberty is enjoyed in the work it seems to do. For example, pressure is exerted upon many denominational churches to support their own denominational missions, while independent churches may seek the will and direction of God regarding this. The same liberty is afforded them in their choice of Sunday School and other educational literature. Their position may be summed up thus: They are absolutely free to obey God as they see His direction, and are under no obligation to any other church or group of churches. In each phase of their service for the Lord they must exercise spiritual discernment and follow closely every Bible principle.

Actually, therefore, the independence of a church simply enhances its dependence upon the Lord. This tends to develop prayer and faith and to cultivate spirituality among the members.

A CHURCH THAT STANDS AGAINST LIBERALISM
Independent Baptist Churches stand as a protest to the religious unbelief (often called "modernism" and "liberalism") that has engulfed the large denominations. In many denominational colleges and seminaries, men claiming to be ministers of Christ are allowed to deny the verbal inspiration of Scripture, question the virgin birth of Christ, deny the necessity of faith in the shed blood of Christ for salvation, accept the theory of organic evolution, and in many other ways oppose the historic Christian faith. Yet such men are accepted as ministers in good standing in some church groups. Many pastors, for fear of losing favor with their denomination, refuse to lead their churches to take a stand against the heresy in their colleges and seminaries. One pastor, upon being questioned by one of his members concerning the silence from the pulpit on denominational liberalism, said that he had learned a long time ago to keep his mouth closed on certain things. This pastor in effect had placed loyalty to a man-made program above loyalty to Christ and the Bible. Everything is tested by the Word of God, not by its relation to a denominational program. Therefore, in obedience to the Word regarding false teachers (1 Timothy 6:3-5, 2 Timothy 3:5, Ephesians 5:11, etc.), Independent Baptist Churches refuse to cooperate with denominations and councils of churches that condone the presence of such unbelieving religious leaders. Independent churches believe in cooperation and do cooperate, but NOT when it means compromising spiritual truth to gain the favor of men. The Word of God sets forth the proper approach to liberalism and compromise in 2 Corinthians 6:17: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord..."

A CHURCH WITH A DISTINCTIVE MISSIONARY PROGRAM
Independent foreign missions have been unusually blessed of the Lord. For example, of all the evangelical missionaries serving the Lord in the earth today, independent missionaries make up the largest segment. Independent churches have more missionaries serving on the fields of the world than do all the major denominations combined. And the amazing thing is that the independent movement is one of the smallest in Christendom! The reason for the success of independent foreign missions is that the missionary methods of independent churches are patterned after those of the early church (Acts 13:1-3). In the early church missionary activity was controlled by the local assembly and tied directly to it, as is true in independent churches today.

In independent churches a missionary candidate who has been accepted by an independent missionary board is invited to come and speak to the local assembly. The church then is able to get acquainted with the missionary and to question him [or her] concerning his [or her] soundness in the faith. The church, as it feels led of the Lord, may assume part or all of the missionary's financial support. When the missionary gets to the foreign field, he sends back to the supporting churches progress reports and prayer requests. In this way the missionary and church keep in close contact with one another. The fruit of such a method is that the individual Christian knows personally the missionaries and takes more interest in them and is able to pray more effectively for them. Also, as a result of this close encounter with foreign missions and missionaries, individual Christians become burdened for those who have never heard the gospel. In such an atmosphere as this, the Lord is able to speak to hearts, and Christians are thrust into the harvest fields of the world. All of this is in contrast to denominational missionary methods where boards are designed to handle all the missionary activity of churches. As a result, missions are far removed from the local churches who generally know not the missionaries they are supporting, nor whether they are sound in the faith. In such a distant relationship as this, Christians do not become burdened for those who have never heard.

A CHURCH WITH A BIBLE-CENTERED PROGRAM
One of the first things many people notice about independent churches is the fact that almost everyone comes to church with their Bible. Not only do they bring their Bibles, but they use them in the regular services of the church. The Bible is looked upon not as an obscure religious textbook to be studied primarily by a priest or minister, but as the guide for every Christian and the source of instruction for his daily life.

The pastor uses the Bible in his pulpit ministry. He reads from it and his congregation follows him in searching out various passages. He is not endeavoring to force upon the people some human observations concerning "religion," but rather is seeking to unfold the exact revelation which God has given us in the Bible. Preaching in independent churches is not simply delivering some ethical or social precept, but is an exposition of the written Word of God as found in the Bible.

The educational program of the church is likewise centered around the Bible. Every Sunday School teacher teaches from it. The printed Sunday School material used by the teacher in preparation for the class is all based upon the Scriptures. The varied youth programs of the church are all calculated to thoroughly prepare the young people to know and live by the teachings of the Bible.

The same emphasis is seen in the missionary program of the church. Both home and foreign missionary efforts are geared to one purpose: winning the lost to Jesus Christ. All medical and educational arms of missionary endeavor are simply a means to the end of bringing people to read, understand, and obey the Word of God. The primary aim of all missionary and evangelistic effort is not social betterment but spiritual regeneration (personal salvation).

A CHURCH THAT IS SOUND IN DOCTRINE
An Independent Baptist Church is one that stands for the historic, conservative Christian faith. Many churches in recent years have moved away from the original teachings of the early Christians. They have substituted human theories for Biblical authority. Independent Baptist Churches continue to uphold the Bible as the divinely-inspired authority for Christian faith and practice.

We believe in the verbal inspiration of the 66 books of the Bible, and that it is written without error and is the sole authority in all matters of faith and practice. We further believe that the Bible reveals God, the fall of man, the way of salvation, and God's plan and purpose of the ages.

We believe there is One and Only One True and Living God, existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal from all eternity, each with distinct personalities but with one nature.

We believe in the Deity and Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Son of God, co-existing with the Father and the Holy Spirit. He came to the world, [was] born of a virgin, suffered, died, was buried, and rose again bodily and ascended to the right hand of the Father.

We believe in the Person and work of the Holy Spirit, which includes conviction of sin, regeneration of sinners, and indwelling the believer.

We believe that salvation is "by grace," plus nothing and minus nothing. The conditions to salvation are repentance and faith. We further believe that a soul is saved when Christ is accepted as personal Saviour and Lord and the Holy Spirit imparts eternal life.

We believe that it is the plan of God for each believer to walk after the Spirit and not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

We believe in the immersion of the believer in water to signify His death, burial, and resurrection and the believer's identification with Him. We do not believe that baptism saves. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. The Lord's Supper constitutes the other of the only ordinances of the Church.

We believe that a New Testament Church is a local group of baptized believers, united for His purpose, and seeks to spread the Word of God, including worldwide missions. We believe it to be completely independent with no other person, group, or body having any authority, right of intervention, or [any] control whatsoever over a local church.

We believe in the visible, personal, premillennial, and pretribulational return of Jesus Christ and the bodily resurrection of the righteous dead at His coming. We further believe in the establishment of the millennial reign of Christ upon the earth, the everlasting conscious blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost.