Demographic Decline of IFB Congregations

Here is one church's definition of Old Paths (Esau Baptist Mission of Central Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana) - I am not necessarily endorsing all this, just presenting it as documentation of what Old Paths Baptists expect the younger generation to embrace:

"The Old paths are when Women wore the jewelry; Men wore the pants; Harlots wore the paint and children wore the stripes. The Old paths are when Women looked like ladies; Men looked like gentlemen, and children looked decent. The Old paths are when People loved the truth and hated a lie; they would follow the Pastor and ignore the world; they came to get IN and not to get OUT! The Old paths are when Cursing was wicked; Drinking was evil; Divorce was unbelievable; the Flag was honored; America was beautiful and God was welcomed.

"The Old paths are when we READ the Bible in public, prayed in school and preached on the courthouse steps!

"The Old Paths are when Laws were based on the BIBLE; HOMES read the Bible and churches taught the BIBLE!! The Old Paths are when preachers were more interested in NEW CONVERTS than new clothes and new cars!! Churches wanted to reach every creature with the GOSPEL more than new buildings and paved parking lots and prayed and wept over the lost in their community.

"The Old Paths are when God was worshipped. Christ was exalted and the Holy Ghost was followed!! The Old Paths are when the Bible was believed and not corrected; Sinners got Saved, Converts were CONVERTED and the Gospel was preached and not SHARED.

"THOSE WERE THE DAYS WHEN: We would go witnessing with tears; prayed a lot and talked little on the phone; spent more time with the Bible than the TV. We would weep about lost souls, enjoy going to CHURCH more than anything. We had testimony and song services. We would really try to do something for God; we would say AMEN to the truth, and got to the ALTAR to repent of sin. We would bring folks to Church; take Pastor home for Sunday dinner; give tithes and offering gladly. We would seek the WILL OF GOD in everything and stand against sin anytime and anywhere!! THAT WAS THE OLD PATHS!!! . . . If you stand for something, then you will fall for anything. In these days we need to stand for the Bible. Of course, I mean a King James Bible for those who speak English. . . . No, the old way isn’t the popular way! It is being abandoned daily by people who have decided that new is better. They are leaving the Bible, the old songs of the faith, old-fashioned worship, praising the Lord and preaching. Seeker services are replacing old time worship of the Lord. Yet, God has not changed."

BACK TO THE OLD PATHS (landmarkbiblebaptist.net)
 
Sorry, but I'm not so sure that the days of the "Old Paths" were the best in the church....there were still problems then...they were just usually pushed under the rug and silenced, there was no room for Biblical dissension...and the mindset was cultic in many places.
 
illinoisguy said:
Here is one church's definition of Old Paths (Esau Baptist Mission of Central Baptist Church, Baton Rouge, Louisiana) - I am not necessarily endorsing all this, just presenting it as documentation of what Old Paths Baptists expect the younger generation to embrace:

"The Old paths are when ... the Flag was honored;
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So, the Old Paths are at most almost 250 years old. I'll take the even Older Paths! :D

EDIT: At 1st, I was going to type "a little over 200 years old" but then I did the math. Yikes, where has time gone? I was a bicentennial Cub Scout recruit.
 
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Walt said:
... and why do we have to admire him? Preaching from the pulpit, in the Bible, was a serious thing, and not a forum for 3rd-rate comedian-wannabes.
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Well Bro. Tony and Bro. Larry always pack 'em in when they're the guest speaker. Bro. Tony and Bro. Larry use comedy in their routines/sermons.
 
Binaca Chugger said:
That is a good book! I had to search far and wide to get a copy. You are the only other person I have heard reference it, other than the original book I read which referenced it.
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Thank you both for the book recommendation. I found a copy on a used book site the next day and ordered it immediately. It is filled with a detailed history that is mostly absent from teaching today. Thank you both again for sharing. I will be passing this read on to the next generation. I was absolutely blessed.
 
illinoisguy said:
In 1973 George Dollar, in "A History of Fundamentalism in America," stated that the Sword of the Lord at that time had a circulation of 250,000, and that "it has been the theological diet of hundreds of preachers for years."
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Thank you both for the book recommendation. I found a copy on a used book site the next day and ordered it immediately. It is filled with a detailed history that is mostly absent from teaching today. Thank you both again for sharing. I will be passing this read on to the next generation. I was absolutely blessed.
 
Walt said:
... and why do we have to admire him? Preaching from the pulpit, in the Bible, was a serious thing, and not a forum for 3rd-rate comedian-wannabes.
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Your sound and truthful post replying to a troll is akin to casting your fff pearls before swine. 😊
 
I was trained in the IFB movement and am grateful for what I learned. I was also influenced by Jerry Falwell after he left the extremism of the movement. For all of his faults he was a wise man and I found a balance in my methodology by his influence.
 
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