- Joined
- Jan 1, 2019
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- 989
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Women's head coverings in church is still a big issue with some churches that support the Berea Baptist Banner but I can't think of an IFB church in my area that takes that stand. There was one such church - now defunct. On one occasion the pastor of that church was challenged by another pastor as to where he stood on the KJV. My pastor friend was ready for him and replied, "We believe in head coverings for women in church - just like it says in the King James Version!" The KJV-only preacher quickly backed off and didn't want to press the KJV issue any further.
Opposition to Christmas and Easter are still hot issues that are regularly hooted up in the IFB publications that I receive. A pastor of an IFB church where I was a member (now defunct) preached an entire sermon against Christmas trees, based on Jeremiah 10:4. An IFB pastor friend sent out a newsletter to thousands of local households entitled "Why I Do Not Celebrate Easter" in which he said, "If you choose to celebrate this holiday with pagan practices, just be honest with yourself and do not claim to worship Jesus Christ nor to follow the New Testament." I thought that was rather extreme. Another IFB pastor friend walked out of one church in a huff, publicly condemning them for having a Christmas tree in the church, but later in his own church he had a Christmas wreath - I'm not sure what the difference was. It seems like some IFB pastors are convinced that they are doing the right thing if they make an issue of these things, plus King James Only and no women's slacks, even if the young people are run off as a result. They would rather be known among fellow preachers for taking a "right stand" on the "hobby horses" than to be able to reach the young people in their communities. (Yes, it is true that some young people are not going to want to come to an IFB church anyway, even if the weirdo extremist stuff is dropped. But some preachers seem to have the attitude that they are going to keep pounding away on issues that nobody cares about except their tiny following, and if prospective members are repelled by it, well, they didn't want them anyway).
As for soul winning programs, my personal observation over the years, with the approach of "just get them to pray the prayer" was that people might be successfully manipulated to pray the "salvation prayer" but then they never came to church.
Opposition to Christmas and Easter are still hot issues that are regularly hooted up in the IFB publications that I receive. A pastor of an IFB church where I was a member (now defunct) preached an entire sermon against Christmas trees, based on Jeremiah 10:4. An IFB pastor friend sent out a newsletter to thousands of local households entitled "Why I Do Not Celebrate Easter" in which he said, "If you choose to celebrate this holiday with pagan practices, just be honest with yourself and do not claim to worship Jesus Christ nor to follow the New Testament." I thought that was rather extreme. Another IFB pastor friend walked out of one church in a huff, publicly condemning them for having a Christmas tree in the church, but later in his own church he had a Christmas wreath - I'm not sure what the difference was. It seems like some IFB pastors are convinced that they are doing the right thing if they make an issue of these things, plus King James Only and no women's slacks, even if the young people are run off as a result. They would rather be known among fellow preachers for taking a "right stand" on the "hobby horses" than to be able to reach the young people in their communities. (Yes, it is true that some young people are not going to want to come to an IFB church anyway, even if the weirdo extremist stuff is dropped. But some preachers seem to have the attitude that they are going to keep pounding away on issues that nobody cares about except their tiny following, and if prospective members are repelled by it, well, they didn't want them anyway).
As for soul winning programs, my personal observation over the years, with the approach of "just get them to pray the prayer" was that people might be successfully manipulated to pray the "salvation prayer" but then they never came to church.
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