For the formerly IFB-where did you go after leaving?

In our area of NC there are many IFB churches that are very balanced and appear to be thriving.
They are too Southern Gospel, “ah-shucks, y’all come“ in their atmosphere for me, but that’s just me.
It's not the church - It's North Carolina!
 
I tried one of the "New IFB" and liked it very much. However, I was driving 1.5 hours each way to attend. We went to a church that was independent, fundamental and Baptist, but claimed not to be in the IFB. Had to leave when the Pastor kept trying to flirt with my wife. Looked in my neighborhood for a traditional Baptist church. Found one just a few blocks away that is SBC but traditional in worship. Many things I don't like and many things I do appreciate. I am on staff there now.
 
I tried one of the "New IFB" and liked it very much. However, I was driving 1.5 hours each way to attend. We went to a church that was independent, fundamental and Baptist, but claimed not to be in the IFB. Had to leave when the Pastor kept trying to flirt with my wife. Looked in my neighborhood for a traditional Baptist church. Found one just a few blocks away that is SBC but traditional in worship. Many things I don't like and many things I do appreciate. I am on staff there now.
And that schmuck is still on this side of Terra Firma?
 
And that schmuck is still on this side of Terra Firma?
It was so weird. So, so, weird. I went to the deacons about it and tried exposing his attempts and his heresy. He was the founding pastor and the people were all sheep. We just left.
 
I personally will probably avoid IFB's in the future. However, it's a mistake to broad brush them all as the same. Certainly there are some that are more Biblical than others. Part of the initial appeal of the IFB for me was the focus on the Bible. After several years with them I realized that in many cases rather than focusing on the Bible, what they are actually doing is utilizing the Bible to find anything that appears like it may support the key fundy doctrines. Went to one church in the DC area where the pastor would preach and when he was just about done he would catch his second wind and spend about another 25 minutes on each key fundy doctrines. So he would preach a sermon, then another one on women don't wear pants, don't be gay, be in church every service, go soul winning, respect your pastor, tithe, and certainly a few more I left out.

Exactly! There are abusive people in IFB pulpits who make loyalty to themselves the ultimate truth. Though they claim to believe the Bible, the only harp on those few things above... At the old church, we constantly heard a refrain about short hair on men, and that women should not wear trousers, and that one was not a good Christian if he didn't participate in the cold-calling (door knocking) activities.

The new church is IFB, but has focused on teaching the Bible, and I don't think the pastor has hit directly on any of those topics. He does have standards like these for SS teachers and choir members, but the average member/visitor is not harangued about obeying every whim of the leader and never correcting him.
 
These lyrics pretty much sum up certain branches of the IFB movement (not all of them):

Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something

Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused

[Eurythmics, "Sweet Dreams]"
 
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