New Independent Fundamentalist Baptist churches or officially the New Independent Fundamental Baptist Movement are an association of conservative, King James Bible only, independent Baptist churches. The New IFB began with Steven L. Anderson of Faithful Word Baptist Church in response to perceived liberalism in other independent Baptist churches. The New IFB does not consider itself to be a denomination, but requires that affiliated churches follow a set of core doctrines. The New IFB lists 30 affiliated congregations on its website, including congregations in 16 U.S. states, Australia, Canada, the Philippines and South Africa. New IFB churches have caused controversy on several occasions, usually due to their extreme opposition to homosexuality.
History
The New IFB was formed by Steven L. Anderson of Faithful Word Baptist Church inTempe, Arizona, and other Baptist pastors in 2017 in an attempt to revive what older Independent Baptist churches once represented. A split in the New IFB occurred in January 2019, after Donnie Romero, pastor at Stedfast Baptist Church-Fort Worth, resigned after it was revealed he had hired prostitutes, smoked marijuana and gambled. Adam Fannin, the lead preacher at SBC's Jacksonville satellite campus, refused to acknowledge the authority of Jonathan Shelley, another Texas New IFB pastor who took over SBC–Fort Worth following Romero's resignation. Anderson, Fannin and Shelley traded accusations of financial wrongdoing and running a cult. Fannin was later ejected as the lead preacher of SBC-Jax.
The New IFB website states that it is not a denomination and that New IFB pastors have differing views over minor theological issues. However, the churches are united in following a number of doctrines. The New IFB's website lists its core doctrines as salvation by faith alone, once saved always saved, King James Bible-only, the Trinity, soul-winning, "hard" preaching, prewrath and post-tribulation rapture and opposition to Calvinism, dispensationalism, worldliness, liberalism, and Zionism. Despite the website's claims that each church is independent, some followers and former followers of the New IFB have accused Anderson of having complete control over the organization and ejecting anyone who has a minor disagreement with him.
Controversy
New IFB pastors have been subject to controversy numerous occasions. The New IFB is strongly opposed to homosexuality, with several pastors advocating that homosexuals be executed. Anderson and other New IFB pastors have praised the Orlando gay nightclub shooting. On the weekend of the third anniversary of the shooting, the New IFB held a "Make America Straight Again" conference at an Orlando-area New IFB church. Also in June 2019, Grayson Fritts, pastor at New IFB-affiliated All Scripture Baptist Church and a former detective for the Knox County, Tennessee Sheriff's Office, delivered a sermon calling for the execution of gays. Some have compared Anderson and the NIFB to Westboro Baptist Church based on their views against homosexuality. The New IFB considers the modern nation of Israel to be a fraud and teaches that Christians rather than Jews are God's chosen people. Anderson has also produced videos attacking the religion of Judaism and questioning the official story of the Holocaust. The New IFB, like older independent Baptist churches, has been accused of being cult-like. Auckland, New Zealand, New IFB pastor Logan Robertson was deported from Australia in July 2018 after being accused of harassing Muslims at two Brisbane mosques. Robertson had previously attracted media attention after advocating that gay people be shot and that New Zealand prime ministerJacinda Ardern should "go home and get in the kitchen".
