Are independent fundamental baptist churches a cult?

[Jesus' Girl]

I've been looking for a church that does baptisms and a church up the road does them. Many say baptism is required for salvation and I have been pushed to do so.

So I messaged and they do baptisms. It is a Bible Baptist church. Their page says "Our church is a friendly fundamental Bible-believing Independent Baptist Church. We would like to invite you to join us."

I have no idea about denominations. So looked up what independent fundamental baptist churches are. I got that it's a cult pop up..pages on their mind control and abuse.

I only want to get a baptism but baptism is a part of actually joining the church? I just want to be baptised?!

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Stay in prayer.
Just from what you posted, and not any other information,
it may be a closed door;
ask God directly to keep it closed, if He wants to,
and to open another door for you, His Way,
or to open that door, not keep it closed, if that is
His Choice -
and get baptized there.

Let it be as simply as possible His Choice (if you are willing to let Him Choose).

 

[Tolworth John]

Have you googled baptist church, your area? That should bring up all the baptist church there.

The church is unlikely to be a cult, but if it is small then the minister has a lot of power over his congragation.

Why not ask your own church if they would baptise you?

 

[Jesus' Girl]

I don't have a church. I tried a brethren recently from my last recent topic

 

[Tolworth John]

The easist way to find a church is to go there and experience there Sunday worship.
How welcoming were they?
How understandable was the service?
Was the sermon relevent to the bible reading and to the needs of today?
How many people talked to you after the service?
How easy was it to get to the church and how accessable was the church?
Score the churches in your area and also check out what they say they believe on there web site.

It takes time but you'll narrow it down to a church you can join and worship with every Sunday.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I don't have a church. I tried a brethren recently from my last recent topic

A frequent bible study / home fellowship that meets 2 or 3 or more times a week might
be the door God opens - as many have found it so.

 

[Paidiske]

Any church except the Society of Friends and the Salvation Army (as far as I know; there may be others I don't know) should baptise. Have you looked around more widely than the ones with "Baptist" in the name?

 

[HereIStand]

Other churches should baptize, such as a Lutherans or Presbyterians. It probably wouldn't be a baptism by immersion unless its a Baptist or Church of Christ church. (There may be some other immersion baptising churches.)

As for independent fundamental Baptists, I was raised in such a church and school. There is good and bad in it. On the plus side, they do interpret Genesis literally, take hell as literal, and have a zeal for evangelism. On the down side, some such churches have a tendency to strain the gnats of no alcohol, movies, or pants on women, only to swallow the camels of improper sexual relationships along with some institutional cover up. Does the church have a website? I could look at it further if you like. God Bless.

 

[Jesus' Girl]

this is the website Rotorua Bible Baptist Church

 

[stuart lawrence]

I've been looking for a church that does baptisms and a church up the road does them. Many say baptism is required for salvation and I have been pushed to do so.

So I messaged and they do baptisms. It is a Bible Baptist church. Their page says "Our church is a friendly fundamental Bible-believing Independent Baptist Church. We would like to invite you to join us."

I have no idea about denominations. So looked up what independent fundamental baptist churches are. I got that it's a cult pop up..pages on their mind control and abuse.

I only want to get a baptism but baptism is a part of actually joining the church? I just want to be baptised?!

Some fundamentalist churches can be very legalistic. They preach an incredibly high level of obedience, with the strong inference that is what entitles you to attain heaven.
Your right standing before God, in reality is not then Christ, but how Holy a life you live.

 

[All4Christ]

(There may be some other immersion baptising churches.)

Orthodox, Charismatic, Pentecostal, Mennonite, Brethren, etc. Quite a few

Some such as Orthodox, Church of Brethren and Mennonite practice triple immersion (one plunge for each person of the Trinity).

 

[ToBeLoved]

I've been looking for a church that does baptisms and a church up the road does them. Many say baptism is required for salvation and I have been pushed to do so.

So I messaged and they do baptisms. It is a Bible Baptist church. Their page says "Our church is a friendly fundamental Bible-believing Independent Baptist Church. We would like to invite you to join us."

I have no idea about denominations. So looked up what independent fundamental baptist churches are. I got that it's a cult pop up..pages on their mind control and abuse.

I only want to get a baptism but baptism is a part of actually joining the church? I just want to be baptised?!

I know that the Duggers are fundamental independent Baptists and they are part of that whole Quiverfull movement, so I would watch out.

I think the 'independent' part should give cause to go to another denomination.

 

[Albion]

this is the website Rotorua Bible Baptist Church

I didn't see anything on the website that would make this church a cult, but it does have some strict regulations about appropriate clothing, public amusements, tithing, and so forth. The most important consideration in your case would be about their willingness to baptize you.

Most churches baptize people who are members or about to become members of that congregation. But some will baptize anyone who makes a profession of faith in Christ as Lord and Savior and who agrees with that church's statement of faith. It could be that this is one such.

If so, and you make clear to them that you haven't decided on a home church for yourself and won't immediately join this one...you probably could go forward with it if they are OK with that.

You could pass this one by and seek out another one, but the problem with that would be what I mentioned above--most churches do not baptize people unless they have attended for awhile, go through a course of instruction, commit to membership in that church, and etc.

 

[HereIStand]

Based on the website, the church looks okay. One thing I would be hesitant about is their King James Version (KJV) stance. There are independent Baptist for whom the KJV is the preferred version in church and Sunday school, but they do allow for the private use of other translations. Then there are those who tend to be KJV-only to the point where other versions are considered "synthetic" or "not inspired." Personally, I don't mind the KJV-preferred stance. The use of multiple translations in a worship service can be a distraction. An extreme KJV-only stance would be worrisome though.

 

[HereIStand]

Orthodox, Charismatic, Pentecostal, Mennonite, Brethren, etc. Quite a few

Some such as Orthodox, Church of Brethren and Mennonite practice triple immersion (one plunge for each person of the Trinity).

Thank you. I like the triple immersion practice.

 

[GeorgeJ]

I only want to get a baptism but baptism is a part of actually joining the church? I just want to be baptised?!

According to their website, they believe that
"Membership in a local church is separate from the step of obedience called baptism."
Rotorua Bible Baptist Church (last sentence under "Conclusion" on that page)

 

[All4Christ]

Thank you. I like the triple immersion practice.

Me too

 

[Kit Sigmon]

You can have another believer baptize you.

 

[TaiKamiya720]

Many, but not all IFB churches are quite cultish. Beliefs can vary widely from an individual IFB parish, but many of them are. One well-known example, is the Faithful Word Baptist Church of Arizona with Steven Anderson.

 

[Albion]

You mean "cultish" in the sense of controlling or clannish. I don't have an argument with that appraisal, but it's worth noting that there's almost nothing in the church's statement of belief that is particularly unusual.

It's normally that--strange doctrine--which gets any church labeled a cult (Mormons, JWs, Worldwide Church of God, Christian Science, United Pentecostal Ch, for example).