You've been through a lot. In repudiation of its devastating Doctrine of Discovery, Vatican masks the history and responsibility of Catholic Church, $2.3B awarded in sex abuse lawsuit that named Mormon church, 60 years on, Kings Letter from Birmingham Jail relevant as ever, say faith leaders. }else{ CT previously covered the scandal involving Jack Schaapformer pastor of the largest independent Baptist congregation, First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indianawho was fired in 2012 and. He was also sued by 12 women who alleged he had sexually, physically or emotionally abused them. Having my daughter is ultimately what started me down the path to deconverting. The hypocrisy astounded me and made me question everyday just how much this life was doing anyone any good if they were worse then the non Christians. No comments on this item The suffering of so many little girls is hidden in the independent fundamental Baptist movement. This continued for miles. I'm glad that counseling has helped you. Jim Bob and Michelle had been members of the Institute in Basic Life Principles since the early 1990s. I was brought on board to write about music, but the job quickly got out of hand. Pastor Jim Vineyard was an expert in the tactic. How come many Americans haven't heard of the Independent Fundamental Baptist church movement? Challenging the decision of male authority is considered a grave sin and an act of rebellion. Thank you for this! I believe this kind of idea is also what led to my acceptance of the reality of "biblegod's" non-existence. Deva, I'm sorry you suffered the same childhood. My body doesnt respond well to pregnancy and I and my child almost died in childbirth. They practice the biblical teachings of separation as taught in Ephesians 5:11, which states, "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them." So often, predators and abusive behavior by men in the independent fundamental Baptist world are firmly swept under the rug labeled the cause of Christ, forgive and forget, and she tempted him, and never see the light of day. My parents like to brag that their kids were in church from the time of conception and still are today! It was either you were in this community and you were in this church and you were in this school either all in, or you kind of disobey the rules, Rebekah Chatfield explained in a video interview with City Pulse about her experience in the church and school. Child physical abuse also known as godly discipline is common within independent fundamental Baptist homes. She met her future brother-in-law when he was a teacher, coach and the schools athletic director. Having only been raised in those and informed if we ever went to a different church then God would strike us dead, we attended the same even after marriage, despite all the anxiety it caused. During his religious studies at the Baptist College of Ministry in Wisconsin, he took a parenting class where he was taught to use a long glue stick, he explained. I was raised in an independent fundamental Baptist household. Lol And breaking a childs rebellious spirit is a philosophical construct throughout the IFB faith. Josh Duggar found guilty of federal child pornography charges. } At the movements core is a fundamental set of beliefs, seasoned by the personalities of each individual pastor, and most important is what is referred to in IFB circles as The Umbrella of Authority. This teaching is key to understanding how abuse mentally, physically and sexually can go undetected and unreported for years while the survivors hide the trauma out of shame and threat of exposure. I have enjoyed this site so far and am so very glad I stumbled upon it. if (document.context) document.write ("&context=" + escape(document.context)); It uses the Bible to treat everything from porn addiction to drug addiction. Heiler wasnt even taught the basics about menstruation. New IFB Pastor Adam Fannin, the now former pastor of Stedfast Baptist Church in Jacksonville, FL, received international attention in August 2019 after a video clip of him verbally attacking comedian Sarah Silverman went viral online. There was no TV crew to see my tears, my pleas for help, to document my 12-year-old self shaking in a courtroom as I helped put one of my abusers behind bars. If you don't step forward to sever the control it will last their lifetimes and have a damaging effect upon your maturity. control.If you don't take action nothing will change. I was raised catholic, but I have some relatives who are independent baptist because southern baptists are just too liberal. Nichols declined to explain why he is representing him, confirm this story or facilitate interview requests with Chatfield. This is a world most can't imagine - really. My husband is still a Christian and as of now I havent really approached the subject with him as its still so new to me that I dont feel that I have enough education yet to help him understand why and give him the logical reasons why god isnt real. Michael Pearl demonstrated the lesson with flexible plumbing tubing on the Dr. Drew show smacking Drew Pinskys hand until he said it hurts. From what I read in your extimony, they will challenge you and probably abandon you (though hopefully your husband will not). It is taught from a young age that you, as a woman, as a girl, should dress modestly. Chatfields solution was to tell the pupils to beat up the offending child if he assaulted any of them. Your parents are a product of a certain time and place. The leading practitioners of spanking as training your children into godliness are Michael and Debi Pearl. He graduated and we moved to a different state for him to begin his first position as a youth/assistant pastor. Enjoy your small, cosey family! Want to share a story? Former Independent Fundamental Baptists - IFB KJV Join group About this group A group for those who have formally been associated with the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement, IFB. It is self-empowering for the churchmen and self-destroying for the victim. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. Thank you for your testimony. I'm glad you are out of the cult. The clip showed Fannin preaching from the Stedfast Baptist pulpit: " [Silverman] is a witch. What struck me the most was your family's willingness to ostracize you. New Independent Fundamentalist Baptist churches (also known as the New IFB) or officially the New Independent Fundamental Baptist Movement are an association of conservative, King James Only, independent Baptist churches. David Gibbs Jr. has been listed as a defendant in a federal lawsuit brought by a victim of one of the most prominent independent fundamental Baptist churches and colleges located in Hammond, Ind. '&charset='+document.charset : (document.characterSet ? According to the Pew . var m3_r = Math.floor(Math.random()*99999999999); Just as they must accept your decisions you must accept theirs. Once those to things have occurred the you have the ability to terminate their manipulation and. Yes. Dating in an IFB church is not like it is in the secular world. It was this idea that the control of the children is the church and parents responsibility. The Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) church movement is a group of autonomous local churches that trace their lineage back to the liberal/modernist vs. Evangelical/Fundamentalist controversy in the 20th century. I am not in the least surprised by the PTSD, because I have it to an extent. I had to look up "quiverfull." ExChristian.Net To many Americans, the Duggar family was known as an example of traditional values, treasuring the life of the unborn, protecting the purity of their unwed children, bearing a strong religious influence not only in ultraconservative Christian circles, but also among homeschooling parents. They've lived like pod people, afraid of the wide scary world outside of their pod. It's like a vestigial organ that refuses to go obsolete. Powered by Invision Community. The IFB church movement does not have centralized leadership, with each church setting up its own governing authority. Somehow, I made my hands call a loved one to tell them to hurry up and turn on the TV because, our story is on.. This is the Independent Fundamental Baptist Church movement. You dont want to cause a man to have impure thoughts, Heiler explained to City Pulse. Lol. Its a theological landscape that leaves the vulnerable children, women and LGBTQ folks at the mercy of a strict Old Testament theology that is backed with commands to still their rebellious souls, even if it requires a paddling that leaves bruises or welts on their behinds. Some of these factors include that once Josh told his parents about sexually abusing his sisters and another victim, Jim Bob and Michelle went to seek the counsel of their church leaders, but only after this occurred three times. I must assume that their church experiences had been mostly positive their entire lives, and so it made sense to them to share this "blessing" with their children. Independent Fundamental Baptist or Bible-Believing Baptist) are a particularly cranky fundamentalist branch of unaffiliated Baptists. document.write ("?zoneid="+zoneId+"&block=1&blockcampaign=1"); In the independent fundamental Baptist community, pastors are the ultimate authority and council: "Any issues, even legal issues, go to the pastor first, not the police. The books present spanking as a benevolent act of love by a parent. "God" is a projection of mankind's basic fear of being alone and his fear of the unknown, and of course the fear of death. 2 people showed up with meals and that was it. Retrieved December 10, 2021, from https://www.inquisitr.com/2378049/josh-duggar-founder-of-reformers-unanimous-accused-of-sex-abuse-cover-up-protecting-sex-offender-from-prosecution-report/. One way the Christian Law Association receives financial funding is from independent fundamental Baptist churches across the country. Ugh. I looked at her and thought "there is no way this little person is evil. Somehow, I made my hands call a loved one to tell them to hurry up and turn on the TV because, our story is on., I remember sitting in silent shock. I told him that I wanted them to see her standing up there and say, Thats a strong young woman who has fought back and healed.. That lawsuit was dropped in 2018; neither party will discuss why, according to NBC News. This includes tempting an abuser to sexually abuse a child. Counseling has helped that a lot. Former independent fundamental baptist church members what was the craziest thing you heard was a sin did you do it before and after. Josh never was at risk of being held responsible for his actions in the independent fundamental Baptist movement; however, his victims always would be at risk for being held responsible. Gothard), (F. B. Yahoo! Chatfields church is only one of hundreds of IFB churches scattered across the U.S. Nearly every person interviewed for this report, both on the record and off the record, referred to IFB as a cult. The Official Independent Baptist Rulebook The IFB River Called Denial The Legacy of Jack Hyles From Evangelicalism to Atheism Series Bruce Gerencser, 65, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 44 years. bill. 4. This thread is archived New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast comments . I forgot to mention in my OP that a couple months ago I was diagnosed with bipolar and PTSD. A couple was driving down a backroad returning from a church session and their child had become antsy and whining. As a survivor of this movement, I never was surprised that Josh got away with his crimes for so long, that hell never face legal consequences for sexually molesting children. If you are a fan of shows where large quiverfull families have strict courting rules for their children and purity culture is promoted, then youre likely familiar with TLCs 19 Kids and Counting. women) who were raised in such an environment: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/nolongerquivering/, http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/. Retrieved December 10, 2021, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/josh-duggar-trial-jury-guilty/. My family still doesnt really talk to me. Why can't Christian family members just let us be happy and free?! Ironically, the churches i have attended condemn westboro and do not consider them even remotely close to the same IF church as they are. It had changed, or maybe I just had, and it was an awful experience. When the accusations of sexual harassment were made against Gothard, the Institute in Basic Life Principles called in outside counsel to conduct an investigation into the accusations. (a job I now loathe with my entire being, but thats another story. Offers of religious liberty drew many Baptists to settle in New Jersey. IFB churches believe that no one has authority over the church except Jesus Christ. ALANSON, Mich. Tucked off a poorly paved, unplowed road across Burt Lake from the sleepy Up North vacation town of Indian River, the Northern Michigan Baptist Bible Church would struggle to fit in a congregation of 100 people. I was raised in an independent fundamental Baptist household. 01 May 2023 19:52:34 Former IFB Missionary. They then enforce the teachings of submission to women. The way biblegod treats his children (according to the fictional bible) is nothing short of abuse. Memoirs of a Recovering Fundamentalist. Your story was very moving to me. Driven by an idea of life drawn from the pages of the King James version of the Bible, which they believe to the only word of God without error or omission, the leaders of these churches are deities of sorts, who nurture a cult-like sphere of influence prone to extreme sexism, purity constructs, bans on interracial or inter-religious marriages and education that fail to address anything beyond the insular communities in which they live. if (document.mmm_fo) document.write ("&mmm_fo=1"); If you have conservative homeschooling friends who talk about Michelle doing the same, then youve probably heard of the fundamentalist curriculum the Duggars used called Advance Training Institute. As such I went off to college after graduating high school and became a nurse. Repeating that experience (with a potentially different outcome) is not high on my list of things to do. I could never under any circumstances I can conceive cut off contact with my child. Unlike the Duggar family, I never had a TV crew following my every move, documenting or glorifying a life that often was horrendous, filled with abuse and supposed Christians who were responsible for the trauma I experienced. Fathers pray about matches, then discuss it among themselves. Then Arkansas state Rep. Jim Bob Duggar and his wife, Michelle, lead 12 of their 13 children to a polling place in Springdale, Ark., on Tuesday, May 21, 2002. (AP Photo/April L. Brown), Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell, Lost Boys of Sudan: St. Johns Baptist Charlotte, Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church, Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center, Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio, Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window). I have been free from my former IFB group for two months, two weeks and three days. When asked to define spanking, Chatfield told the newspapers editorial board it was normally a swat on the behind. He also said he thinks spanking is good if a child, at a young age, is misbehaving. His church requires written approval from a parent or guardian to administer spankings during school hours. Constantly negative and joyless and somehow I get told that I shouldn't be happy like I am unless I'm attending church regularly and reading my Bible and praying. You must be made to constantly feel that you are nothing and cannot survive without the village witch-doctor. She mentioned it to other members of the church. If sexual abuse or any harm ever occurs, its because a victim did not stay in the role God had commanded they be in. (Attempts to independently verify Woodburys claims were unsuccessful.). Theyre the people that can mess up a guys chance at being pure. Young boys in these homes and churches are taught to be authoritarian leaders, mean and aggressive men when they grow older. The two men convicted of the bombings, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, may have attended Michigan Militia meetings, according to media reports. "Again after more reading, connecting with a counselor that has been showing me a different path, and finally acknowledging that I was happier without god and Christianity in my life, a few weeks back I stopped going to church and the past week and a half have declared myself an atheist. We are here to support all questioning or former Christians and encourage you wherever your path may take you. Your extimony was well written. Justin Woodbury, 41, has left the IFB. . They then sent Josh to a faith training center located in Little Rock, Ark., that belonged to an independent fundamental Baptist organization called the Institute in Basic Life Principles created by Bill Gothard. var width = jQuery(window).width(); In other . Lol). if (!document.MAX_used) document.MAX_used = ','; Women who are mothers have authority as it relates to the children, but they must submit to their husbands. Still have any Gods? Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar proudly endorsed Lee Chatfield for State Representative in 2014. They married when both were 19. Didymus, J. T. (2021, February 17). I agree that lot people have no clue (even other Christians) just how crazy they are and damaging it is growing up in them. document.write ('&cb=' + m3_r); But youre still welcome to stay. To repeat: Josh Duggar now has been convicted of possession of child pornography, but not of the sexual molestation he earlier confessed committing against minor victims. zoneId = '7'; "I don't care what he says, I will never believe that a young, innocent baby deserves hell.". I quoted Blood's quote of Ps. "NIFB" or "Andersonite"), short for The New Independent Fundamental Baptist Movement, is an Independent Baptist cult run by Steven Anderson. For about a decade, I experienced all forms of abuse, including childhood sexual abuse. The priesthood of believers. Its a strict reading of the Bible that places women in servitude people to be seen but not heard. It is such an annoyance. //]]>-->, With only two incumbents running for four seats, the Lansing City Council is facing , MONDAY, May 1 Hes bringing down the Ax (Emanuel Ax), bringing out the Blow . According to him, this was their fault. Therapy has been helping with all that so much though. And catholics, well, we were all going to hell anyhow. Only the witch-doctor can protect you from the evils of the world. You were born depraved, so it goes, but Thank God you have churchmen there to help you with the cure: the Bible, p, Bill, I wrote them a letter in November telling them in no uncertain terms would I let them run my life anymore and I was done being scared of what they thought or would do. I am glad you have been helped with therapy. Retrieved December 10, 2021, from https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/counting-jim-bob-duggar-running-010722478.html. The largest church in America, pastored by the Jack Hyles, a former American Baptist pastor, was First Baptist Church in Hammond, Indiana. My answer as a survivor of similar abuse, from the same movement the Duggar family embraced, and as a volunteer of a nonprofit that helps support victims of religious abuse: The environment itself creates safe places for sexual abusers to thrive. Parents of adults primarily use religion and/or money as ways of controlling and, manipulating their adult children. if (document.referrer) document.write ("&referer=" + escape(document.referrer)); And to this day that's true. Your story is so moving and I'm glad you made it out! It was when Josh molested one of their very young daughters, who was under the age of 12, that they sought counsel. Bruce Gerencser, 65, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 44 years. After doing some reading lately, I realize we fell into the Quiverfull/Christian patriarchy family types as well . They will never be able to understand atheism, because even irreligious people in the USA hardly ever used that term until recently. After several months, we started counseling and worked through our issues and I started realizing just how much my family had screwed me up and I started individual counseling on my own. Women and yes, little girls are said to be temptresses who tempt men to lust after them sexually and are responsible for that sin. Gothard resigned from his ministry in 2014 after allegations of sexual harassment in his operations arose. To have a "servant's heart" was preached and I feel that if anyone had that kind of "heart," it was us, women. According to the Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life, there are. or Women were pretty much only good for making babies to keep your quiver full and for cooking/cleaning/housework etc. Lawrence@lansingcitypulse.com It has caused me tremendous guilt to be happy with just one child and not want anymore. (2015, September 10). Steven Lee Anderson(born July 24, 1981) is an American preacher and founder of the New Independent Fundamentalist Baptistmovement. Unfortunately, so is the mishandling of sexual crimes. KJV. My dad is still preaching and my sister is married to a guy very similar to my dad and attending a crazy IFB church. Welcome to Ex-C, we are so glad you're here. We have a FAQ! I didnt follow the Duggars when I was an independent fundamental Baptist. She said that a child could land in one of these homes for the most simple church missteps anything from a rebellious spirit to listening to rock and roll., In IFB circles, what they would deem as rebellious is more so a typical child-like acting out, she said. The ones in Amish country have buggy tie ups outside and. Visible Anyone can find this group. As my daughter grew, I realized there was no way I could raise her in the same environment I was raised in. I would love if they came along with us in this life but if they chose not to I would accept that and leave.them be. He also recalled an instance from his youth involving a particularly physically abusive father, who he said pulled out a gun after he had been abusing his wife and children one evening. I ended up on bed rest for a part of my pregnancy due to complications and was unable to do anything around the house for myself including make food to eat. Gothards teachings are very prominent among the independent fundamental Baptists, with an emphasis on submission by women to men. The disturbing content at trial showed the sexual abuse of children, some of whom were toddlers and even a baby. His conferences supported harmful books by Debi Pearl that demanded women submit in all things as a helpmeet or helpmate should. First of all, I admire your courage in speaking out. I went through several guys that ended up being jerks (one was severely abusive and knocked me around a bit. I have never felt so happy and free. document.write ("'><\/scr"+"ipt>"); Hes very logical so I have no doubt that he might eventually come my way but until then I just silently roll my eyes and scream on the inside when he says stupid things like Jesus did that for us! This organization and its founder created the fundamentalist Christian homeschool curriculum the Duggar family used to teach their large family. Megyn Kelly interviews Michelle & Jim Bob Duggar youtube. ", singing, writing, computer geekery, cooking, science experiments, foreign languages, videoing jazz singers, RELIGIOUS TRAUMA RECOVERY RETREAT Cape Cod, June 8-11, 2023. From what I read in your extimony, they will challenge you and probably abandon you (though hopefully your husband will not). I was studying the "conquest narratives" of the Old Testament in Seminary and gradually began to realize that my idea of morality was more moral than Yahweh's morality. We had switched churches by this time to a non denominational one with *gasp* a worship band! Pearl responded: Its supposed to. Pearl also said the physically abusive training for kids should begin as early as 9 months. I look forward to learning more from you all and not feeling so very alone in all this. It was a blue ping-pong paddle that they used to spank kids.
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