Who are the New Independent Fundamental Baptists (NIFB)?

The New Independent Fundamental Baptists (NIFB) are a network of Protestant Christian churches known for beliefs that many consider extreme. Each congregation in the network identifies as fundamentalist because it’s committed to a literal interpretation of the Bible. Each New Independent Fundamental Baptist church also calls itself Baptist because of its beliefs about believers’ baptism, the Lord’s Supper, church governance, and the separation of church and state. However, most other churches that also identify as fundamentalist and Baptist are not in fellowship with New Independent Fundamental Baptist congregations.

In the early 2000s, some Independent Baptist pastors and churches grew unhappy with the Independent Baptist (IB) tradition. In response, Steven Anderson, a pastor in Phoenix, Arizona, helped form what became the New Independent Fundamental Baptists in 2005. The IB movement began in the early 1900s as a response to concerns about modern ideas entering Baptist churches. IB churches held to Baptist doctrines and emphasized separation from the world. Yet those who formed the New Independent Fundamental Baptist church held that IB churches were not sufficiently separate.

New Independent Fundamental Baptist churches affirm core Christian doctrines. They hold to the doctrine of original sin—all people are born with a sinful nature and separated from God (Genesis 3:1-19; Romans 3:23). They believe in the full deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, as well as His death, resurrection, ascension, and Second Coming (John 1:1-4; 20:28; Matthew 28:1-10). They affirm the Trinity—that there is one God in three persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20).

Furthermore, New Independent Fundamental Baptist churches subscribe to the core Protestant teaching that God saves sinners by grace through faith in Jesus alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). Their doctrinal statement reads, “We believe that salvation is by grace through faith. Being born again by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is the only requirement for salvation.”

New Independent Fundamental Baptist churches believe that the King James Version alone is the authoritative word of God. Their belief statement reads, “We believe that the King James Bible is the word of God without error.” This King James Only position separates New Independent Fundamental Baptist churches from most Protestant traditions, which affirm the inspiration of Scripture but use modern Bible translations.

Regarding practical ministry, New Independent Fundamental Baptist churches practice full-immersion baptism of professing Christians. However, many reject observing the Lord’s Supper in a congregational setting. Influential leaders within the movement teach that while consuming the bread and cup in memory of Jesus’ death is biblical, church members should only practice it privately at home.

Christian and non-Christian critics have criticized the views of New Independent Fundamental Baptist churches on homosexuality. Like other Christian traditions, New Independent Fundamental Baptist congregations believe homosexuality is a sin (Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10). However, some New Independent Fundamental Baptist leaders have gone further, arguing that gay people cannot be saved. Based on this, some New Independent Fundamental Baptist pastors have said the government should execute homosexuals. One New Independent Fundamental Baptist doctrinal statement reads, “We believe that homosexuality is a sin and an abomination which God punishes with the death penalty.”

Christian and non-Christian critics have also accused New Independent Fundamental Baptist churches of teaching antisemitism. For example, some New Independent Fundamental Baptist pastors strongly oppose the use of Hebrew terms, such as “Yeshua,” in Christian worship. They argue that Christians who use the Hebrew language or Hebrew practices are not truly Christians. Moreover, they say such practices are attempts to turn Christians into Jews. In addition, some leaders within the New Independent Fundamental Baptist network have described the modern state of Israel as Satanic.

New Independent Fundamental Baptist churches don’t have fellowship with other Christian churches, even those that share many of their core beliefs. Some New Independent Fundamental Baptist teachers say that Protestant churches that disagree with them have turned away from the apostles’ teaching. Many New Independent Fundamental Baptist leaders claim that they are the only ones who truly follow what the apostles taught in the New Testament. They also say that the historic branches of Christianity have drifted from the Bible’s teachings. New Independent Fundamental Baptists rejects historic Christian creeds, like the Apostles’ Creed, which most Protestant churches accept.

As of the mid-2020s, the New Independent Fundamental Baptists have about nine churches in the United States and a few outside the country. Even though the group is small, it has had disputes inside the network. These included disagreements over how to discipline a pastor who sinned, arguments over teaching, and questions about how certain leaders used church funds.