Independent Baptist churches (some also called Independent Fundamental Baptist, or IFB) are Christian churches generally holding to conservative Baptist beliefs. They are characterized by being independent from the authority of denominations or similar bodies. Members of such churches comprised three percent of the United States adult population according to a 2008 survey.[1] According to the same survey, they represent less than 15 percent of adults who consider themselves Baptist.[1]
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Besides its distinctive meaning and mode of baptism, Baptists adhere to congregational polity, also known as congregationalism, which is a system of church governance in which every local church congregation is independent, ecclesiastically sovereign, or autonomous. In this sense all Baptist churches are independent.
Very early in the Baptist tradition in England, Baptist churches began co-operating with one another when it was mutually beneficial. In America the first association of Baptist churches was the Philadelphia Association begun in 1707. Philadelphia was the center of the association that came to encompass churches is several surrounding states.
Currently the largest and most well known association is the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) which includes churches in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Each member church is independent with the SBC exercising no authority over member churches other than the right to exclude churches from membership based on deviance from an accepted broad spectrum of faith and practice. In spite of their differences SBC churches are still able to work together on important matters such as missions, education and disaster relief among many others.
Some Baptist churches have never been part of an association. Other churches, in response to modernism, separated from associations which included churches that they felt accommodated to higher criticism, evolution, psychoanalysis, naturalism and a general rejection of the supernatural aspects of the Bible. These churches referred to themselves as Independent Baptist Churches or Independent, Fundamentalist Baptist Churches. In spite of their declared independence, many of these Independent Baptist Churches do associate with other like minded churches.
Within some denominational churches more conservative elements set about establishing new Independent Baptist churches instead of remaining within the denominational churches.[2]
In addition to churches, there are a number of educational institutions affiliated with the IFB movement.
Independent baptists can be categorized into two groups: Independent Baptists in the evangelical tradition and Independent Baptists in the historically Black (African-American) tradition.
Independent Baptists "in the evangelical tradition" represented 2.5 percent of all American adults, according to a 2008 survey.[1] Independent Baptists in the evangelical tradition mainly live in the Southern US, with 55 percent living there, 23 percent in the Midwest, 12 percent in the West and 10 percent in the Northeast. Although the Pew Forum lists that these Independent Baptists are primarily white with 0 Percent being black,[3] there is a growing movement of Independent Baptists in the Conference On Evangelizing Black America (COEBA) was started in 1994 by Pastor Lou Baldwin, a black American from Crossroads Baptist Church in Virginia, which has grown to the point where more than 2000 people can be found in attendance at the annual national conference meeting.[4] According to a Pew Forum survey in 2008, Independent Baptists in the evangelical tradition are most likely to be Republican with 52 percent saying that they are Republican or lean Republican, and 33 percent saying that they are Democratic or lean Democratic, and 10 percent saying they are Independent.[5] Independent Baptists in the evangelical tradition tend to be high school graduates or have a lesser education, with 45 percent graduating from high school, and 18 percent having less than high school diploma. 22 percent have some college education, 11 percent are college graduates, and 5 percent have post-graduate degrees.[6]
Independent Baptists "in the historically Black tradition" are nearly all African Americans, with 97 percent being African-American and 3 percent Latino (Hispanic).[3] Independent Baptist in the Black tradition primarily live in the Southern US, with 67 percent living there, and 18 percent living in the Midwest, 11 percent in the Northeast and 4 percent in the West.[7] 67 percent of Independent Baptists in the Black tradition are high school graduates (48 percent) or have less than high school education (17 percent). And, 25 percent have some college education, 5 percent are college graduates and 3 percent have post-graduate degrees.[8] Independent baptists in the Black tradition are much more likely than the other category to be Democrats. 74 percent say they are Democrat or lean Democrat, 12 percent say they are Republican or lean Republican, and 9 percent are Independent.[5]