THE BAPTIST BIBLE FELLOWSHIP INTERNATIONAL

The Baptist Bible Fellowship is a fundamentalist Baptist church which concentrates on restoring the original form of their religion, not giving into modern trends. They are a conservative, perhaps the most conservative, branch of the Baptist faith. BBF doctrines have remained consistent, but what issues are they concerned with now? After reading posts on a BBF mailing list for a week, I have learned what these pastors find important, beyond the doctrine.

Role of Wives

Baptist pastors are allowed to marry and every wife takes on a different role in her husband's church. Some wives are virtually assistant pastors, so involved they "drive the church crazy". Others are described as so quiet "you hardly know they are there'. Common ways wives get involved include teaching Sunday school, singing in the choir, and handling ladies fellowships.

No matter how the wives chose to get involved, their husbands are supportive. Every pastor that posted their opinion praised their wives and recognize the important part they play in their church. As one pastor put it, "If your wife isn't 100% with you, your ministry can certainly be hindered.' Although women can not officially be pastors, they are capable of holding influential posts in the church.

Internet

Although the Baptist Bible Fellowship focuses on conservative Baptist doctrine, that does not mean they are going to reject modern technology. The subject of the internet was raised on the mailing list and every pastor was supportive of its use. Many benefits were seen with the internet. Missionary work is one area that may benefit from the use of the internet. One BBF pastor writes almost daily to his family in the Philippines. The internet is also a "great way for missionaries to get in touch with pastors'. It also makes it possible to contact other pastors and "send updates, prayer requests, and special needs.'

One pastor responded "I have seen a lot of benefit to the internet as both a teaching tool and for helping' However, one problem does arise when people learn the wrong thing from the many corrupt sites available on the internet. More Christian sites are needed to improve this valuable means of education.

King James Version

The New King James Version of the Bible is a hot topic among the BBF pastors. The BBF as a whole only accepts the 1611 King James Version as the true word of God, however, there has been some debate about the use of more modern texts. Although no pastor wants to stop using the King James Version all together, many are supporting the idea of moving away from it a little.

The language of the King James version is difficult to understand. Some argue that it is difficult for kids and teenagers to follow and "get into' the King James Version. The New King James Version allows them to understand the same text in a more modern language. This argument seems logical, but not to a strict BBF pastor. One man accused this idea as being nearly heretical. "To say that teens today get into [a modern text] is the same as saying that Satan has them.'

Many "are not swayed by the modern thinking that says we have to make God's word easier to understand,' especially when it involves changing the underlying meaning of the text. The new language of the New King James Version is scrutinized by many. One verse was said to "erode the deity of the man Christ Jesus.' The word "heresy' is often seen when interpreting the new version of the Bible.

Even among the pastors who support the King James Version only, there is a lot of variance. Some will fight you to the end, believing it is the true word of God. Others are more laid back, admitting the inevitable flaws in the text. One pastor put it best, "I don't think the Devil cares which Bible you don't read, but I think God cares that His word is conveyed as accurately as possible through human imperfections.'

Southern Baptists

One topic that almost every BBF pastor agreed upon was their opinion of the Southern Baptists or Neo-Evangelicals. "There is absolutely NOTHING that I have ever come across from the Southern Baptists or NE that I am interested in.' Their attacks on these more liberal Baptist groups are adequately described as brutal. They are looked down upon for altering their doctrine practice to modern times. One post discussing Southern Baptists included the phrase "just throw the infant out with the water.'

Other

There were other subjects that frequently popped up on the mailing list. Education is an important issue with the BBF. All the pastors expressed great concern for the current state of education and the need for improvement, especially in teaching fundamentalist Baptist views. Another common subject was the Biblical support of the tithe and how to determine the proper amount. Prayer requests, suggestions of books to read, and personal stories were also posted.

Perhaps the most interesting topic was the complaint of too many posts that attacked other people's views. Many times posts were very personal and often insulting. It is surprising enough that grown men would post such inappropriate messages, but it's even more surprising when it is coming from Christian pastors. These men have their ideas set in store, and it seems to take a lot to change them.

Paula Sones
April 11, 1996

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