REGARDING ROMAN CATHOLICISM

The FBF continues to affirm its belief that the Roman Catholic Church, with its teaching of papal infallibility, transubstantiation, sacraments, auricular confession, and placing tradition on a par with Holy Scripture, is a counterfeit and perversion of true Biblical Christianity. We rejoice at any Romanists who are savingly converted to Christ and urge them to leave the apostate Roman Church. We deplore the attempts of charismatics and New Evangelicals to paint this great "whore" as a true expression of the Christian faith and call upon Fundamentalists to not engage in any activities with the Roman Catholic Church that are religious in nature. We denounce the teaching that the Pope, who will be visiting the United States this year, is the vicar of Christ on earth.

REGARDING THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION AND HOMOSEXUALITY

The FBF condemns in the strongest Biblical terms the actions of the Clinton administration in giving recognition and attempted legitimacy to the claims of the homosexual community since we believe that the Bible teaches that homosexuality and lesbianism are unnatural and perversions of God's creation order. We call upon our people to oppose by every legal means the overturning of the ban on homosexuals in our military forces.

REGARDING THE CLlNTON ADMINISTRATION AND ABORTION

The FBF believes that abortion involves the taking of human life, and that the Clinton administration flies in the face of the Word of God by promoting abortions, and that using taxpayer dollars to fund abortion on demand in a health care package will be another nail in the coffin of the United States of America.

REGARDING PRAYER

The FBF believes that humility, prayer, seeking God's face and turning from our wicked ways is necessary if God is to hear from heaven, forgive our sin and heal our land (II Chronicles 7:14). We call upon all pastors to give priority in prayer in their personal ministries and to lead their churches to become "houses of prayer." We commend the promotion of prayer for one another in order that we may be kept pure and have the power of God upon our ministries in wicked days.

REGARDING THE HEALTH AND WEALTH MOVEMENT

The FBF believes that God supplies the needs of believers (Philippians 4:19) as they seek to put Him first in their lives (Matthew 6:33), but denies the health and wealth craze and the "name-it-and-claim-it" doctrine as promoted in charismatic circles. While not believing that poverty in itself has any virtue and that God sometimes gives believers large sums of monies to invest in the work of world evangelization, we question any doctrine of prosperity that is based upon "seed faith" or the metaphysical teaching on prosperity which teaches universal laws of prosperity that are activated by faith. We believe that much of this teaching has more kinship with occultic philosophy than Biblical theology. We do not believe that God can be manipulated by our faith, but responds in each situation according to His sovereign plan.

REGARDING THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION

The FBF applauds every attempt made by members of the Southern Baptist Convention to return that movement to an infallible and inerrant Bible, but do not believe that there are "fundamental" Southern Baptists. We come to this conclusion since even those in the Convention who are committed to inerrancy do not want to be called Fundamentalists (in fact, look with disdain on the movement known as Fundamentalism), but prefer to be called conservatives; and by the fact that at best a Southern Baptist conservative is a New Evangelical who practices a type of ecumenical evangelism. We believe that the call for cooperation in pulpit ministries between Fundamentalists and Southern Baptists is not Scriptural and will result in further weakening the cause of Biblical separation.

REGARDING PREACHING IN VARIOUS PULPITS

The FBF believes that the attitude currently promoted that a pastor can have anyone in his pulpit whom he pleases regardless of his doctrinal position and that he can preach in any pulpit irrespective of its stand on Biblical separation is foolish and ridiculous if we are to maintain Scriptural standards of separation. The history of religious movements shows that this policy always results in compromise and inclusivism.

REGARDING RADICAL FEMINISM

The FBF recognizes that there can be legitimate discussion and difference concerning the ministry of women in the local church, but would completely reject a radical feminism that has declared war not simply on what they see as inequality and discrimination, but on gender itself. This movement must be rejected since it focuses on the elimination of all distinctions between the sexes.

REGARDING DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE

The FBF recognizes that there are divergent views among Bible believers on divorce and remarriage, but calls upon all Fundamentalists not to let these in any way weaken the sanctity of the marriage relationship. We affirm that God's ideal is for permanency in the marriage relationship and that divorce for any reason is an aberration of that ideal. We call upon all of our churches to help high school and college young people to understand the Biblical model of marriage, to give much attention to premarital counseling, and through pulpit messages and other teaching opportunities to hold high this Divine ideal which is under assault in the media. While strongly affirming the ideal, we call upon the churches to sympathetically and compassionately minister to those who have been through the trauma of divorce.

REGARDING THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT

The FBF would applaud the emphasis in the charismatic movement on Spirit- empowered living and world evangelism, but cannot identify or cooperate with the movement because of its false ideas of ecumenicity and its emphasis upon experience, mysticism, and illuminism. This ecumenicity leads the charismatic movement further into cooperation with Rome and groups such as the World Council of Churches. The experience-centeredness causes the movement to live on the edge of an illuminism with its claims to direct divine revelation.
REGARDING SPIRITUAL WARFARE

The FBF believes that we "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephesians 6:12) and that Christ in His victory on Calvary "spoiled principalities and powers" (Colossians 2:15), but views with concern the current application of these truths in attempting to overthrow the works of darkness. For example, we do not find Biblical examples in which Christians are to shout, "I rebuke you, Satan." We believe that a better Biblical model for resisting the Devil is found in James 4:7-8, where we are told to submit to God, draw near to God, cleanse our hands, and purify our hearts.

REGARDING LORDSHIP SALVATION

The FBF affirms that both sides in this discussion need to be concerned about extreme positions. Those who argue against "Lordship Salvation" can easily drift into a position of "cheap grace," forgetting that a grace that does not teach holiness and godliness is not from God (Titus 2:11-12). Those who argue for the position of Lordship can easily depart from the doctrine of justification by grace through faith and give the impression that a person must be "presanctified" before he can be declared justified.

REGARDING BIBLICAL SEPARATION

The FBF believes that every fundamental of the faith must be protected from dilution and destruction by a strong affirmation and practice of the Biblical doctrine of separation. We call upon all Fundamentalists to recommit themselves to a study of what the Bible says about separation and its applications in our modern world in order to avoid two extremes: (1) a drift into a soft position that characterizes those called New Evangelicals, and (2) a critical spirit that condemns all other Fundamentalists who do not agree on many details of the Christian

REGARDING SPIRITUALITY

The FBF urges a renewed study of the Scriptures concerning the matters of spirituality and godliness which will help us to avoid a Pharaiseeism on the one hand and an antinomianism on the other. We believe that true Biblical separation must be the outworking of a genuine spirituality in the believer in Christ.

REGARDING THE CHRISTIAN AND SOCIETY

The FBF believes that while the Christian is not of this world that he, nevertheless, lives out his Christian faith in the world. To that end, he must be a responsible citizen, bringing to bear upon the problems of society his understanding of Biblical principles. We believe that while there is no "social gospel," that the Gospel has tremendous ramifications in society.

REGARDING REVIVAL

The FBF believes that the need of the hour is a genuine Divine visitation. It calls upon Fundamentalists to pray for revival and to study the Biblical teaching on revival and the history of great revivals in order to avoid counterfeit revivals and to know how to handle the power of God as it moves in our midst.

REGARDING WORLD EVANGELIZATION

The FBF believes that the churches glorify God as they engage in world evangelization. Realizing the burgeoning world population and the open doors, we call upon all of our churches to recommit themselves to the task of taking the Gospel to all peoples. This will be reflected in our praying, our giving, and our going.

REGARDING CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS

The FBF believes in the Christian school movement, and urges our churches with schools to recommit themselves to an uncompromising stand in moral matters in a day in which the world and its standards increasingly war against even our Christian schools.

REGARDING MUSIC

The FBF realizes that the subject of music in the churches is very controversial and that there is a great revolution as many churches move toward contemporary music in order to attract and evangelize. We contend, however, that music is not amoral and that its main purpose is worship and edification. To this end, acceptable music must exalt Christ, minister to the spirit, and edify the believer. We do not believe that this is true of most contemporary music. We believe that the sensual religious music of the day perverts the message of the Gospel of Christ and creates a "strange fire."

REGARDING THE SCRIPTURES

The FBF affirms belief in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments (sixty-six canonical books) as the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God as originally written. We believe in the verbal inspiration of the Scriptures, and affirm that the Bible is all of the Word of God and that all of it is the Word of God. We believe that any version must reveal faithfulness in translating the best manuscripts. We reject as fallacious any theory of double inspiration. We are aware of the debate concerning the matter of Biblical manuscripts and translations of the Bible. This discussion has often developed considerable confusion and misunderstanding as to the actual issues in the controversy, sometimes causing more heat than light. We denounce the bitter and divisive tactics often involved in this matter which result in vicious name calling and destructive campaigns in order to propagate a certain position. We urge scholarly discussion and publication on this issue with courtesy and consideration between fundamental brethren.

REGARDING ECUMENICAL EVANGELISM

The FBF continues to strongly denounce the ecumenical evangelism of the Billy Graham type which, in the interests of winning people to Christ, brings on the same platform a strange mixture of liberals, charismatics, New Evangelicals, and Romanists. Even though Graham himself is fading from the scene due to age and health problems, others such as Luis Palau have taken up his mantle. We believe that this type of evangelism has been deadly in breaking down the barriers between belief and unbelief.

REGARDING SO-CALLED "CHRISTIAN" PSYCHOLOGY

The FBF warns against the psychologizing of Christianity that is inundating churches. Much of the theory behind this movement is simply secular techniques with a veneer of Christianity. We believe that the search for self-esteem within is the result of man's attempt to obliterate God from the realm of his universe. Thus, he must turn within to find a sense of worth. We believe that at best psychological techniques and terminology are simply stepping stones to Christ in whom all fullness dwells and in whom we find our completeness (Colossians 2:9-10). At the same time, we believe that many fundamental churches have not seriously grappled with the problems that people have in living the Christian life, and have either ignored them or oversimplified their solutions. This neglect has created a spiritual vacuum into which secular psychology has moved. To meet this need, churches must offer the truth of God's Word, the love of God to people with problems, and the power of God in the solution of problems.

REGARDING POWER EVANGELISM

The FBF realizes the need for the power of the Holy Spirit in proclaiming the Word of God, but has extreme concern with the modern signs-and-wonders movement since: (1) the Bible continually speaks of satanic manifestation in signs and wonders, and (2) miracles are not self-authenticating and need continual testing (I John 4:1) to avoid satanic deception.

REGARDING OUR HOSTS

The FBF expresses thanks to Dr. Frank Bumpus and the Bethel Baptist Church of Schaumburg, Illinois, in hosting this 73rd meeting of the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship. We appreciate their helpful spirit and the usage of their facilities, and pray for God's abundant blessings upon them as they go forward in their service for Christ.

Respectfully presented,

Charles Britt
Dave Innis
Walter Kirk
Bill Lincoln
James Singleton, Chairman