Requirements and Procedures
PARTNERSHIP REQUIREMENTS
• Any Association of Baptist Churches in the world willing to declare itself to be in accord with the Statement of Faith, and
• which is committed to the challenge of the Great Commission, and
• which refuses to participate in ecumenical alliances that bring together believers and apostates who deny the fundamentals of the faith in evangelistic and other spiritual efforts, and
• who will not allow charismatic presence in their fellowships, and
• who are interested in perpetuating our Baptist heritage, may,
upon submitting the appropriate application, be considered for Partnership in the IPFBM.
PARTNERSHIP PROCEDURES
If the Lord leads you to consider becoming a Partner in the IPFBM, please feel free to fill out the application on this website and submit it.
The IPFBM Application Form will be reviewed by the Council of Eight located on 4 different continents.
Upon the approval of the formal application, notification will be sent to the group applying for Partnership status in the IPFBM indicating their acceptance into this worldwide fellowship of Baptists.
A complete listing of the Associating Partners is posted on this website which will contain mailing addresses and e-mail contact addresses enabling you to begin to make contact with other groups with whom you are in fellowship around the world. Upon acceptance into the partnership, the new partner with contact information will be added to the list.
In applying for Partnership, we would greatly appreciate it if you would fill out the Ministry Information form which will provide us with information about your group and work. If you wish to include for approval and listing, any corollary ministries which are part of your fellowship, such as missionary agencies, colleges, orphanages, etc., we will be glad to list them under your group listing.
Every several years thereafter a statement of continued agreement with the principles and Statement of Faith will be submitted to each Association for signature signifying their continued desire to maintain fellowship with the IPFBM.
It is the responsibility of each Association or group to notify the office of the IPFBM of any changes of address and the names of newly elected Presidents or Leaders.
It is the responsibility of each partnering organization to notify the office of the IPFBM if there ever comes a time when you no longer agree with the principles or the Statement of Faith of the IPFBM and you wish to no longer be Partners in this fellowship.
A free subscription to the GARBC publication, the BAPTIST BULLETIN, will be sent to each Association. Additional subscriptions may be secured at the cost of $18.00, from the Baptist Bulletin, 1300 N. Meacham Rd., Schaumburg, IL USA 60173.
Partnership churches are all equal in their relationship with each other. None holds a higher ranking than the other regardless of size or country of location. Our primary purpose is service to the Savior in reaching the lost and there shall be no possible potential for hierarchical ascendancy of any man or group over another in the fulfilling of that Divine Commission.
In the process of developing this Partnership of Associations of churches, consideration will be given to individual fundamental Baptist Churches in areas of the world where, as yet, no organized Association exists. Should they desire the fellowship, comradeship, security, prayer support and assistance of sister churches around the world and do otherwise qualify for Partner status, they may apply to be included in the IPFBM.
RELATIONSHIP TO THE IPFBM
Upon the reception of an Association into the Partnership, that Association becomes a full Partner to the privileges and responsibilities and will remain in fellowship indefinitely.
WITHDRAWAL FROM THE IPFBM
Should the time ever come that any Association wishes to withdraw from the IPFBM Partnership they may do so by a motion presented to their constituency and passed at a duly called meeting of their Association and subsequent notification of the IPFBM office; or if there arises a certified indication that any group no longer holds to the Statement of Faith of the IPFBM, or that their doctrine or practices indicate that they no longer are in concurrence with the position or practices of the IPFBM, then the Executive Committee, after a due process of investigation, would take action to remove that Association from the Partnership.
Such action by the Executive Committee would be forwarded to the Association in question in adequate time for rebuttal and response. Barring a satisfactory defense of the charges the Association would be dropped from the list of Partnership Associations. Such action would be reported to all other Partners.
STANDARDS FOR FELLOWSHIP IN THE IPFBM
In order to clarify questions that often arise on the part of organizations making request for information about some commonly accepted convictions among fundamental Baptists, we include the following statements:
Any Association or group that allows any charismatic practices such as speaking in tongues, healing meetings or teaches a second work of grace as necessary to salvation, would not be accepted in the IPFBM;
Any Association or group which is connected to or cooperates with the World Council of Churches, the Baptist World Alliance, the World Evangelical Fellowship or any such group which takes or tolerates a liberal viewpoint on the inspiration of the Bible, the Deity of the Person of Jesus Christ or the absolute necessity of personal salvation through the blood of Christ, would not be accepted.
In the prayer of our Savior in John 17, He prayed that believers might be one, even as He and the Father are one. In the so-called religious world, attempts have been made for decades to accomplish this unity through ecumenical unions which are a perverted interpretation of the Word of God and inevitably demeaning to our Lord. Such attempts must necessarily reduce God to a man and elevate man to a god. The Divinely inspired Bible is the core of true spiritual unity and Jesus Christ is its heartbeat!
THE COUNCIL OF EIGHT OF THE IPFBM
The IPFBM has developed and a Council of Eight was elected at the First Biennial Conference of the IPFBM held in Bangkok, Thailand, on November 4-7, 2009. This Executive Committee of the IPFBM will be selected, composed of a Chairman, and selected Representatives from the various Partner Associations and the International Director of the GARBC.
If the Lord should bless this Partnership in its endeavor to more efficiently and effectively reach the world of lost men for Christ, additional constitutional procedures may become necessary in the process of time. It would be the work of the Council of Eight to present such plans to the entire Partnership of the IPFBM.
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International Partnership of Fundamental Baptist Ministries
General Association of Regular Baptist Churches
1300 N. Meacham Road
Schaumburg, ILLINOIS USA 60173 Telephone: 1-847-843-1600
e-mail: chindal@garbc.org website: garbcinternational.org