Independent Baptist

Independent Baptist churches, sometimes called Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) churches, are Christian churches which generally adhere to fundamentalist conservative Baptist beliefs and specifically do not join any of the Baptist denominations.

Another key characteristic of IFB churches is their adherence to the King James only position on the Bible; a significant number specifically state in their official doctrinal statements that no other translation will be used in their teaching. Others may allow the use of alternate translations only to show how they differ from the KJV and why they consider the KJV the superior translation. A very few do not hold to the KJV only position.

Independent Baptist churches make up a small number of the Baptist churches in the United States and a small number of people who consider themselves Baptists belong to an Independent Baptist church.

Independent Baptists include John R. Rice, Peter Ruckman, Bob Jones Jr., Bob Jones, III, J. R. Church, Ross Spencer, Kevin O'Brien, Buck Hatfield, Jimmy G. Tharpe, and Don Ohm. Jerry Falwell began his ministry as an Independent Baptist, but later joined the Southern Baptist Convention. Numerous Bible colleges, including Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, Florida, are affiliated with this denomination, and Bob Jones University is sometimes associated with the movement despite its official non-denominational status and its founding by a Methodist.

Many Independent Baptist Bible colleges are small institutions operated by a local church, like Landmark Baptist College in Haines City, Florida. These colleges serve usually to teach pastors and other church leaders for IFB ministry positions, and do not have comprehensive offerings like Pensacola Christian or Bob Jones.