fun·da·men·tal·ism /ˌfʌndəˈmɛntlˌɪzəm/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[fuhn-duh-men-tl-iz-uhm]
–noun

[Origin: 1920–25, Americanism]

While this is the technical definition for the word fundamentalism, we all know that words are laden with contextual meaning.

Numerous people have been telling me I should write about my history and experience within fundamentalism, so that they know where I am coming from, and so they know what I mean when I use the word “fundamentalism”.
Good advice.
So, here it goes…

I was raised in a very conservative and strong Baptist church (Faith Baptist Church of Sellersville, PA), and I attended their Christian School. So, I am forever indebted to the heritage that I inherited. I was taught the Bible faithfully from my parents, teachers in the academy, sunday school teachers and pastors, and as I grew my love for the Word of God blossomed.
Along with my love for the Word of God however was mixed a love to be “right” and a sinful pride. I can still remember a group of friends and I convening at my house to study the Bible and develop a defense (really an attack) for why Charismatic gifts should not be used today. You see, there was a girl in our class who disagreed with us, and we were out to prove her wrong.
Only now can I look back at that time and realize how entrenched in Pharisaical arrogance I really was.

I attribute this to the / thirst for doctrinal purity / and / passion for separation from sin / that existed within our church (and most fundamentalist churches).
Now, it is not wrong to seek doctrinal purity, nor is it wrong to separate from sin. In fact, we are called to this as believers.
But when the specific perimeters are set by a church for these pursuits, the result is legalism.

And so, as I grew up I inherited this fervent (yet flawed) approach to Christianity.
We were not allowed to go to the movie theater.
We did not listen to any music with a “beat” (a.k.a good).
We did not participate in anything deemed “worldly” by our church.
We had a polished theology that left no room for debate on issues such as:
the sovereignty of God, when Christ would come back, which version of the Bible should be used, how a church government should be structured, mode of baptism, and the list could go on and on…

In doing/believing these things, we thought that we were pleasing God, and in a sense we were.
Personal standards are glorifying to God inasmuch as they are done from a heart that yearns to love God.
There is a point however where our “holiness” becomes sinful, and that moment is when our standards build pride, self-righteousness, and judgment into our heart.

Even my call into ministry is tainted slightly by “fundamentalist” pride. As a young boy (around 7), I realized that God wanted me to be a pastor. Now, let me be clear about this - I had a definitive call where God spoke to my heart, and I knew this is what God desired for me. (and consequently I still know God has called me).
However, I believe that part of me desired the pastorate simply because I sensed it would please everyone around me - parents, teachers, pastors. “Full time Christian ministry” was unashamedly touted as the “highest calling”, and I figured if I wanted to be really special, I would need to be a pastor. Truthfully, I enjoyed the accolades that people threw at me as I pursued the ministry.

Naturally, I decided to attend a Bible college, and so I moved half way across the country to Maranatha Baptist Bible College (Watertown, WI).
Why?
Well, because that was the college that most of the kids from my church went to if they wanted to be a pastor, missionary, or Christian school teacher. And my childhood pastor (Pastor David Auckland) was teaching there. And they had wrestling.
Regardless, I was thrown into the machine of fundamentalism full-force when I attended college. All of a sudden, even my extremely conservative home church was criticized for being “liberal” - whatever that means.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that I was going “against the grain” at Maranatha. There were core differences between the approach to spirituality that was taught/lived out there and spirituality as I had learned through my relationship with God.

And so, after two tumultuous years at college it became apparent that I needed to exit the path I was going down and transfer colleges. (Truth be told, if I didn’t transfer I probably would have eventually been kicked out for playing praise choruses on my guitar, neglecting to make my bed, and running late to class. So, while my decision was noble, it was influenced somewhat by survival instincts…)
This led me to Baptist Bible College of PA, where I found an environment passionate about doctrinal integrity yet brimming with rich grace. People genuinely seemed to care for me as I was, and I observed in the teachers a real flesh and blood humility.
Don’t get me wrong - BBC was a very conservative college. But there is a difference between conservative and combative. Just like there is a difference between righteousness and self-righteousness.

Once I graduated from BBC I attended some classes at Biblical Theological Seminary (Hatfield, PA), where I was exposed to a far greater diversity of Christ-followers, and this only further convinced me that Christ’s true church is more vast and assorted than I ever thought before.

I have been serving at Faith Baptist Church (Phoenixville, PA) ever since God led me to transfer colleges.
The last ten years I have been there only seem to have further estranged me from fundamentalism.
This is a church that has already gone through its own journey out of strict fundamentalism, and I find myself in a refreshing atmosphere without the constant suffocation of legalism and self-righteousness. There is some room for discussion on many issues, and the people have been taught a spirit of graciousness that I have treasured over the years I have been there.
In addition, I have become friends with youth pastors in my area from various denominations, yet retained my friendships with youth pastors from my former fundamentalist circles.
I now find myself stretching between two worlds.

So, to summarize my journey thus far:

*Began in a fundamentalist Baptist church where I was faithfully taught the Word of God.

*Plunged deeper into fundamentalism during my first two years of Bible college.

*Shrunk back from fundamentalism when I transferred to BBC.

*Stepped out of fundamentalism when I attended Biblical Theological Seminary.

*Currently have one foot in fundamentalism and one foot in evangelicalism.

So, that is where I am coming from.

If you somehow are still reading this page, I want to encourage you to share your story and how you have experienced fundamentalism.
I do realize that when I use the terms “fundamentalism” or “evangelicalism”, these are diverse groups that cannot be painted with a broad brush.

So where are you coming from?