Pastor Chris Wolford - Soft White Underbelly

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dr. Huk-N-Duck
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Baptist Renegade said:
Some y'all thought I was exaggerting didn't ya?

Yep, looks IFB "Campmeeting Crowd" to me!
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Not at all, even back in my more hardcore IFB defender days I used to get an incredulous laugh out of the camp meeting videos that FFF freebirds posted showing Sammy Allen (Resaca Georgia) and his crew wigging out.
 
Ransom said:
You pointed out one example, but pretty much everything Jesus talks about in that passage actually happens somewhere in the New Testament.
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Yes, but nothing was done as a deliberate "Apostolic Display of Faith" as is often practiced in some of these backwoods "Snake Handling" Churches! That was my point of bringing up the account of Paul on the Island of Melita. I don't think this was something Paul was looking to do and was likely of great annoyance to him and he probably said "OUCH!" when the snake latched onto his hand but decided to leave that part out of the text! :LOL:
 
ALAYMAN said:
Not at all, even back in my more hardcore IFB defender days I used to get an incredulous laugh out of the camp meeting videos that FFF freebirds posted showing Sammy Allen (Resaca Georgia) wigging out.
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Even if that particular video isn't actually Baptist, I wonder if anyone remembers the Phil Kidd camp meeting that went round the FFF a few iterations ago, with the kids running in the aisles and swinging their hankies, and Phil wiping his mouth on the Christian flag?
 
Baptist Renegade said:
Yes, but nothing was done as a deliberate "Apostolic Display of Faith" as is often practiced in some of these backwoods "Snake Handling" Churches!
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Yes, I agree it's more of a promise of divine protection than a set of commands to test their faith. "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test" (Matt. 4:7). It's like treating God as a vending machine: you put the change in, you get a miracle out.
 
Ransom said:
Even if that particular video isn't actually Baptist, I wonder if anyone remembers the Phil Kidd camp meeting that went round the FFF a few iterations ago, with the kids running in the aisles and swinging their hankies, and Phil wiping his mouth on the Christian flag?
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I remember early on in those days where I wanted to defend all things IFB but as soon as I saw the idiotic cringeworthy crap of Phil Kidd I tuned those shenanigans out, except for comedic relief, because I just couldn’t believe that people took that in anyway theologically serious.
 
Reminds me of a conversation a preacher told us:

Man:
ALAYMAN said:
Not at all, even back in my more hardcore IFB defender days I used to get an incredulous laugh out of the camp meeting videos that FFF freebirds posted showing Sammy Allen (Resaca Georgia) and his crew wigging out.
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My wife was there quite a few times. That was her dad's idea of a family vacation.
 
abcaines said:
My original enlistment was up in Oct. 86 while I was on deployment. I signed a one year extension in order to finish my deployment. (What a lifer thing to do, right?) I got my first hash mark before I put on my crow. I put on my crow in Jan. 87. At the time, I just knew it was God's will that I go to PCC after getting out. That changed to TMC after my deployment. During my final year on active duty, I displayed a great knack for micro-min repair. I was told that if I reenlisted, they'd send me to micro-min repair school in a heartbeat. But I just "knew" what God's call on my life was and passed on the opportunity. In hindsight, I sometimes kick myself for that because my life didn't go how I just knew it was going to. I provided the link to the Millington chapter of my testimony. Subsequent chapters of my blog give a pretty good picture of what my mindset was while in the Navy and after. I am proud to say I continued in the Reserves and did extremely well, picking up second class very quickly. In both promotions, I was fifth highest score in my unit, making myself eligible for advanced pay four months early.

If you do read all the chapters of my testimony and it blesses you, let me know. I posted it to share how God has worked with me and I pray it speaks encouragement to someone. I am thinking about posting more chapters of my testimony or starting a separate blog altogether as less of a riding blog and more of a journal that shares God's good work in my life or through His Word. This invitation is open to all: Let me know what you think.
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We were about three months apart then. I went to Basic Training in Orlando in July - about two months after my HS graduation. I guess the "Oasis" was the quiet library like place? The Thrifthaven Servicemen Center was in the first shopping center as you got past the Chain-link fence of the base property. We would often set up around there to pass out tracts and witness and would often run into the UPC folks who were also trying to set up in that same corner!

Seems like we have been living parallel lives brother! I was just getting back from deployment around that time (I think August). We were with the Enterprise Battle Group and the very first carrier battle group to transit the Suez Canal right after Operation Eldorado Canyon when we bombed Libya. My "Four-Year" enlistment was up in July and I did my physical for the two-year extension at NAF Sigonella while we were in Catania Sicily. We were all sure we would be headed through the Straits of Gibralter and through the Panama Canal (I was with a LAMPS det on a Knox Class Frigate) but they sent us back through the Suez Canal and back home the long way! I re-enlisted for three years in order to take "Shore Duty" orders in San Diego while I finished up my Bible Training in the "Back Room Bible Kollege" (Lighthouse Bible Institute) at our Church (Lighthouse Baptist Church, San Diego). My intentions were to go into the ministry after my time in the Navy. Perhaps I'll make a blog post some time as well telling my story!
 
Baptist Renegade said:
We were about three months apart then. I went to Basic Training in Orlando in July - about two months after my HS graduation. I guess the "Oasis" was the quiet library like place? The Thrifthaven Servicemen Center was in the first shopping center as you got past the Chain-link fence of the base property. We would often set up around there to pass out tracts and witness and would often run into the UPC folks who were also trying to set up in that same corner!

Seems like we have been living parallel lives brother! I was just getting back from deployment around that time (I think August). We were with the Enterprise Battle Group and the very first carrier battle group to transit the Suez Canal right after Operation Eldorado Canyon when we bombed Libya. My "Four-Year" enlistment was up in July and I did my physical for the two-year extension at NAF Sigonella while we were in Catania Sicily. We were all sure we would be headed through the Straits of Gibralter and through the Panama Canal (I was with a LAMPS det on a Knox Class Frigate) but they sent us back through the Suez Canal and back home the long way! I re-enlisted for three years in order to take "Shore Duty" orders in San Diego while I finished up my Bible Training in the "Back Room Bible Kollege" (Lighthouse Bible Institute) at our Church (Lighthouse Baptist Church, San Diego). My intentions were to go into the ministry after my time in the Navy. Perhaps I'll make a blog post some time as well telling my story!
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It was you guys who saved us from leaving Mayport a month early! They kept extending the Coral Sea's deployment so they were going to send us out in May instead of June to relieve them. All leave had been canceled and we were on notice to leave at any time. When they sent you up through the Suez, I shouted, "HALLELUJAH!" Because I knew we were back on original schedule. I remember standing on the flight deck of the Forrestal looking across the bay at the Enterprise...

Our deployment turned out to be a very quiet one. We actually spent more time in port than we did underway. I actually began to wish we'd start spending less time in port because no one had any money and we kept switching between port schedule and underway which was murder for us night check folks.

When we're you at Lighthouse? Dear friends of mine were there. Did you know the Bunnells? Jim was a photographer and earned his commission. Julie was the cement of the family... 4 girls and one boy, all very gifted violin players. Both Jim and Julie are in Heaven now. I don't know whatever came of their kids.
 
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abcaines said:
It was you guys who saved us from leaving Mayport a month early! They kept extending the Coral Sea's deployment so they were going to send us out in May instead of June to relieve them. All leave had been canceled and we were on notice to leave at any time. When they sent you up through the Suez, I shouted, "HALLELUJAH!" Because I knew we were back on original schedule. I remember standing on the flight deck of the Forrestal looking across the bay at the Enterprise...

Our deployment turned out to be a very quiet one. We actually spent more time in port than we did underway. I actually began to wish we'd start spending less time in port because no one had any money and we kept switching between port schedule and underway which was murder for us night check folks.

When we're you at Lighthouse? Dear friends of mine were there. Did you know the Bunnells? Jim was a photographer and earned his commission. Julie was the cement of the family... 4 girls and one boy, all very gifted violin players. Both Jim and Julie are in Heaven now. I don't know whatever came of their kids.
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Yeah, I remember the Forrestal relieving us so I remember looking at you from the little tin can I was on. So many things happened in 1986!

I was at the Lighthouse during my whole time in San Diego (1983-1991). I spent a short time in Guam (1984-1985) plus that WESTPAC in 1986 but the rest of the time, I was there serving in various ministries and soaking up the Bible Institute training. By the time I had gotten out of the Navy, I felt like I really needed a change and didn't know it then but it was the beginning of the end of my time in the IFB world.

The Bunnells were not there during my time as far as I can remember. I crossed paths with Jim on a message board while trying to minister to folks who had been burned by the "Model IFB Church" up in Lancaster, CA where I was living at the time. We had some great conversations and I could tell we would have been best of friends had I known him in person. The kids formed the "Bunnell Strings" and actually got some national attention. I don't see anything online past 2014 but they were all getting older by that time and probably more focused upon their respective families?

Here is a clip from YouTube where they are playing at Shadow Mountain Community Church:


An article from an online music magazine:

Bunnell Strings
 
Huk said:
I’ve heard of this one in WV, one in Kentucky, one in Alabama, and possibly one in northern Georgia (not positive if still practicing at this time, but definitely in the past). That being said, there are probably more. I’ve definitely heard it being done in Tennessee in the past, and even one in Florida.
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There are many still practicing in many of these states, sadly. I had a cousin in one. She went there for over six years.
 
voicecrying said:
Reminds me of a conversation a preacher told us:

Man:

My wife was there quite a few times. That was her dad's idea of a family vacation.
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The church I was saved in was nondenominational. The doctrine was at the whim of whatever the current pastor held to, but when I was there, to the best of my ability to discern such things as a new convert, it was reasonably theologically stable. It did have a very teeny bit of that rural church feel occasionally, as about once a year this sweet middle aged woman “got happy” and began running the aisles and squealing in a high pitched shriek with her hands raised in the air. It usually only lasted about 2-3 minutes and then we returned to the regularly scheduled programming😁, and my unease subsided back into a feeling of normalcy. I’m not big into ostentatious displays in worship, whether whooping and hollering (though I am an “AMEN!” kinda guy), or swimming in the baptistery as some are apparently want to do😂
 
ALAYMAN said:
The church I was saved in was nondenominational. The doctrine was at the whim of whatever the current pastor held to, but when I was there, to the best of my ability to discern such things as a new convert, it was reasonably theologically stable. It did have a very teeny bit of that rural church feel occasionally, as about once a year this sweet middle aged woman “got happy” and began running the aisles and squealing in a high pitched shriek with her hands raised in the air. It usually only lasted about 2-3 minutes and then we returned to the regularly scheduled programming😁, and my unease subsided back into a feeling of normalcy. I’m not big into ostentatious displays in worship, whether whooping and hollering (though I am an “AMEN!” kinda guy), or swimming in the baptistery as some are apparently want to do😂
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The church I grew up in seemed to have an “amen contest” at times, a public display of which man could shout AMEN the loudest. There was the occasional arms waving in the air, but nothing could hold a candle to my grandparents’ church in the hills. That was an entire different ball of wax!
 
Huk said:
The church I grew up in seemed to have an “amen contest” at times, a public display of which man could shout AMEN the loudest. There was the occasional arms waving in the air, but nothing could hold a candle to my grandparents’ church in the hills. That was an entire different ball of wax!
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I have often wondered if the atmosphere you describe and I have seen in videos is more consistent with cultivating congregational entertainment much more than any sense of reverential worship.
 
ALAYMAN said:
I have often wondered if the atmosphere you describe and I have seen in videos is more consistent with cultivating congregational entertainment much more than any sense of reverential worship.
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I’m not sure. I know their church didn’t have anybody jumping in the baptismal pool or throwing their suit jackets across the room (at least on the occasions I was in town and in attendance), but some of it still seemed over-the-top at times. Then again, the AMEN!!! shouts in my childhood church also seemed over-the-top at times as well. As a kid, I always enjoyed visiting their church, but now that I’m older, I’m not sure I’d want to deal with the theatrics on a weekly basis.
 
Huk said:
I’m not sure. I know their church didn’t have anybody jumping in the baptismal pool or throwing their suit jackets across the room (at least on the occasions I was in town and in attendance), but some of it still seemed over-the-top at times. Then again, the AMEN!!! shouts in my childhood church also seemed over-the-top at times as well. As a kid, I always enjoyed visiting their church, but now that I’m older, I’m not sure I’d want to deal with the theatrics on a weekly basis.
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Oh yes, it’s a subjective call because some of it comes down to style preferences. The stuff that gets posted on here, ain’t no way I could ever get used to.
 
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