IFB stands for Independent Fundamental Baptist. It is the cult into which I was born. Now, If you think IFB sounds familiar but aren’t sure, maybe you’ve seen at least one of the viral clips of Greg Locke, the radical, screaming, controversial pastor whose religious roots were founded in the IFB. When I saw that my former neighbor and classmate was going viral on TikTok, I thought, okay then. I see Greg found his own style. Because back when we were at ABC together, the only person who could cover Ron Comfort better than Ron Comfort, was Greg Locke.
I might be dissin’ him a little. But to his credit, Greg Locke is bold enough to be hated.
And he mastered his own method of communication. Meanwhile, because I stayed silent for so long, for fear of being judged, I’m still figuring out mine! The last interaction I remember having with Greg was when he drove me to the hospital. It was really his (then) lovely wife, Melissa, who was taking me. However, she didn’t drive. At that time, we were neighbors in the Carpenter’s trailer park near South Post Road in Shelby, NC.
Above, is a clip of Greg preaching.
The video below features Shelise Ann Sola, primary host of the podcast and YouTube channel, Cults to Consciousness.
Shelise does a phenomenal job of interviewing former cult members. In this one, she interviews Eric Skwarczynski, who has his own podcast, Preacher Boys. Eric was also featured in the HBO docuseries, Let Us Prey. He highlights the major aspects of the IFB cult within this single interview. He talks about how IFB members are typically very proud of their lack of “emotionalism.” As he pointed out, the exception to this rule is found during altar calls which were also sometimes called invitations.
During these altar calls, heavy emotional manipulation was used as a means to elicit repentance.
And that is why I was surprised to see the trailer below for Greg Locke’s movie. What I see in his film is what IFB members would typically call the emotionalism of Pentecostals or Charismatics. Eric talks about the theatrics in IFB preaching. And I see that in the first video above where Greg Locke was talking about how democrats can’t be Christians. There is a difference however, between theatrics and emotionalism within the IFB.
Below, is another Cults to Consciousness interview where Ashley Easter, intuitive master, coach and advocate, talks about cults within cults as well as the overlap between cults. She gives the example of the quiver full movement being demonstrated by the Duggars. To varying degrees, my father was part of the quiver full movement, the homeschool movement, the patriarchy movement and the stay at home girls movement. While Hephzibah House was the strictest IFB organization I have ever experienced, my father’s was the next strictest.
However, my father was not cruel. He was and is a kind, sincerely dogmatic, radical and passionate man.
Speaking of radical, one of the things both Ashley and Eric talk about, is how they wrote, posted and published things they would never say now. Eric talked about the Facebook memories that pop up and what it’s like now seeing the self-aggrandizing things he once said. I can so relate. Additionally, once I denounced the IFB, I never expected to find myself in another cult. But eventually, I found myself smack dab in the middle of the worst one yet.