Faithful Word Baptist Church

33°23′31″N 111°58′39″W Faithful Word Baptist Church is a New Independent Fundamentalist Baptist church in Tempe, Arizona, that was founded by Steven Anderson. The church describes itself as "an old-fashioned, independent, fundamental, King James Bible-only, soul-winning Baptist church."[1] Members of the church meet in an office space that is located inside a strip mall.[1][2] Anderson established the church in December 2005 and remains its pastor.

In August 2009, the church received national attention when Anderson stated in a sermon that he was praying for the death of then-president Barack Obama. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) listed Faithful Word Baptist Church as an anti-gay hate group, citing its pastor's "extremely radical stance" that homosexuals should be judged and executed according to the Law of Moses.[3] Its documentary titled Marching to Zion was labeled as antisemitic by the Anti-Defamation League.[4] Its pastor was refused entry to South Africa,[5] Botswana,[6][7] Jamaica, Canada, the United Kingdom,[8][9] the Schengen Area, the Republic of Ireland,[10] Australia,[11] and New Zealand.[12]

Doctrine
Steven Anderson preaching a sermon on the post-tribulation rapture, a core doctrine of his church, on April 30, 2017

According to its doctrinal statement, Faithful Word Baptist Church believes that the King James Bible is the inerrant Word of God. It is Trinitarian and rejects modalism. The church also believes in the post-tribulation rapture, salvation by grace through faith, and eternal torment in hell for the unsaved. Among the church's beliefs is the view that life begins at conception, the view that homosexuality is a sin and an abomination which God punishes with the death penalty, and opposition to worldliness, formalism, modernism, and liberalism.[13]

Faithful Word Baptist Church is strictly anti-abortion. In vitro fertilization is seen as murder, because embryos are discarded during the process.[14][15]

Anderson has preached against feminism, referring to Iceland as "a feminist hell."[16]

History

Anderson established the church on Christmas Day, 2005.[3] The church's website states, "Faithful Word Baptist Church is a totally independent Baptist church, and Pastor Anderson was sent out by a totally independent Baptist church to start it the old-fashioned way by knocking on doors and winning souls to Christ."[17] About a year and a half later the church was moved to a strip mall that was also used by Anderson's fire alarm installation business.[18][19] By 2015, the congregation numbered around 300 members.[20]

National attention over Anderson's sermon on President Obama

The church received national attention in the United States in August 2009, when Anderson gave a sermon—entitled Why I Hate Barack Obama—in which he said he prayed for the death of the president.[21][22]

Anderson did not solicit the killing of Obama but he did suggest that the country would "benefit" from his death.[23] Anderson also told the local television station KNXV-TV that he would like it if Obama were to die of natural causes because he does not "want him to be a martyr" and he also believes that "we don't need another holiday."[23] Anderson told columnist Michelangelo Signorile that he "would not judge or condemn" anyone who killed the president.[3]

Anderson's invective against Obama is partially based on his opposition to Obama's support for abortion rights.[24][25] Anderson was then the recipient of death threats while a group, People Against Clergy Who Preach Hate, organized a "love rally" which was attended by approximately one hundred people outside the church.[24][26]

The day after Anderson delivered his Why I Hate Barack Obama sermon, a church member, Chris Broughton, carried an AR-15 semiautomatic rifle and a pistol to the Phoenix Convention Center, where President Obama was speaking.[2][26] Broughton explained that he was not motivated by the sermon although he agreed with it.[24] The New Mexico Independent reported that Broughton's appearance at the rally was part of a publicity stunt that was organized by conservative radio talk show host Ernest Hancock, who also came to the rally armed, and engaged in a staged interview with Broughton which was later broadcast on YouTube.[25] Anderson told ABC News affiliate KNXV-TV in Phoenix that the Secret Service contacted him after this event.[2]

Anti-gay comments and hate group designation

The SPLC has listed the church as an anti-gay hate group, noting that in his anti-LGBT rhetoric, Anderson described gays as "sodomites who recruit through rape" and "recruit through molestation."[3] In explaining the hate group designation, the SPLC noted Anderson's position that homosexuals should be killed, citing a sermon in which he said, "The biggest hypocrite in the world is the person who believes in the death penalty for murderers but not in the death penalty for homosexuals."[3] In late 2014 Anderson told his congregation that an AIDS-free Christmas would be possible "Because if you executed the homos like God recommends, you wouldn't have all this AIDS running rampant."[27] Anderson has also been vocal in expressing his hatred for transgender people, stating during a sermon titled 6 Types of Prayer that he hopes that Caitlyn Jenner's heart explodes.[28]

In a sermon, Anderson said that in the November 2015 Paris attacks the victims brought the attack upon themselves by being devil worshipers for attending a concert by the Eagles of Death Metal band, and he also said that France was a sinful nation.[29] In a video which he posted on YouTube following the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, Anderson said it was good that there were "50 less pedophiles in this world," but he also said that it was bad that there were survivors. He also said that there would be a backlash against gun rights and religious fundamentalism, both Christian and Islamic. He also said that the killings should not have been carried out by a vigilante, instead, he believes that they should have been carried out "through the proper channels by a righteous government."[30][31]

Controversial videos

In March 2015, Anderson produced a documentary titled Marching to Zion, in which he argued that the anticipated Jewish messiah is the Antichrist and the Talmud is blasphemous.[32][lower-alpha 1] In May 2015, Anderson promoted Holocaust denial by posting a now blacklisted YouTube documentary titled The Holocaust Hoax Exposed.[lower-alpha 2] In 2021, NIFB Pastor Jonathan Shelley released a documentary titled The Sodomite Deception starring Anderson. The film criticizes the expansion of LGBTQ rights, with Shelley advocating for the death penalty to be used on the LGBTQ community.[33][lower-alpha 3]

German branch

In May 2022, a Faithful Word Baptist Church branch was founded in the German city of Pforzheim.[34] The preachings of local pastor Anselm Urban, German representative of the Faithful Word Baptist Church, appointed by Anderson himself, made headlines in local newspapers, as he had openly wished death upon Sven Lehmann, the German Commissioner for the Acceptance of Sexual and Gender Diversity[34][lower-alpha 4] and demanded the government to kill queers.[35]
A complaint was filed, forcing Urban to pay a fine of 1020 Euros. Evading punishment, he subsequently fled the country claiming religious persecution, seeking refuge in Tempe, AZ, from where he continues preaching to his German congregation via webcast.[36]

According to Urban, the German branch has around 300 members, with approximately 10 attending church service.[36]

See also

Notes
  1. In Anderson's video Marching to Zion, he argues that the anticipated Jewish messiah is the Antichrist and the Talmud is blasphemous.
  2. Anderson promoted Holocaust denial in his video The Holocaust Hoax Exposed
  3. The Sodomite Deception celebrates the brutal punishment of homosexuals.
  4. (Translated from german): Upon request, the preacher replied in a calm fashion: "My statement was: Sven Lehmann, Faggot, die!“

References
  1. Faithful Word Baptist Church. "Faithful Word Baptist Church – Phoenix, AZ". Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  2. James, Susan Donaldson (September 7, 2009). "Protesters Rally Against Pastor's 'Why I Hate Obama' Sermon". ABC News. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  3. Schlatter, Evelyn. "18 Anti-Gay Groups and Their Propaganda: Faithful Word Baptist Church". SPLC. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  4. "ADL Deeply Troubled at Upcoming Documentary Film Denigrating Jews and Judaism". Anti-Defamation League. November 24, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2018.
  5. "South Africa bars anti-gay US pastor Steven Anderson". BBC News. September 13, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
  6. "Botswana to deport anti-gay US pastor Steven Anderson". BBC News. September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  7. "Botswana deports U.S. pastor Steven Anderson over anti-gay views". Reuters. September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  8. "Gay hating preacher who called Orlando victims 'paedophiles' banned from coming to UK". September 16, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  9. "Anti-gay pastor Steven Anderson banned from UK | Christian News on Christian Today". www.christiantoday.com. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  10. McGee, Harry. "Anti-gay preacher is first-ever banned from Ireland under exclusion powers". The Irish Times.
  11. Eno Adeogun (July 23, 2019). "Australia becomes 33rd country to ban entry to pastor who said gay people should die". www.premier.org.uk. Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved September 1, 2019.
  12. "New Zealand Bans Homophobic Pastor Steven Anderson". On Top Magazine.
  13. "Doctrinal Statement". Tempe, Arizona: Faithful Word Baptist Church. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  14. Evans, Jenni (September 6, 2016). "Wife of homophobic US pastor slams SA blogger over IVF". News24. IAB South Africa. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  15. Anderson, Steven. "Faithful Word Baptist Church invitation to church" (PDF). Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  16. "Watch: American preacher denounces Iceland as a "feminist hell", "a nation of bastards"". Icelandmag. April 27, 2016. Retrieved September 20, 2020.
  17. "Our pastor". Faithful Word Baptist Church. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  18. Lemons, Stephen (September 10, 2009). "Steven Anderson's Three Alarm Baptist Church: Barry Lynn of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State Weighs In". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  19. Riley, Jennifer (September 8, 2009). "'I Hate Obama' Pastor Draws Protesters Outside Church". Christian Post. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
  20. Magahern, Jimmy (June 2015). "West of Westboro". Phoenixmag.com. Retrieved October 1, 2019.
  21. Allen Jr., Eddie B. (August 31, 2009). "Arizona Pastor Calls for Obama Death". BET. Archived from the original on September 7, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  22. Brody, David (August 31, 2009). "A Hateful 'Sermon' Against President Obama". CBN. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  23. Sundby, Alex (September 8, 2009). "Minister in Spotlight After Obama Death Prayers". CBS News. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  24. "Phoenix Pastor Draws Protests After Telling Church He Prays for Obama's Death". Fox News. August 31, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  25. Doland, Gwyneth (December 4, 2009). "Kokesh and the guy who brought an assault rifle to an Obama event". New Mexico Independent. American Independent Institute. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  26. Reid, Betty (September 6, 2009). "Church defends pastor; protesters rally". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved August 25, 2012.
  27. "US pastor says gay people should be executed". The Independent. December 4, 2014. Retrieved December 25, 2019. Because if you executed the homos like God recommends, you wouldn't have all this AIDS running rampant."
  28. Salandra, Adam. "Pastor Prays Caitlyn Jenner's Heart Explodes In Her Chest". NewNowNext. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
  29. Hogan, Shanna (November 19, 2015). "Extremist Arizona Pastor Attacks Victims of Paris Attacks". Phoenix New Times. Retrieved June 13, 2016.
  30. Woods, Mark (June 13, 2016). "Orlando shootings: There's only one answer to people who peddle hate". Christian Today.
  31. Bever, Lindsey (June 14, 2016). "Pastor refuses to mourn Orlando victims: 'The tragedy is that more of them didn't die'". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 14, 2016.
  32. Borkett-Jones, Lucinda (December 10, 2014). "Anti-gay pastor Steven Anderson tricks rabbis into making anti-Semitic film". Christian Today. Retrieved September 5, 2015.
  33. "The New Independent Fundamental Baptist (New IFB) Movement". Anti-Defamation League. June 5, 2021.
  34. Streib, Daniel (March 16, 2023). "Schwulen-Hass: Radikale US-Christen gründen in Pforzheim erste Deutschland-Filiale" (in German). Badische Neueste Nachrichten.
  35. Jeja Klein. "Görlitzer Fundi verlangt Sven Lehmanns Tod". queer.de (in German).
  36. Paul, Carolin (March 18, 2023). "Evangelische Kirche klagt gegen schwulenfeindliche Baptistenkirche". mannschaft.com (in German).
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