The Baptist Bible Fellowship International is a strong separatist fundamentalist organization formed in 1950 by members who separated from the World Baptist Fellowship. J. Frank Norris was the recognized leader of the WBF and the Bible Baptist Institute of Fort Worth, Texas. In 1948, George Beauchamp Vick (Norris' co-pastor in Detroit, Michigan) agreed to take the presidency of the school in Fort Worth. In May, 1950, Norris opposed Vick, ousted him from the presidency, and installed a new president. When the World Baptist Fellowship met, no solution could be found, and Vick officially resigned. Noel Smith, W. E. Dowell, Sr., Fred Donnelson, Vick, and other pastors met in the Texas Hotel and laid groundwork for a new fellowship. They moved to Springfield, Missouri, started the Baptist Bible College, the Baptist Bible Tribune, and this fellowship of like-minded churches and individuals. They embarked on an aggressive missions program and have continued to grow. A recent controversy over Bible versions, contemporary music, secondary separation and other issues led to division and formation of the Global Independent Baptist Fellowship.. Fundamentalism is a movement to maintain strict adherence to founding principles. ... World Baptist Fellowship - a separatist fundamentalist Baptist organization. ... John Franklin Norris, (born September 18, 1877, Dadeville, Alabama, died August 20, 1952, Jacksonville, Florida, USA) was a firebrand fundamentalist preacher and popular Baptist leader who was one of the most controversial and flamboyant figures in the history of fundamentalism. ... Fort Worth is the sixth-largest city in the state of Texas, located about 30 miles west of Dallas on the West Fork Trinity River and forming part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. ... 1948 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... City motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes) City nicknames: The Motor City and Motown Location in the state of Michigan Founded July 24, 1701 County Wayne County Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick (Dem) Area  - Total  - Water 370. ... Springfield is the third largest city in Missouri. ... The Global Independent Baptist Fellowship is a recently formed independent Baptist fellowship arising from doctrinal disputes within the Baptist Bible Fellowship International. ...

The structure of BBFI makes it actually a fellowship of pastors rather than churches: "Affiliation with the Baptist Bible Fellowship International is open to any Baptist pastor of a supporting Baptist church believing in and adhering to the Word of God, on the basis of the Articles of Faith appended hereto." The organizational structure includes President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, and Directors, one from each state and elected by State Fellowships. Within this organization, there are State Fellowships in each of the fifty states of the United States. Headquarters for BBFI are in Springfield, MO. The stated purpose of the Fellowship is to obey both the letter and the spirit of the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20. Some of the largest Sunday Schools in the U. S. are found in BBFI churches. Some BBFI churches and pastors also affiliate with and support other fellowships, such as the WBF. To further church planting BBFI is cooperating in the International Baptist Network. The International Baptist Network (IBN) began with a formal meeting September 27, 2004. ...

In 1995, the Baptist Bible Fellowship had approximately 1,500,000 members in 3395 churches. The Fellowship owns the original Baptist Bible College, as well as Boston Baptist College. 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Many of these BBFI churches refer to themselves as Bible Baptist. Bible Baptist is a descriptive title used most commonly either by churches of the Baptist Bible Fellowship International or unaffiliated Independent Baptists. ...

External link

• Baptist Bible Fellowship International Web Site
• Japan Baptist Bible Fellowship Web Site
• Baptist Bible College Web Site
• Boston Baptist College Web Site

Sources

• BBFI Directory
• Baptists Around the World, by Albert W. Wardin, Jr.
• Dictionary of Baptists in America, Bill J. Leonard, editor