Steven Anderson and the

Establishment of the New IFB Movement

By The Reason Files

Part 1a:

An Introduction to the New IFB

In January 2019 a YouTube video was sent to me regarding Steven Anderson and the New IFB
movement. As I began to watch this video, and other New IFB videos, I realized that the New IFB is
not simply another fringe group of Westboro-like hate mongers who have co-opted the term “Christian”
as a license to hate publicly. In fact, to simply label Steven Anderson and the New IFB as “just another
Westboro” would be a dishonest oversimplification. There is far more to Steven Anderson than his
aberrant beliefs about homosexuals. Far more.
As I prepared for this article, I made it a point to contact each and every pastor involved in the New
IFB – including Steven Anderson. Some responded, such as Jonathan Shelley, Tommy McMurtry, Tim
Delello, Manly Perry, Matthew Stucky, Benjamin Naim, and even Steven Anderson; while some chose
not to respond. Videos, blog articles, sermon transcripts, and interviews were examined as well. In
addition to those resources, former New IFB folks, and some Old IFB pastors and members were also
contacted, such as Tyler Baker, Tyler Doka, Donnie Romero, Adam Fannin, Sam Gipp, Bob Gray II,
Stephen Nichols, Kris Byrne, Tim Coleman, Steven Harper, Stephen Cox, Joshua Gregg, and Elliott
Ray (among others).
Many of those who have been contacted and who have responded have expressed a concern that this
article will be honest and not just another “hit piece”. If anything it will be honest. Brutally so. I am not
interested in sugar coating anything, or soft peddling, or glossing over any theological warts that I
might come across during my research for this article. At the same time, I also have no interest in
simply bashing anyone for the sake of bashing them.
Some of those whom my friend Todd and I have communicated with while researching this article
series, are laboring under the notion that this will be a vindication of something they have been falsely
accused of. In some cases it may very well be. In some cases it will not. I am driven by the truth of
Scripture. If what you teach is in line with the clear and explicit teaching of God's word, then I will
back you without hesitation. If what you teach is not in line with the clear and explicit teaching of
God's word, then I will, without hesitation, call you out on it. And that is the basis of this article. It is a
comparison of the beliefs, teachings, and practices of Steven Anderson and the New IFB with the clear
and explicit word of God.
I must also say, right from the beginning, that I believe the New IFB is comprised of Christian brothers
and sisters. I believe it is also comprised of the unsaved, and in some cases, unsaved and actively anti-
Christian in their beliefs. I believe there are some New IFB teachers who are solid in their doctrine, and
there are some who teach heresy. In the interest of full disclosure, I fully believe Steven Anderson falls
squarely within the latter group. If that bothers you, stop reading now lest you become so angry that
you sin. And please understand, I do not make this statement lightly or flippantly. It is based on a
thoroughly researched examination of his public teachings and beliefs as compared to Scripture.
Footnotes are included in this article series (located at the end of each part or section, i.e. after all
section 1 articles, after all section 2 articles, etc.) so the reader can view the supporting evidence for
themselves. Every document, news article, video, sermon, etc., that is referenced in the footnotes is
readily available both online and in the authors archives. As we all know, sometimes embarrassing
moments have a habit of disappearing from the internet, or so we tend to think. Many of Steven
Anderson's have been “removed” from their original slot on the internet shelf. Many have not,
however, escaped Google cache and the Internet Archives Wayback Machine.
Note also, if, after this article series comes out, Steven Anderson or any other others who are called out
herein publicly repent and disavow any false teachings they may have previously held, I will not
hesitate to note that and update this article series accordingly as soon as I am made aware of their
repentance. After all, one of the reasons for this article series is to point out error in the hope that
people will repent and either turn back to Christ, or turn to Him for salvation.
There is a question that needs to answered before we begin, and that is, is the New IFB a cult, and is
Steven Anderson its head? The answer is both yes and no. On the one hand, there is an aspect to the
New IFB that is very cult-like, and very unchristian – even anti-Christian, and Steven Anderson is the
undisputed leader of that cult, and his followers can best be described as “Andersonites.” On the other
hand, the New IFB is a movement comprised of a loose association of churches, pastors, and adherents
who share a set of common beliefs. In this group, Steven Anderson is just another pastor in the
movement. Some may turn to him more than other pastors in the movement, but this can be attributed
more to the fact he is better known due to his internet presence than any position of mutually agreed
upon leadership within the group. It is the first group that this article series will be more concerned
with, however, because doctrinal beliefs will encompass both groups, both will be addressed in that
regard.
And finally, I must give a shout out to my good friend and brother in Christ, Todd Ferguson. The
research project that was necessary to write this article was daunting to say the least. The number of
interviews Todd conducted, and the shear number of hours he spent reviewing audio and video
recordings is simply phenomenal. Of course, the article series would have still have been done without
his help; it just would have taken well into the next century! Thank you so much Todd!
Benjamin Naim and Jeff Utzler do not pastor New IFB churches, they do have a substantial following
among New IFB adherents, including several New IFB pastors. Because of their influence and minor
celebrity status in the New IFB, they are included here.
What is the New IFB?
The New Independent Fundamental Baptist Movement, or, New IFB, is an affiliation of churches
situated around the world that hold to a core set of doctrines which they believe are important and
essential. These doctrines include: Salvation by Faith Alone; Once Saved Always Saved; The King
James Bible is the Preserved, Inerrant, Infallible Word of God; The Trinity; Soul-Winning; Hard
Preaching; Anti-Worldliness; Anti-Calvinism; Anti-Dispensationalism; Anti-Zionism; and the Post-
Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church.1

While these New IFB core doctrines may not seem too far removed from biblical Christianity – at least
for the most part, in reality, they are. Although they will be discussed more in depth elsewhere in this
series, some brief examples would include:
1. Anti-Calvinism. While not subscribing to Calvinistic or Reformed theology is not something to
divide over, in the New IFB mindset, it is. According to New IFB theology, Calvin and every Calvinist
or Reformed Christian since him are not, nor have ever been, saved. The New IFB rejects out of hand
the “Five Points of Calvinism – TULIP” (otherwise known as the Doctrines of Grace), claiming they
are doctrines of devils. When one presses those in the New IFB to describe exactly what Calvinism
entails, most are unable to say, and those who try will generally describe something other than historic
Calvinism. In other words, although they condemn Calvinism, they do not understand Calvinism.
2. Once Saved Always Saved. An interesting choice for a core doctrine to be sure. At its essence, Once
Saved Always Saved (OSAS) teaches that once a person is saved, they cannot lose their salvation. They
will persevere until the end, at which time they will go to be with the Lord for all eternity, God will
preserve them. In Calvinism, this same doctrine is known as the “Perseverance of the Saints,” the “P”
in TULIP, which the New IFB rejects out of hand, without understanding it, and without recognizing
that they actually consider it a core doctrine. Score one for Calvinism.
3. The King James Bible is the Preserved, Inerrant, Infallible Word of God. This is what they say they
believe, but what they really believe is that the King James Bible is the ONLY Preserved, Inerrant,
Infallible Word of God. They believe all other translations and versions of the Bible are corrupt, false,
perversions designed to lead people away from God and straight to hell. The New IFB is strictly a
“King James Version Only” movement. Addressing the plethora of problems and fallacies with such a
position is far beyond the ability of this article. The best sources available that completely refute not
only King James Onlyism, but the New IFB extreme brand of KJVOnlyism are: 1) The King James
Only Controversy by James R. White (the very best book there is at exposing and refuting
KJVOnlyism) and a group of YouTube videos titled, “Refuting 'The King James Only Controversy'” by
Steven Anderson, the founder and de facto leader of the New IFB. His “refutation” of James White's
book is so woefully inadequate, however, that it actually ends up supporting every argument that James
White makes against KJVOnlyism.
4. The Trinity. This is an essential doctrine in the Christian Church. If you get it wrong, then you do not
understand who God is, and you end up worshiping a false god.
5. Soul-Winning. This is the practice, often mandatory in the New IFB (as well as the Old IFB),
wherein members will go door-to-door sharing the gospel. As commendable a practice as this is, in the
New IFB, however, there are some rules involved that make it a somewhat less than biblical practice.
6. Hard Preaching. In the New IFB this is a buzz word which means screaming, yelling, slapping,
banging, punching, pounding, kicking, and sometimes jumping on the pulpit. It often involves
vociferous “preaching,” shouted invectives and derogatory words and terms; and quite often slander,
libel, and defamation of character. It can also entail threats, intimidation, and public humiliation.
7. Anti-Zionism. Read this as anti-Semitism. The New IFB insists it is not anti-Semitism, and
rationalizes this by claiming there aren't in actual Jews in the world, so their anti-Semitism isn't really
anti-Semitism.
8. the Post-Tribulation, Pre-Wrath Rapture of the Church. Why this is a core doctrine for the New IFB
is a mystery. Every Christian knows that Jesus will return. We simply have different ideas as to when
that will be. Certainly nothing to divide over, and Christians do not divide of this. The New IFB is an
exception to that, however, as they consider anyone who is not post-trib/pre-wrath to be a dyed-in-the-
wool God-hating, heretical reprobate. As you will discover in reading this article, the New IFB slings
the term “reprobate” around like it was a frisbee at a beach party. But more on that, and the rest of these
“core” New IFB doctrines, as well as many other doctrines and practices found in the New IFB will be
discussed in greater detail elsewhere in this article series.

In The Beginning...
The first churches in the New IFB Movement were Steven Anderson's Faithful Word Baptist Church in
Tempe, Arizona which Anderson founded in 2005; and, Roger Jimenez's Verity Baptist Church in
Sacramento, California, which he started five years later in 2010.2
Although these two pastors and their churches form the foundation of the New IFB, its roots go back
much further in time, and farther east geographically. All the way back to the 1980's and '90's; and east
to Hammond, Indiana and Pastor Jack Hyles of the First Baptist Church of Hammond. Jack Hyles was,
if not the first Independent Fundamental Baptist, he was certainly one of the first, and probably the
most influential. In fact, his influence continues to be felt even today, almost twenty years after his
death, and in spite of the numerous scandals surrounding his name, his church, and the college he
founded, Hyles-Anderson College.

Steven Anderson
In about 2003, Steven Anderson approached his then pastor, Stephen Nichols, and told him he wanted
to attend Bible college, specifically Hyles-Anderson college in Crown Point, Indiana. Although Pastor
Nichols told Anderson he could not recommend Hyles-Anderson due to Nichols' misgivings about its
president Jack Schaap, Anderson decided to enroll in the college, which he soon did, moving his young
family to Indiana.3

Hyles-Anderson college was founded by Independent Fundamental Baptist preacher, Jack Hyles in
1972 as a ministry of his church, First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana.4
Although Hyles was not the original pastor of First Baptist, he nevertheless viewed the church as his
own personal fiefdom and he ruled it as such. Many who attended First Baptist during Jack Hyles'
tenure, describe the atmosphere of the church as tense and on edge. Hyles demanded complete and total
obedience and loyalty from his congregation, and there were those in the congregation who were more
than happy to let him know when others were not maintaining those standards that he set. He enforced
rules which he had implemented, that governed what type of clothing could be worn by his congregants
– both in and out of church, hair styles, and more. There were some who claimed that members would
not even rearrange the furniture in their homes without his permission and input, such was the totality
of his iron-fisted rule.
Hyles also demanded the women of his congregation to be completely submissive and subservient to
the men in their lives, beginning with their fathers, then their husbands, and finally the male leadership
of the church. Hyles placed so much emphasis on the leadership of the man of the house, that if one of
the men of his congregation was discovered to be in an adulterous relationship, Hyles looked first to the
wife as the one to blame. Hyles felt certain that either the wife had driven her husband to do such a
terrible thing, or, the other woman (or girl as the case sometimes was) did something to lure and trap
the man into such a relationship. This enforced submissiveness and subservience served to open the
door for all manner of sexually immoral behavior, including pedophilia.5
One former member who attended First Baptist Church when Hyles was pastor, described Hyles as
having a terrible temper which exploded at times in outbursts of anger. The former member said Hyles
used this to control those in his congregation. They were, to be blunt, afraid of him. In fact, Hyles
wielded such control over his congregation that during a sermon given in 1990, Hyles pretended to
pour poison into a glass. He then asked one of his associate pastors, Johnny Colsten, if he would drink
it. Colsten said that he would. Reporters featured in a 1993 documentary on Jack Hyles and First
Baptist said the whole thing had the “ring of Jonestown to it.” Jonestown, Guyana was the site of a
1978 mass suicide of the followers of Jim Jones, by drinking poison laced Kool-Aid. Hyles later
claimed during an interview that the poison stunt was nothing more than a joke.6
Hyles' daughter Linda Murphrey, has spoken out about her father and what she calls the “cult” which
he led, calling her life with him and in his church a “bizarre world.”7 During one interview she related
that his followers were like “zombies” who were unhesitatingly “willing to believe and obey whatever
he said.” Murphrey continued, saying, “He [her father Jack Hyles] used to joke around about 'drinking
the Kool-Aid,' but that was never funny to me because I knew that those people really would have done
anything he told them to do. Anything.”8 She reiterated this during a TEDtalk, stating very clearly that
if Jack Hyles told his staff and congregation to do so, “they would drink the Kool-Aid,” and do so
without hesitation.9
British historian John Dalberg-Acton once said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts
absolutely.” Jack Hyles was a living example of just how true this saying is. In 1989 a letter written by
Judy Nischik Johnson, the daughter of Victor Nischik (an elder at Hyles' church), and Jennie Nischik
(who also worked for Jack Hyles as his secretary) was sent to The Biblical Evangelist publication who
in turn published the letter. It was a bombshell. In her letter Mrs. Nischik Johnson revealed that Jack
Hyles and her mother Jennie had been in a decades long adulterous relationship.10
Although Hyles always denied the accusation (as his supporters continue to blindly do so), even his
own family has admitted it was true. Hyles' daughter Linda has revealed that behind closed doors and
away from the eyes and ears of his supporters, Jack Hyles hated his wife and taught their children to
hate her as well. He flaunted his relationship with Jennie Nitschik by purchasing a large house for the
Nitschiks just around the corner from the Hyles home. Linda Hyles Murphey has described how they
could stand on their back porch and look directly into the back yard of the Nitschik home.11
Hyles was also known to call Victor Nitschik and tell him to send his wife Jennie to Hyles office,
ostensibly for dictation, but more often where they would engage in their trysts. One wonders if Hyles
took some sort of perverse pleasure in this.
News of the scandal resulting from Judy Nitschik Johnson's letter spread throughout Hyles-Anderson
college, First Baptist Church, and around the country, and it followed Jack Hyles to his death in 2001.
One of the results of scandals such as the Jack Hyles scandal is that it effects so many people. Not just
the families of those involved, but also tending to effect anyone with a connection to those involved.
The Jack Hyles scandal was no exception.
In 1998 Pastor Joseph Combs and his wife were charged with “kidnapping, aggravated assault, perjury,
and seven counts of rape” all perpetrated on their adopted daughter Esther over a period of 20 years.
They were convicted in 2000 and sentenced to 179 years. Pastor Combs was a professor at Hyles-
Anderson college, and both were faithful members of Hyles' church, First Baptist Church of Hammond.
The story made national news.12
Jack Hyles son, David Hyles, a pastor himself, was also discovered to have been having adulterous
relationships with dozens of women. He too fell in disgrace.13

Like father like son.

Jack Hyles' hand picked successor was his son-in-law Jack Schaap (pronounced Skop, rhyming with
hop). He was in charge of both Hyles-Anderson college and First Baptist Church of Hammond as its
pastor. Schaap became known for his flamboyant preaching style, often employing sexual innuendo
and off-color comments. He was also known for employing the same or similar tactics Jack Hyles had
employed in managing First Baptist Church, and he was known for being overbearing and controlling.
In 2012 it was revealed that Schaap had been having adulterous relationships beginning at least in 2004
– the year after Steven Anderson enrolled in Hyles-Anderson. In 2013 Schaap was convicted of
transporting a 16 year old girl across state lines for the purpose of having sex with her. He was
sentenced to 12 years in prison.14
Initially Schaap blamed his ignorance of the law, claiming he didn't know it was illegal to have sex
with minor children. Then he actually blamed Christ Himself, saying Jesus wanted him to have an
adulterous relationship with a young underage girl. Later he relied on one of Jack Hyles' teachings, and
he blamed the girl, saying it was all her fault.15
In total, at least 18 people connected with Hyles-Anderson college and First Baptist Church of
Hammond have been convicted of pedophilic molestation charges.16
In addition there have been several others who have been publicly accused by their victims, but
managed to escape prosecution, such as one Hyles-Anderson graduate who managed to hide
incriminating evidence until the statute of limitations expired, and another who avoided being charged
by committing suicide in his jail cell. And then there is one of the most notorious Hyles-Anderson
alumnus, David Hyles, the son of Jack Hyles. Although he has never been convicted of child
molestation, several of his victims have come forward naming him as their rapist. He was also
investigated during the mysterious deaths of his girlfriends infant son, and their 5-year old son. David
Hyles has also been discovered to have engaged in dozens of adulterous relationships.
It is important to note that none of this is to say or imply that Steven Anderson has been involved in
anything like the scandals noted here, especially since there is no evidence to say he has. It does,
however, demonstrate the fallen nature and the anti-Christian environment of the school where Steven
Anderson learned to be a pastor. Given his anger issues, his temper and outbursts, his demand for
loyalty and petulant puerile tantrums when he doesn't get it, the manipulation through public shaming
and condemnation he employs to control his congregation (as well as other pastors in the New IFB) are
all tactics employed by Jack Hyles and Jack Schaap. Recently, in the midst of the Romero/ Fannin/
Anderson/ Shelley debacle (more on that later in this article series), Steven Anderson's new, up and
coming protégé (read that as “yes man”), Chris Segura, preached a sermon titled, “God, the Pastor and
You.” In this sermon, Mr. Segura emphasized the importance of agreeing with the pastor even when the
pastor is wrong. This would, of course, include if and when the pastor teaches heresy. After all, Mr.
Segura reasoned, since God placed the pastor into that church, even when he is wrong, he is still God's
chosen servant; or, as in Steven Anderson's case, God's chosen prophet.17 While Chris Segura has been
with Anderson for some years now, he still had to wait his turn in the queue so to speak, to be moved
into the “current protégé” spot. He's in that spot now, and given the subject matter of his sermon,
Anderson should be pleased, as he is teaching and reinforcing Anderson's desire for complete and total
loyalty within his church.18 Note: HIS church.
Clearly, Steven Anderson learned quite a bit during his time at Hyles-Anderson and First Baptist
Church of Hammond. Although he died before Steven Anderson attended his school and church, it is
clear Jack Hyles was a huge influence on Steven Anderson (further supported by Anderson's inclusion
of Hyles' articles on some of his websites, and videos of Hyles on his YouTube channel), and if he
could see Anderson today, he would be proud.
It's difficult to believe that Steven Anderson was oblivious to the environment he had placed himself in
back in 2003 when he enrolled in Hyles-Anderson college. Jack Hyles had passed away only 2 years
earlier, and it had been only 3 years since Joseph and Evangeline Coombs were sentenced. Not only
was the college still run the way Jack Hyles had run it, but the church, First Baptist, was as well under
the leadership of Hyles' son-in-law, Jack Schaap. Like Hyles, Jack Schaap was domineering,
manipulative, and used his outbursts as a method of controlling his congregation. Schaap was also
known to interject highly sexualized analogies and demonstrations into his sermons.
As a student at Hyles-Anderson, Steven Anderson would have been mandatorily required to attend
services at First Baptist where he would have been exposed to the worldly preaching style and
manipulative techniques of Jack Schaap from his first Sunday there. And yet, all Anderson will say is
that when he was in his senior year, with only a couple of months before his graduation, with cap and
gown already ordered, he began to notice something wasn't right and that things were “getting weird.”
Steven Anderson would have us believe that it took 26 months of constant exposure to the sexually
immoral history of Hyles-Anderson, which included over 100 Sunday morning sermons (not to
mention Sunday evening sermons) by Jack Schaap, before Anderson noticed something wasn't right,
and that things were getting weird. That in itself is a hard story to swallow. But be that as it may, in
November 2005 Anderson then made the decision to leave Hyles-Anderson college. He returned briefly
to Sacramento, California, before moving himself and his family on to Tempe, Arizona where he
started Faithful Word Baptist Church.19
Roger Jimenez
Roger Jimenez's ministry beginnings were every bit as controversial as Steven Anderson's. Both had
pastors during those formative years that were anything but Christ-like. Jimenez left Regency Baptist
church after meeting Steven Anderson there when Anderson was 20-years old, and Jimenez was an
impressionable 16-year old teenager.20 Jimenez became infatuated with Anderson and his beliefs, and
began to look up to him as a hero-figure.21 Anderson has said that he taught Roger Jimenez a lot of
what he now believes as well as exerting a strong influence on him.22 So when Anderson left Regency
Baptist, it was not surprising that Jimenez left as well, after strongly criticizing the church and its
pastor, slinging accusations against them that in retrospect can be seen as strongly Anderson-like.
According to Jimenez's former pastor, Jimenez also began speaking negatively about him to other
pastors,23 no doubt in an attempt to discredit him – a practice that has also been attributed to Steven
Anderson.24

Jimenez found his way to Vacaville, California where he attended Fellowship Baptist Church, an
Independent Fundamental Baptist church led by Pastor Mark Lewis, an ex-con who “got religion” and
started a church. It was Mark Lewis who became the primary influence in the life of a young Roger
Jimenez, and it was Mark Lewis who sent Jimenez out to start his own church, Verity Baptist in
Sacramento, California.25
Just as Anderson's spiritual hero Jack Hyles, his hand picked successor Jack Schaap, and other Hyles-
Anderson alumni had done; Lewis was leading a double life where he pastored a church on Sunday,
and engaged in illicit activities during the remainder of the week.
Just as it is important to understand the environment of Hyles-Anderson where Steven Anderson
learned to be a pastor, it is also important to understand the environment where Roger Jimenez
underwent his pastoral training.
Joanna Lynn Hunter met Mark Lewis in the early 1990's when they were in High School together. It
wasn't long before they became an item. In 1997 Lewis was convicted of felony domestic violence after
he attacked Joanna, and he served some time as a result. The two were married in 2000, and life with
Mark Lewis was filled with repeated, documented, violence against her, including two separate
incidents where he beat her so badly she had to be hospitalized. In one incident, Joanna related she was
“hung up on the wall, choked, slapped, punched, kicked, thrown and badly beaten up by Mark.” Eleven
years after her wedding to Mark Lewis she was dead. She was found “hanging” in a closet by her
husband.
It was later revealed that during their marriage Mark Lewis had been involved in at least one adulterous
relationship, and there were hard questions being asked by outsiders regarding financial improprieties.
To top it all off, Joanna had made it known that she planned to leave him. Not long after making that
decision, Joanna's body was found in a closet. One end of a terry cloth robe tie wrapped around her
neck and the other end to a closet clothes rod. Her feet were touching the ground. Lewis said he was
outside playing basketball with a friend when it happened, claiming he found her later. Instead of
cutting her down, however, and instead of trying to resuscitate her, instead of calling 911 as any normal
person would do, Mark Lewis called a friend. Surprisingly, Joanna Lewis' death was ruled a suicide.
However, after Lewis' attacks on his girlfriend, police reopened the case, investigating her death as a
homicide.
Within 24 hours of his wife's death, Lewis was on the phone to his girlfriend, a divorced former Sunday
School teacher from his church, Fellowship Baptist. It wasn't long, however, that this relationship was
also foundering. When his girlfriend discovered Lewis was sending lewd texts and nude photos of
himself to female congregants, including a minor teenage girl who had been attending the church since
she was 5, his girlfriend ended their relationship. That is when her Mark Lewis nightmare began.
Lewis began what can only be termed a campaign of terror. His basic pattern consisted of phoning or
texting his former girlfriend asking to see her, she would refuse, he would then threaten her, and then
some act of vandalism would happen to her property. These things occurred all while Mark Lewis
pastoring Fellowship Baptist Church. First she found her car windshield smashed. Then another car
window, then a window of her sister's car suffered the same fate. When smashed car windows didn't
produce the desired results, the attacks escalated; and one night the bushes in front of home were set on
fire. Lewis' threats and vandalism finally culminated in the firebombing of her home one night, while
she, her children, and her parents were asleep inside. Although the home did catch fire, it was quickly
extinguished and no one was physically injured. It was later revealed that Lewis had hired a fellow ex-
con to do the firebombing for $300.
At the time when Mark Lewis hired his friend to firebomb his ex-girlfriends home, he had already been
the subject of a two-year undercover investigation by the Vacaville Police Department, on suspicion of
dealing methamphetamine after several confidential informants revealed to police that he had been both
dealing and using the drug. The ex-con he hired to firebomb his ex-girlfriends home also confessed that
he had smoked methamphetamine with Mark Lewis the night of the attack. And, when he was arrested,
a subsequent search of his huge five-bedroom, five-bath home turned up an illegal handgun as well as
methamphetamine. Police later filed documents linking Mark Lewis to numerous other crimes
including burglaries, acts of vandalism, and witness intimidation.
Agreeing to a plea arrangement with the prosecuting attorney, Lewis pleaded no contest to arson and
stalking. He was sentenced to 8 years in prison.
Several people have come forward revealing that Mark Lewis was highly manipulative, using his
position of church pastor to intimidate, influence and use people to do his bidding and gain their
loyalty. They revealed that Lewis would provide these people with food, shelter, cars, cellphones, and
money, and then pressure them to commit crimes for him such as purchasing methamphetamine,
vandalizing property, and terrorizing those who either left, or tried to leave him. This is a common
tactic used by prison inmates, and something Lewis no doubt learned and perfected during his previous
incarceration.
After he was initially arrested, Lewis quickly posted a $500,000 bond using his church as collateral,
and was released from jail. However, when it was discovered he had fraudulently registered his church
in the first place, he was rearrested with a more than $1 million bail imposed. Since his rearrest, his
unbelievably loyal and dedicated followers began selling off Lewis' belongings from his home, as well
as pieces from his church, in an effort to raise enough to have him again released on bail. They also
planned to sell his house if need be. Claiming they must help their leader, and the extent to which they
are willing to go in order to do so, demonstrates the cult-like atmosphere, similar to that at First Baptist
Church of Hammond, that Mark Lewis created, cultivated, and used to his advantage.26
When looking at Roger Jimenez, it is important to note that the unbiblical, anti-Christian behavior of
his pastor, Mark Lewis, concerning Lewis' wife; as well as the documented manipulative, controlling,
and cult-like manner in which he managed his congregation, was all occurring while Jimenez attended
Lewis' Church. It was in this environment that Jimenez received his pastoral training. And as noted, it
was Mark Lewis who sent Roger Jimenez out to start Verity Baptist Church.27
Again, none of this is to say or imply that Roger Jimenez is involved in any of the crimes his former
pastor and mentor was involved in. But as with Anderson and Hyles-Anderson College, it does
demonstrate the depraved cult-like environment that Jimenez placed himself in, and the cult leader that
he placed himself under. No doubt, Mark Lewis was a strong and aggressive personality, much as
Steven Anderson is; and no doubt Roger Jimenez was as submissive and subservient to Lewis as he
seems to he seems to be around Steven Anderson.
Thus began the New IFB movement. First with Anderson in Tempe, Arizona with Faithful Word
Baptist Church, and then with Roger Jimenez in Sacramento, California with Verity Baptist Church.
Steven Anderson is the acknowledged founder and leader of the New IFB Movement. Between Steven
Anderson and Roger Jimenez, Anderson is far more outgoing with an aggressive “in-your-face”
demeanor and method of preaching; as if he perpetually carries a chip on his shoulder, ready to
confront anyone from congregants who discuss things behind his back without his permission, to the
inevitable protestors outside of his strip-mall church. One has to wonder how those protests have
affected the businesses around him.28
Jimenez, on the other hand is far more subdued in his interactions with others. While he tries to emulate
Anderson's fever-pitched pulpit rantings, he just doesn't quite match Anderson's manufactured fury.
One might attribute this to Jimenez's spiritual upbringing under the outgoing, domineering,
manipulative and controlling Mark Lewis, while attributing Anderson's confrontational over-the-top
showmanship to his exposure to Jack Schaap and the teaching and methodology of Jack Hyles. Hyles,
Schaap, and Anderson are very similar in their styles of preaching and church management, while
Jimenez seems to be in a subservient role to Steven Anderson, just as he likely was to Mark Lewis.
Anderson does have a soft spot for his friend Roger Jimenez, however, as he demonstrated when he
became enraged and screamed insults at his deacon before firing him and kicking him out of the church
simply because the deacon had been discussing with some friends a modalistic view of the Trinity;
while only quietly and mildly “disagreeing” with Jimenez when it became known that he was actually
teaching modalism from his pulpit.29 More on that later.
Due to his seemingly insatiable need to be constantly in the public view – something he can't very well
do in a suburban strip mall – Steven Anderson has branched out to the World Wide Web, where he now
commands a global audience. Although Roger Jimenez, and the other New IFB pastors also place their
videos online for all to watch, and the movement has developed its favorite New IFB “celebrities” such
as “Ben the Baptist” (a pseudonym for Benjamin Naim) and “Brother Jeff” (who is actually Jeff Utzler,
or Jeff Kutzler, as he uses both names). None of the New IFB “celebrities” however, can match the
showmanship of Steven Anderson, the superstar of the New IFB Movement.
It is a sad thing to watch as these New IFB pastors and members struggle to outdo one another other on
YouTube. They all try to be just a little more over-the-top, just a little more controversial, and hopefully
become more popular than the others, hoping to possibly become the next Steven Anderson. They all
scream at the congregations they preach to – just like Steven Anderson (they call this “hard
preaching”), just not quite as forcefully as he does. They all pound their pulpits like Steven Anderson,
just not quite as hard as Anderson does. They all employ the use of disparaging language like Steven
Anderson, just not with the same intensity as Anderson. Judging from Anderson's multiple internet
venues, as well as his popularity and influence among several different segments of society ranging
anywhere from those in the “Patriot” Movement to “Neo-Nazis”, these other New IFB pastors have
quite a task ahead of them to even come close to the top dog. But they do try. Oh, how they try.
Steven Anderson's internet empire is actually something to behold, as the many websites and venues he
manages are quite impressive given the wide variety of belief systems they cater to. Not only does
Anderson have his strip mall church with a weekly average of 350 people attending his Sunday
morning services; but he also operates a church website which features hundreds of free videos ranging
from sermons to full length “documentaries”30 he has produced with his friend Paul Wittenberger, a
former Hollywood electrical technician best known for his work on low budget horror films and soft
core homosexual pornographic films.31
Many of Anderson's sermons and “documentaries” are also available in a multitude of languages
capable of spreading his message around the world. He also manages several YouTube channels32 and
a separate website called “Teach All Nations” which claims to offer “Full Length Documentaries, Bible
Preaching, and Other Bible Videos” with “Content Translated Into Over 100 Different Languages.”
This website and his multiple YouTube channels serve to expose the world to Steven Anderson and his
decidedly unbiblical worldview.33
Anderson also runs the “KJV Prophecy” website which caters to those who want to hear Anderson's
preaching on prophecy as well as his “Pre-Wrath Rapture” views.34
He runs the “Hard Preaching” website on which he has promotes those pastors within the New IFB
whom Anderson feels are “hard” enough in their preaching. Namely, himself, David Berzins, Donnie
Romero, Roger Jimenez, and Manly Perry. The site advertises itself as featuring, “Only the hardest
preaching will be featured on this site. No boring preaching will be tolerated. Not even a little bit.
None. NEVER! It's Not Going To Happen!”35
Anderson also runs the “Repentance Blacklist” website which panders to those who refuse to repent of
their sins, refuse to accept the fact that Jesus is their Lord, and yet still want to call themselves
Christians. It also serves to condemn numerous unbelievers and pseudo-Christians, as well as several
Bible believing Christians. These are added for no reason other than they preach the Bible while
disagreeing with Anderson.36
He also operates the “True Born Sons of Liberty” website which advocates for, among other things:
shutting down and doing away with the IRS, the Federal Reserve, the Department of Homeland
Security, and all Child Protective Services; ending all Social Security, Medicare, Welfare, Food Stamps,
WIC and other programs that help the poor; and restoring “individual sovereignty.” This website
panders to several groups including the so-called “Patriot” groups, the “Sovereign Citizen” movement,
the Anti-Tax groups, Neo-Nazi's, and other Nationalist type groups.37
Anderson also operates the “Word of Truth Baptist Church” website38 which seems to have only one
function, and that is to funnel online donations to Steven Anderson after PayPal deactivated his and his
church's account and he was banned from using the service.39 This website features only two buttons.
One which takes the visitor to a list of doctrinal beliefs (which not surprisingly they are the same as
Anderson's church) and the other to a donate page. Many, if not most of Anderson's YouTube videos
also contain a link which states “click here if you wish to donate to Faithful Word Baptist Church,” but
clicking on the link takes one to the “Word of Truth Baptist Church” donate page. Anderson does the
same thing on some of his websites, while others link to his “True Born Sons of Liberty” donate page.
Regardless of which donate page or link one clicks on, however, the result is the same – a donation to
Steven L. Anderson, and to no one else.40

Part 1b:

The Expansion of the New IFB

There are numerous noxious weeds around the nation that self-propagate through the use of stolons, or
runners. A few that come to mind are bindweed, goat heads, and creeping charlie. These weeds send out
runners which will eventually take root and after a time separate from the host plant and send out
runners of their own. In this way these weeds not only ensure their own survival and expansion, but in
the process they can choke out beneficial plants. The New IFB is doing the same thing, to a certain
degree. Beginning with Steven Anderson's Faithful Word Baptist Church, the flagship church of the
New IFB, it sent out its first “runner” north to Tucson, Arizona where it started Faithful Word North.
Then a second runner to Prescott Valley, Arizona and the Word of Truth Baptist Church, and then a
third “runner” into California where it started the Faithful Word Baptist Church in El Monte,
California, led by Evangelist Bruce Mejia. Both Faithful Word North and Word of Truth are being used
by Anderson to train his up and coming “pastors” and “evangelists.”
According to current and former members of Anderson's church in Tempe41 (and please bear with me
as this sounds like a soap opera), one of the first to be ordained by Steven Anderson was David
Berzins, who started out at Word of Truth, but then started his first “runner” to the Atlanta, Georgia
area where he started Stronghold Baptist Church. Next, Anderson ordained Donnie Romero and he sent
Romero and a new “runner” to Fort Worth, Texas to start Stedfast Baptist Church of Fort Worth. Then
came Jonathan Shelley whom Anderson ordained and sent out on a new “runner” to Houston, Texas
where he started Pure Words Baptist Church. In the mean time, Anderson ordained Tyler Baker as a
deacon and Garrett Kirchway as an evangelist, and things started to collapse. Anderson's initial plan
was to send Tyler Baker out to Jacksonville, Florida to start a church there, and to send Garrett
Kirchway to Botswana, Africa to start a church there. When Anderson exploded on Baker (more on that
later), and fired him from his position as deacon and kicked him out of the church; He was concerned
Baker would head home to Ohio, have his father ordain him, and then move to Florida to start his own
church there in Jacksonville. As Anderson could not abide this, he instructed Donnie Romero to send
out a “runner” to Jacksonville before Tyler Baker could start his church there. Apparently Anderson
wanted to be first. Or something. Out of this grew Stedfast Baptist Church Jacksonville, with
Evangelist Adam Fannin preaching and handing the everyday pastoral duties, and Donnie Romero
flying in on occasion to preach a sermon or two since he was the actual “pastor” of both Stedfast
churches (Forth Worth and Jacksonville).
In the meantime, Garrett Kirchway and Steven Anderson were kicked out of Botswana, Africa due to
Anderson's hate filled rhetoric. Anderson himself was deported and Kirchway went into Malawi, Africa
to try and start a church there. Anderson got his passport stamped and approved to enter Malawi,
however, when the Malawian government realized there mistake, the refused entry to Anderson.
Kirchway remained in an attempt to start a church there (Anderson already started a Faithful Word
“runner” in South Africa called Morning Star Baptist Church, before he was kicked out of that country
as well), but eventually the Malawi church failed. Anderson also ordained Richard Miller and sent him
and a “runner” to Nashville, Tennessee where he started Soul Winner Baptist Church. The church failed
after three months, and Miller and his family packed up and moved to parts unknown.
Meanwhile, Donnie Romero sent out another “runner,” this time to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where
he started Stedfast Baptist Church OKC, installing “Bro. Bo Ballard” (say that five times real fast!) to
run the day to day operations, with “Pastor” Romero paying the occasional visit. He was now the
“pastor” of three churches separated by thousands of miles. As all of this was going on with Anderson
and his four churches, plus the six churches he initiated (or instigated, take your pick); Roger Jimenez
was doing the same thing, and sending out “runners” of his own. Beginning with his Verity Baptist
Church in Sacramento, California; Jimenez has spread out to Verity Baptist Church in Vancouver,
Washington where he installed Aaron Thompson to mind the store, and then Verity Baptist Church in
Manilla, Philippines with “Bro.” Matthew Stucky, and then Verity Baptist Church in Boise, Idaho. In
the meantime, Jimenez ordained Aaron Thompson as a pastor, and Thompson changed the name of
Verity Baptist Church Vancouver, Washington to Sure Foundation Baptist Church in Vancouver,
Washington, and he quickly sent out his first runner to Surrey, British Columbia, Canada where he
started a Sure Foundation Baptist Church there.
Then things started to collapse again, when it was discovered that Pastor Donnie Romero (he of the
three Stedfast Baptist Churches) had been dallying with prostitutes, gambling, and illegal drugs down
in Florida. Resigning in disgrace and being quickly shown the door by his former mentor Steven
Anderson; this left three churches without a pastor (although Fannin was already in Jacksonville and
Ballard in OKC). Steven Anderson stepped in and took control of the situation. One of his first actions
as a self-appointed interim pastor at Stedfast was to fire Adam Fannin while disparaging him of
numerous unfounded accusations, not one of which he had any supporting evidence. He then
“ordained” Jonathan Shelley (whom he had already ordained as pastor of Pure Words Baptist Church in
Houston, Texas) to become the new pastor over all three of the Stedfast churches. Shelley was now
pastor over four churches, two in Texas, one in Oklahoma City, and one in Jacksonville, Florida. That is
a total of 17 New IFB churches started in full or in part by two men – Anderson and Jimenez.
Left to themselves, these two New IFB founders could conceivably establish New IFB churches in
almost every state and a dozen countries should they so choose. But at the end of the day, they did not
have to. They simply brought other churches into the New IFB fold. Some already established, some
just starting out, and some they would help get started. The plan, of course, is for these churches to
begin sending out “runners” of their own, and thus carpet as many of the populated areas of the world
as they can. To date they have gotten off to a good start in achieving that goal. In addition to the
seventeen churches (including the three failed churches) started by Anderson and Jimenez, there are
sixteen additional New IFB churches located in South Dakota, Tennessee, South Carolina, West
Virginia, Louisiana, Illinois, Florida, Kansas, Texas, Ohio, two in Australia, and three more in the
Philippines. The New IFB is literally growing like a weed.
During all the expansion of Anderson and Jimenez's churches, as well as the expansion of the New IFB
movement/network; Anderson's flagship, Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona, continued
to grow. One of the primary factors leading to the growth of his church is, of course, his internet
presence coupled with his presence in the news media which attracts like-minded devotees (who would
have thought so many could share Anderson's anger and hate?), and his message to his viewers that
they just might have to move and relocate to attend a good church (meaning his, of course). And move
they have.
It has been reported that as much as 75% of Anderson's congregants have moved into the Tempe area
for the express purpose of of attending the church of this “Malicious Moses”. Not surprisingly, or
perhaps surprisingly, Anderson is ready for them. One former member who moved his entire family
from another state just to attend Anderson's church said that when he arrived he had no place to stay,
and no place to work. No problem. Anderson's church had them set up in an apartment building which
already housed numerous families who had relocated to be with Anderson. He was handed the keys to
his new apartment almost as soon as he arrived in Arizona. A church member handed them to him.
Anderson and his church also found him a job, which was already employing numerous men who had
relocated themselves and their families just to be with Anderson.42 There are some who would claim
that such an outpouring of benevolence and affection from Anderson and his church to people who had
moved from other states (some from as far away as Michigan, Alaska, Hawaii, and Florida, and some
from other countries) to feed them, clothe them, house them, and find them employment is a tactic
known as “love bombing.” It is a tactic employed by various cults to instill a sense of familial
dependence on the cult and the cult leader, and thus ensure loyalty, often unhesitating and
unquestioning loyalty.43 Much like Anderson's IFB hero Jack Hyles who once asked a junior pastor if
he would drink poison if Hyles asked him to, and he replied yes.44
One former member of Anderson's Faithful Word Baptist Church said after he left, he began to reflect
upon his time with Steven Anderson and Faithful Word Baptist Church, and he realized that he had, in
fact, been part of a cult. He pointed out some practices that in retrospect should have been red flags.
With how well they took care of the needs of his family (love bombing) when he arrived in Arizona,
however, he failed to notice them.45 The practices related by this individual are as follows:
1. When Anderson removes someone from his church, it is never done quietly as the result of a one-on-
one meeting between the person and Steven Anderson, with Anderson attempting to keep the person in
the church. Instead it is done in front of the congregation, it is done with Anderson railing at the person
from the pulpit at the top of his lungs, spewing vicious invectives and slander at the person, belittling
them, humiliating them, shaming them, etc. The purpose of this over-the-top display serves a purpose
that for Anderson is more important than simply kicking someone out of the church. It serves to put the
others on notice, that they can expect the same shameful and humiliating experience in front of all their
friends and family, if they cross Steven Anderson. Those being kicked out will also lose any and all
friendships with people still in the church, as they will not be allowed to associate with them under fear
of being kicked out themselves. They can lose their apartment, they can lose their job, and it just goes
downhill from there. Everyone knows this, everyone understands this. This is why some people,
especially those who who have loved ones still enamored with Anderson, feel trapped in the cult.
2. Disagreeing with Steven Anderson is strongly frowned upon. Publicly agreeing with someone who
has been kicked out is grounds for being kicked out yourself. Anderson has an inner circle of members
who monitor the other members outside of the immediate church environment. They monitor their
social media activity (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc), they monitor their life in the
apartment building where many of them live, and at the company where many of them work.
Conversations, both spoken and written (such as on social media) are monitored. Anything that can be
even remotely construed as contrary to Steven Anderson's teachings, or disloyal Steven Anderson
himself, is reported directly to Steven Anderson. When Neo, the future wife of ordained Faithful Word
evangelist Garrett Kirchway (later kicked out himself) agreed with a comment left on YouTube by a
former church member, she was immediately warned by a current church member who had been
monitoring the conversation. She told the future Mrs. Kirchway to watch what she was saying or it
could go bad for Garrett. Coincidentally (or not) when Steven Anderson was kicking Garrett Kirchway
and his family out of his church, during what has become a Faithful Word Baptist Church sacrament –
the ritual excoriating chastisement given by Anderson from the pulpit, Anderson mentioned that he had
been shown a comment made by Neo Kirchway on social media. It was that comment that resulted in
Steven Anderson's unbiblical behavior toward Garrett Kirchway and his family.
If Anderson does not approve of a comment made by a church member, the member could be charged
with “railing” and/or “backbiting,” general terms which cover a multitude of sins against Steven
Anderson, and both are grounds for immediate expulsion from the church, and likely branded a
“reprobate,” meaning they are not saved, they are not savable, they have been eternally rejected by
God, and they should just go ahead and kill themselves. This is not an exaggeration. Anderson has
repeatedly preached to his congregation that reprobates should just go ahead and kill themselves.
3. Everyone, or at least a majority of people attending Steven Anderson's church live in a constant state
of fear of everyone else. Members do not truly trust other members, even though they all smile and act
friendly toward each other, because they all worry who might be watching, or who might be listening,
ready to take a careless word innocently misspoken straight to Steven Anderson which could result in
being kicked out of Faithful Word Baptist Church. The former member who was interviewed for this
article stated this was the standard mentality of people at Faithful Word Baptist Church. “Pastor
Anderson has everybody on edge, feeling like, you know, the nice people are the ones you're going to
watch out for.”
As will be noted elsewhere in this article series, this apparently happens at other New IFB churches as
well. Former and current members of Stedfast Baptist church in Fort Worth, Texas, pastored by
Jonathan Shelley, have reported this same method of controlling the congregation. One reported that
people who leave the church are constantly harassed by current members, often showing up in groups
near their house to make it known to those who left that they are still being watched. This often
happens under the guise of “soul-winning.”46
4. Although members read their Bibles, and no doubt commit to memory passages after continued
reading, there is a deliberate effort among the members of Steven Anderson's church to memorize the
words that Anderson himself says. Almost as if his words carry the same weight as Scripture.
Steven Anderson has also exhibited some overtly dictatorial behavior at his church. Curiously, he does
not answer to anyone in the church. He is accountable to no one. There is no church governance board,
no group of elders or deacons to ensure he is handling the word of God and the congregation rightly. In
fact, Anderson actually hires his deacons and evangelists as his hourly employees, rather than
employing the biblical method of allowing the congregation to choose them.47
Acts 6:1-7 describes the process by which deacons are chosen and appointed. The passage reads, “6
And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the
Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 2 Then
the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should
leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of
honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But we
will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 5 And the saying pleased the
whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and
Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: 6 Whom they
set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of
God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of
the priests were obedient to the faith.”
It was not the bishop or elders (or pastor) who hired the deacon, but rather it is the congregation who
chooses the deacons (plural. The number seven is given.). After they are chosen by the congregation,
and appointed by the pastor, their job is to serve the congregation. Not serve the pastor, but serve the
congregation so the pastor is free to shepherd the congregation. Steven Anderson, for all of his self-
proclaimed adherence to the King James Bible, apparently is fairly subjective in his obedience to God's
word.
Another example of the dictatorial control Steven Anderson wields over his congregation can be found
in one of his anti-Barack Obama sermons. During the sermon he asked for someone to help him
remember an insignificant part of a story he was telling. The following exchange between Steven
Anderson and a church member by the name of “Trent” took place during that sermon:
Steven Anderson: “Christians don't blaspheme the word of God like that and make fun of it and so on
and so forth. You know as well as I do, he doesn't believe the bible, he doesn't believe in creation. He
doesn't believe that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. He does not confess these things. The church that
he goes to, United Church of Christ, is a church that's filled with Sodomites and freaks and perverts. I
mean, they have Sodomites as pastors. Who was it... Did somebody just tell me? Who was that? Trent.
Give your testimony, Trent.”
Trent: “Well, at the corner by my house there's one of these United Methodist churches, and on their
sign out front it's advertising the church and there's a little banner above it that says, "We stand on the
side of love," with two men.”
Steven Anderson: “Yeah, so last time you told that story it wasn't United Methodist, it was United
Church of Christ.”
Trent: “Oh, yeah, yeah.”
Steven Anderson: “Yeah, it was United Church of Christ, sorry. Get that story straight.”48
At first glance this exchange seems as trivial as the denomination of the church involved. However, this
little bit of audience participation seems to be a bit contrived since he knew and mentioned the United
Church of Christ (then pastored by Jeremiah Wright), and he was trying to tie it in to a local UCC
church. Trent, however, apparently forgot his line and said United Methodist Church. Anderson's
response is interesting. He had to correct the man who lives on the same street as the church in
question. It leaves one to wonder if Trent had been coached prior to the sermon, and when he flubs his
line, is not only corrected by Anderson, but rebuked by Anderson as well, who tells Trent, “Get that
story straight. A bit later in the sermon Anderson seems to be trying to smooth over what was no doubt
an awkward glitch in his sermon when he makes an off-handed comment that the United Methodist
Church has a “similar sign.” A strange exchange that given his dictatorial manner toward his
congregation, tends to support this conclusion.

False Autonomy in the New IFB Movement

In theory the New IFB movevment is made up of independent churches, hence the name, Independent
Fundamental Baptist. In theory each New IFB church is completely autonomous, governing itself, with
each New IFB church pastor being the sole authority for his particular church. There is no
denomination, no national or international governing body. Each New IFB church answers only to
Christ and to itself. This was very clearly stated by Steven Anderson in a blog post he wrote for his
website, when he wrote, “It's laughable how many comments I’ve seen where people have threatened
to get Pastor Jimenez fired for preaching on unpopular passages in the Bible. Independent Baptists are
not part of a Baptist denomination such as the Southern Baptist Convention or the American Baptists.
We are sent out by other independent Baptist churches, and each church is autonomous. The pastor is
the leader of a biblical, New Testament Baptist church.”49
The independence and autonomy of the New IFB church is, however, only a theory, not a reality. In
practice, the churches and pastors within the New IFB movement remain in the New IFB only as long
as Steven Anderson allows them to be. Once he says you're out, you're out. For example, in summer
2017, Steven Anderson unceremoniously kicked Victor Tey and the Church in Punchbowl of NSW,
Australia out of the New IFB movement. If each church is autonomous, then by what authority did
Anderson expel Tey and his church? Of course, he had no authority to do so. It should be noted that
although Anderson took it upon himself to expel Tey and his church from the New IFB, Victor Tey and
the Church in Punchbowl were not actually part of the New IFB movement. They were kicked out of a
movement they did not belong to; simply because Steven Anderson wanted to somehow make an
example of them, in essence saying, this is what happens when you disagree with my doctrines (Tey
held a different view of the Trinity than that of Steven Anderson).
In an interesting exchange of emails between Victor Tey and Steven Anderson, Tey actually points this
out to Anderson, saying, “You misrepresent my church as 'trying to portray itself as part of your
movement'. There is no evidence of this. You even admit in your video how different we have been
from the very beginning since the church's inception. We are not the same name, style, etc. I have never
claimed to be part of your movement, nor asked you to endorse me or the church. I am aware of our
differences albeit until this current issue, and these have been secondary. I think we both acknowledge
that fact, which is why we have not crossed paths like this previously.”50
Anderson's response to Victor Tey confirms he had wrongly attached Church in Punchbowl to his
movement, thus demonstrating he had no authority of any kind in taking action against Victor Tey.
Anderson replied to Tey writing, “I know you personally haven't tried to portray your church that way,
but your members have promoted your church that way. It's obvious that you personally aren't
pretending to be a part of our movement and never have. However, your church members and many
others around the world seem to see it that way, so I just wanted to make that clear. As far as taking
back my words, I will gladly clarify that you personally have never tried to portray your church is
being likeminded with FWBC because I've personally never heard you do that. In my video, I never
said that you did. I said that your church did.”51
This is typical Anderson deflection: “I never said that you did. I said that your church did.” It would
appear that Steven Anderson has a difficult time accepting responsibility for his actions.
Bill MacGregor of Trinity Baptist Church in Toronto, Canada is another example of Anderson's
overreach, as he kicked MacGregor and his church out of the New IFB as well. When Gleb Glebov, a
pastor under Bill MacGregor formed Blessed Hope Church in Vancouver, BC, Canada; Anderson
rejected Pastor Glebov's request to be affiliated with the New IFB, and then had Aaron Thompson, one
of Roger Jimenez's pastors, open a new church in the same area claiming there were no actual churches
there. When Pastor Glebov was contacted and asked for his thoughts on being kicked out of the New
IFB movement by Steven Anderson, Pastor Glebov responded, “Blessed Hope Baptist Church has
never been a part of the New IFB, and has always been an independent church. We believe and preach
similar doctrines, but we don't identify with Pastor Anderson, nor condone his behaviour.”52
Such behavior on the part of Steven Anderson might cause one to wonder if perhaps Anderson simply
has an insatiable need to wield control over people. Pastor Glebov's statement that his church has
“always been an independent church” could be an indication that he refused to bring himself and his
church under Anderson's authority; and when he refused to do so, Anderson retaliated by rejecting what
amounted to a request that was never made, and ejecting a church from his movement that was never a
part of his movement.
The situation with Pastor Tyler Doka, while dissimilar from the others mentioned here in that he and
his church actually were part of the New IFB, is nonetheless interesting due the why behind his
expulsion from the New IFB. Pastor Doka believes the earth is flat rather than spherical. That simple
fact was enough to send Anderson racing to his eject button just as fast as he could, insisting he could
have no fellowship with Pastor Doka. Since Steven Anderson's decision to ostracize and condemn
Pastor Doka, there have been several New IFB people such as Benjamin “Ben the Baptist” Naim, who
have made it a point to further criticize, ostracize, and humiliate through YouTube videos, Google
hangouts, social media and more. All because Pastor Doka believes the earth is flat.
A careful search of Scripture will reveal that there is not a single explicit passage anywhere stating the
earth isn't flat. Furthermore, there isn't a single passage anywhere in Scripture that condemns someone
to hell because they believe the earth is flat. This is not to say that the earth is flat or not flat (I
personally do not believe it is), but at the end of the day it doesn't really matter. It is not a doctrine that
is essential to ones faith or salvation. To severe fellowship with a fellow Christian over something as
insignificant as the shape of the earth is to be deliberately and intentionally divisive. To treat them in
the manner that Pastor Doka has been treated by the New IFB exposes just how petty and small and
mean they are.
When Pastor Doka was asked about the New IFB and his expulsion from the movement by Steven
Anderson, Pastor Doka stated, “it is widely accepted and spoken of throughout the movement that yes
Pastor Anderson was the start of it [the New IFB], and then churches began to be added to the
movement. At first I believe churches were added due to their agreement in doctrine with Faithful Word
and other like minded churches, however, it eventually just became if Pastor Anderson says you're in
the movement, then you're in the movement. If he says you're out, then you are out.
“There is no independence in the New IFB Movement, what the leader says goes, this can be seen by
any outsider by the way the movement reacts to anyone preaching something different than what they
believe. They immediately deem them unsaved, and reprobate which means they believe because the
New IFB rejected that person, that God himself did as well.”53
Perhaps the most obvious example of Steven Anderson's overreach in the New IFB movement is the
Donnie Romero Scandal. By way of a very brief overview since this issue will be addressed elsewhere
in this series:

1. On Wednesday night, January 2, 2019, Donnie Romero resigned as pastor of the three Stedfast
Baptist Church locations in Ft. Worth, Texas, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Jacksonville, Florida.
Steven Anderson was on hand to field questions after Romero left the pulpit.54

2.On Thursday, January 3, 2019, Steven Anderson took to YouTube to tell everyone exactly why
Donnie Romero resigned. Not that it was anyone's business other than those in his church, but
apparently Anderson thought he would just tell the world.55

3. On Friday, January 4, 2019, at 12:10pm Eastern Time (11:10am Central Time – Texas time), Steven
Anderson fired Adam Fannin via text message. Note the image below is a screen shot of Adam Fannin's
cell phone in Jacksonville, Florida noting the date and time Fannin received Anderson's text in
Florida.56
When Jonathan Shelley was asked about Anderson's firing of Adam Fannin, Shelley very quickly
exclaimed, “Woah! Woah! Pastor Anderson did not fire Adam Fannin. That is an incorrect
statement.”57 Either Shelley is completely unaware of what Steven Anderson had actually done, or he
is ready and willing to lie to protect Anderson.
4. On Friday, January 4, 2019, a few hours after Anderson fires Adam Fannin, Jonathan Shelley
uploads a video to YouTube wherein he states that he has kept Adam Fannin “in the loop” regarding the
situation with Donnie Romero (Fannin denies this), and that Fannin was supportive of Shelley taking
over (Fannin also denies this). Shelley goes on to claim that now Fannin is not cooperating. Shelley
then begins the excoriation of Adam Fannin via YouTube, a practice that will be followed by Shelley,
Anderson and other New IFB folks for months.58
5. On Friday, January 4, 2019, from 7pm until just after 10pm Central Time – eight hours after
Anderson fired Adam Fannin, and several hours after Shelley's video – Anderson and the men of
Stedfast Ft Worth meet to discuss the future of Stedfast, as well as who would be the new pastor.59
6. On Saturday, January 5, 2019, Steven Anderson uploads a video stating that during Friday nights
meeting with the men of Stedfast Fort Worth (see #5), the men decided they wanted Jonathan Shelley
to be their new pastor. Anderson then goes on to explain “I guess they had a similar meeting over in
Jacksonville, Florida and from what I heard, and again I'm getting this second hand because I wasn't
there.”60
Let's do a quick review. Romero resigned, Anderson shows up and within sixteen hours fires Adam
Fannin in Jacksonville, then eight hours later, that night, Anderson meets with the men in Fort Worth to
discuss who the new pastor will be, they decide on Shelley, and Anderson never bothered to ask
Jacksonville for their input. Never asked them who they wanted to be their pastor. Okay. Moving on.
6. Anderson states in his video of the morning of Saturday, January 5, 2019, that he will address the
issue of Adam Fannin, and he will do so publicly via YouTube videos because, “this is the only way
that we have to communicate with the people out there in Florida.” YouTube is the only way. The only
way to communicate with people in Florida. Do they not have telephones in Florida? No land lines, no
cell phones, no internet connection? Mr. Anderson couldn't just do a conference call with the church?
Couldn't just set up a time for the meeting, announce it and allow everyone with Stedfast to have their
say? Couldn't Skype or FaceTime? Couldn't do a Google Hangout? Couldn't use Jitsi, ooVoo, or
WeChat? Couldn't do a Facebook live video chat? This seems a bit much for even the most gullible of
people to believe, and yet this is precisely what Anderson expects people to believe. More importantly,
this is exactly what Steven Anderson expects the people of Stedfast and the New IFB to believe.61
Anderson tries to justify not using any of the dozens of available methods that would allow the
inclusion of everyone from all three Stedfast churches in on the meeting by saying, “we don't have
everyone's phone number, and we're dealing with other things.” His dismissive excuse is just his way of
saying to the people of Jacksonville and Oklahoma City, “you don't matter, you don't count, just sit
down, shut up and do what I tell you.” Plus, it probably wouldn't play very well if during the decision
making process to decide on a new pastor Adam Fannin brought up the fact that he had been fired nine
hours previously. By Steven Anderson. Who had no authority to do so. Anderson, however, knew full
well he could get away with firing Adam Fannin, he knew full well that he had full authority in an
ostensibly autonomous independent church where he was not the pastor. He knew this because he is,
after all, Steven L. Anderson; and the New IFB is HIS movement.
There is another aspect of this incident as well, something that Anderson himself brought up in his
video dated January 5, 2019. In that video he states that he met with the men of Stedfast Fort Worth to
discuss Donnie Romero, the church moving forward, a new pastor, and so forth. This, of course, begs
the question “Why weren't the men of Stedfast Fort Worth consulted in the beginning?” As several New
IFB people have pointed out, Steven Anderson was there in Fort Worth because he was asked to be
there. Not by the church, mind you, and not by the men of her church, the ones who would be making
the decisions; but rather he was contacted by Leslye Romero, the wife of Donnie Romero. When his
sins were discovered by her she did not contact the men of the church for help, she contacted Steven
Anderson, the pastor of a church over one thousand miles away.62 And when she contacted Anderson,
he did not explain to her that he did not have any authority over Stedfast because it was not his church
and it was its own independent church, and he did not explain to her that she should be talking to the
elder men in the church. No, he simply hopped the soonest flight to Fort Worth, and took over as soon
as he arrived.
As one former New IFB follower said, “[Steven Anderson has] created a cult-like atmosphere, and
that's why [Leslye Romero] knew who she should contact within the movement, and brought him in
and all of that. It's a terrible situation, and I think he took advantage of the situation, and this was the
perfect opportunity to put in the biggest yes man that he has, and that's Jonathan Shelley.”63
Steven Anderson himself seemed to corroborate this when he related his account of the events. When
asked how he, as an independent and autonomous church pastor in Arizona had the authority to fire an
ordained member of another church that he is not affiliated with – speaking of Adam Fannin and
Stedfast Baptist Church, Anderson claimed that at the point in time, he was “acting as the pastor of
Stedfast de facto for those four days...So, I was exercising authority, and so, that's what I was doing.
And I was also respecting the wishes of the incoming pastor, who was pastor Shelley….and so that's
the decision that I made, and Pastor Shelley was right there with me.” We see here that Anderson is
corroborating the fact that Shelley was considered by Anderson to be the new pastor of Stedfast all
along, even before the men of Stedfast had even been afforded the opportunity to decide who they
wanted for a pastor. Anderson decided for them, choosing another “yes-man” rather than risking
Stedfast choosing their own pastor who might possibly resist being under Anderson's thumb.64
When Jonathan Shelley was asked if there were other candidates for the position of pastor over the
Stedfast church, if there were other men from whom the church could choose a pastor. He was
uncomfortable with the question, and seemed unable to provide a clear answer. When pressed,
however, he finally admitted that no, there were no other candidates. Steven Anderson gave the men of
Stedfast Fort Worth only one option, and that was Jonathan Shelley. When Shelley was asked about the
autonomous nature of New IFB churches, he became “confused,” claiming he did not know what the
“New IFB” was, therefore, “that would be a difficult question for me to answer.” Ignoring his obvious
evasiveness, the point was pressed and suddenly his memory returned and his mind cleared and he was
able to state that Stedfast and Faithful Word and Pure Words Baptist churches are all independent
baptist churches” and that “the pastors of those churches are the sole authority over those churches.”
When he was also asked if the three Stedfast churches and the Pure Words church were all independent
of one another, of, if they were all satellites of a larger church, Shelley blurted out, “No! No! Stedfast
Baptist Church is still Stedfast Baptist Church. They're a completely different entity. There's no
crossover!” He then paused, and apparently thought about what he had just said. After a few seconds of
silence, Shelley continued quietly, “Except for the fact that I'm technically the pastor of both.”65
Jonathan Shelley's comments serve to confirm what is really already known about the New IFB. First,
there is no independence, no autonomy within the movement. All New IFB churches bend the knee to
Steven Anderson, capitulating to his authority over them; and second, Steven Anderson is not just the
founder of the New IFB, but he is the undisputed leader of the movement.

The Actual Leader of the New IFB

Steven Anderson is the undisputed and solitary leader of Faithful Word Baptist Church, the New IFB
flagship church in Tempe, Arizona which Anderson founded in 2005. The church has no elder board, no
governing board, nor anything at all like it. Anderson answers to no one. He has no accountability of
any kind, not even within the New IFB movement overall. This is not something one would be likely to
hear Anderson preaching about in his church, nor even talking about in front of his congregation – and
make no mistake, it is his congregation.
To be sure, Anderson does tell his congregation that they are the church, that they are Faithful Word
Baptist Church. He even goes so far to tell them that he is not Faithful Word Baptist Church but rather
the whole church, as a body, is Faithful Word Baptist Church.66
However, when he tells his congregation this, he is not being completely truthful in what he is telling
them. You see, Faithful Word Baptist Church is a corporation, a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation,
that is how Anderson set the church up back in 2005. Not that this is bad, because it isn't. Many
churches are set up as corporations. It's no big deal. It doesn't matter. What does matter, however, is
how he set the corporation up. According to the Articles of Incorporation filed by Steven L. Anderson
when he established the Faithful Word Baptist Church Corporation, he made himself the President of
the corporation/church. He also made himself the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the
corporation/church; and, he also made himself the sole member of the Board of Directors of the
corporation/church.67 With the authority he has given himself, Steven Anderson is the sole authority in
Faithful Word Baptist Church, and the only person authorized to make any and all decisions regarding
Faithful Word Baptist Church. This includes how much the pastor is to be paid, how the funds coming
into the church (approx $120,000 per month68) will be dispersed, what charitable works (if any)
Faithful Word Baptist Church will engage in, what hymnals to use, what doctrines will be taught by
himself or others, etc. Faithful Word Baptist Church cannot discipline, censure, or fire Steven Anderson
without first getting his permission. Steven Anderson has sole authority and sole authorization
regarding every single aspect of Faithful Word Baptist Church. In short, Steven Anderson is Faithful
Word Baptist Church, regardless of what he tells his congregation. Anderson further ensures his
monocratic role over Faithful Word Baptist Church by adopting an unbiblical method of church
governance.
As many people are aware, there are two basic offices within the Church: elder and deacon. Often there
will be a head elder, also known as a bishop or overseer, who acts as the pastor of the church. The other
elders might also preach from time to time, however, their primary role is to shepherd the local flock,
protecting it, nurturing it spiritually, etc. The deacon is assigned to serve the flock, to ensure its needs
are being met. We see these offices in Acts 6, 1 Timothy 3, and Titus 1. Initially, it was the Apostles
who appointed elders to the various churches, often several to each church. It was the elders in a local
church who were responsible for governing their local church. While there is no clear biblical example
of how elders were selected after the period of the Apostles, in many churches it has been the
congregation who selected and elected their elders. With regard to deacons, in Acts 6 we see that it is
the congregation who is responsible for selecting and appointing deacons. Steven Anderson, however,
eschews the biblical model, and prefers to select his own deacons, and then hire them as his employees.
Anderson has ensured that he is accountable to absolutely no one, and as such, he is given free reign to
ignore Scripture whenever it doesn't agree with him. An example of this was Anderson's expulsion of
former member Kris Byrne and his family. According to Scripture the purpose of discipline is to restore
an offending brother or sister to a right relationship with God and the Body of Christ; and there are
steps to be taken which are set forth in Scripture. The first step is to go to your brother and tell him how
he has offended. If he does not repent of his sin, then take two or three with you to speak to him and
attempt to get him to repent. If after this he still doesn't repent, then the situation is to be taken before
the church. This is all very clearly set forth in Matthew 18:15-17. If after all of this the individual
continues to refuse chastisement and exhortation, and continues to refuse to repent, then, and only then,
is he to be put out of the church according to Matthew 18:17 and 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, specifically
verses 11-13, which state “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is
called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner;
with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye
judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among
yourselves that wicked person.”
Although Scripture is very clear on this, Steven Anderson apparently feels he is above Scripture, and
allowed to do whatever he wants. When he ejected Kris Byrne and his family it was not for fornication,
nor covetousness, nor idolatry, nor railing, nor being a drunkard or extortioner. It was because Mr.
Byrne had text conversations with two friends, without Anderson's permission. Anderson addressed the
congregation while pointing at Kris Byrne, saying, “Right here, has texted people without coming to
me!” A careful examination of Scripture will reveal there is no biblical command to consult with leader
in the church before having a conversation with friends. For this imaginary infraction, Anderson
decided to completely ignore God's standard for church discipline, and impose Steven Anderson's
version instead.
As he began to work himself up into a full blown tirade, Anderson began by leveling false accusations
against Mr. Byrne, accusing him of seeking out church members who had defended Anderson and
rebuking them; sowing lies about Anderson; and trying to split the church. Of course, none of these
accusations were true, but adhering to the truth was not apparently important to Anderson. Anderson
then launched into Mr. Byrne with both barrels, calling him a “coward,” a “railer,” a “Judas Iscariot”
(apparently Anderson likens himself to Jesus), and using homosexual slurs to refer to Mr. Byrne's
friends. Anderson then orders Mr. Byrne and his family out of the church. “I want you to get up and get
out of this church right now!….Get out of here idiot!….Pick him up and take him out if he won't leave!
….Take him out, hey, get out of here!….Pick him up and get him out of here!” And remember,
Anderson did all of this in front of the congregation, and in front of Kris Byrne's small children.
Another church member recorded the event and posted it to YouTube for posterity, believing he was
showing the world how solid his pastor is. What he ended up doing, however, was showing the world
how unhinged his pastor can become.
Once the Byrne family had left the church building, Anderson then turned his attention to his
congregation. The cell phone videographer continued to record Anderson's antics. Apparently it was not
enough to kick the Byrne family out of the church, as Anderson then proceeded to turn the
congregation against him as well. Anderson shouted lie after lie, ranting and railing that Kris Byrne had
insulted everyone in the congregation, going so far as to falsely claim that Mr. Byrne specifically stated
“everyone” in his alleged verbal assaults against Anderson and his church. Anderson claimed he had
seen the cell phone text messages with his “own eyes” (if he actually did, he was misrepresenting them.
They are available for examination to any who wish to read them), and he told the congregation Mr.
Byrne had admitted to Anderson that he had done all the things Anderson had accused him of. In
reality, Mr. Byrne admitted no such thing, and was never afforded the opportunity to either admit or
deny any of it. Anderson then claimed Mr. Byrne had an insincere heart and was someone who wanted
to “go around stabbing people in the back.” His impassioned speech to his congregation had the effect
that Anderson desired, and it wasn't long before more and more members in the congregation could be
heard shouting their own invectives against the Byrne family. Anderson had successfully managed to
infect his congregation with his own personal hatred of Kris Byrne and his family.69
By maintaining this form of church leadership and church governance, Steven Anderson ensures a total
monocratic role over his church; and as the founder of the New IFB movement, Anderson employs the
same monocratic mindset over the other New IFB pastors and churches. This is seen repeatedly
throughout the New IFB. Steven Anderson's immediate involvement in the Donnie Romero scandal and
the subsequent firing of Adam Fannin, when Anderson technically had no authority in either of those
situations, demonstrates the capitulative deference the other New IFB pastors and churches extend to
Anderson.
This can be further seen when looking at the New IFB website events page. Here the various New IFB
events occurring between February 21 – August 24, 2019 can be seen. Of the nineteen events listed,
more than half of them are dates where Steven Anderson is preaching at a New IFB church other than
his own. This is significant since the various New IFB pastors regularly preach at one anothers
churches. The exclusion of their names on this events list, while emphasizing Anderson, demonstrates
the importance of Steven Anderson to the New IFB.70
Nor is Anderson shy about asserting his authority over other New IFB pastors. Steven Anderson's
former deacon related an incident involving New IFB pastor Manly Perry of Old Path's Baptist Church
in San Antonio, Texas: “Manly [Perry] explained how Steven Anderson called him and told him that he
[Perry] was wrong about what he believes about the Trinity, and he [Anderson] explained to him his
new view, because there's no doubt Steven Anderson viewed things differently. But he called him and
got him [Perry] to change his position over the phone in about an hour. That just shows the power
[Anderson] wields over these other men. What's dangerous is these churches are growing, and what
you have is you have one man that has the power over all of these other pastors, who are pastoring
churches of, some of them hundreds of people. The possibilities could be serious for sure, with the
power that's there.”71
One of the results of Anderson's role as the founder and undisputed leader of the New IFB movement,
is that through his meddling in the affairs of the other New IFB churches, he has caused the movement
to move away from its stated independent and autonomous nature. If the movement remains on course,
it will potentially morph into one single church – a home church, and all other New IFB churches will
be nothing more than satellites of the home church. In examining the various pastors and churches of
the New IFB, these pastors are seemingly emulating Anderson, and are apparently quite comfortable
with the lack of autonomy and independence. In their zeal to be more Anderson-like (as opposed to
being more Christ-like) the New IFB pastors have apparently started to model themselves after Steven
Anderson. Apparently, the saying is true, “as goes the Anderson, so goes the New IFB.”
Even a cursory comparison of the various New IFB churches will reveal they all have pretty much the
same doctrinal statement; many of them have a personalized version of the same “Bible Way to
Heaven” video on their YouTube channel; many of them have adopted Anderson's practice of setting up
church in a strip mall or shopping center; and many of them have adopted Steven Anderson's look –
short, short hair, and a scruffy beard. It's like having a herd of Ander-Clones running around!
When Anderson becomes upset with someone, you can be sure the rest will hate them too. When
Anderson makes and posts a negative video about someone on YouTube, before long there will be
numerous New IFB church video tapes flooding the internet, all railing against whomever Anderson
has a beef with. When Anderson turned his sights on Adam Fannin, and began producing anti-Fannin
videos, the rest of the New IFB pastors began stepping all over themselves to do likewise. The same
thing happened when Anderson began making anti-Tyler Baker videos, and anti-Sam Gipp videos.
Steven Anderson clone Jeff Utzler even began producing what he calls “documentaries” about these
people (although they are little more than false slanderous accusations and poorly edited video). When
Anderson produced a series of anti-Calvinism videos, New IFB pastor Joe Major claimed to be
producing a “documentary” on the subject, and Brother Matthew Stucky was soon creating his own
anti-Calvinism videos as well. It is an amazing phenomenon to witness, similar to lemmings running
headlong off a cliff while playing follow the leader. Dozens of seemingly rational adults simply cast all
rationale to the four winds as they go out of their way to be just like their leader, Steven Anderson.
The loyalty of his movement is important to Anderson as he moves closer to achieving his stated goal,
which is to have his New IFB movement replace the traditional IFB, with Anderson apparently coming
out on top as the new Jack Hyles.

The Goal of the New IFB

One would think the goal of a church would be to worship God, learn God's word, equip Christians to
live their faith in God, and spread the gospel; and with regard to at least most Christian churches this
would be true. But not for the New IFB, at least according to its founder, Steven Anderson. Anderson
has publicly stated that the goal of the New IFB is to take over and replace the Old IFB, and the
practices and statements of several New IFB pastors and members seem to support Anderson's goal.
As recently as December 1, 2019, Steven Anderson uploaded (or authorized to be uploaded) a video to
his YouTube channel titled, “Used to be 'New IFB'”. In this video Anderson lays out for his
congregation (and the rest of the IFB via this video) his goals for the New IFB movement that he
founded in 2005. He says, “Now one of the things I've been attacked for by our Independent
Fundamental Baptist brethren who are a little nervous about people like us and our friends, they said
this, and I've heard this many times, 'He's trying to change what it means to be a fundamental baptist.' A
lot of people have said, you know,'Pastor Steven Anderson is very dangerous, he's trying to change
what it means to be a fundamental baptist.' Let me tell you something, that is exactly what I'm trying to
do. You see, my goal is that someday when people hear the term fundamental baptist they're gonna
think of us. They're gonna think of churches like Faith Word, Stedfast, Verity, Old Path, they're gonna
think of churches like us, and we are gonna change what it means to be a fundamental baptist.
“And you know, a lot of times we're called the New IFB and we call other IFB churches – IFB stands
for Independent Fundamental Baptist, we call them the Old IFB. But you what, eventually we're gonna
stop calling ourselves the New IFB, because eventually the newness is gonna wear off, amen? So we
can't call ourselves the New IFB forever. Eventually you know what we're gonna be called? 'Cause a lot
of people are like, 'What are ya gonna call yourselves?' ya know? Ya know what we're gonna call
ourselves? Independent Fundamental Baptists. Because we're gonna change what it means, yep! Your
fears..oh, be very afraid! Be very afraid because we are changing what it means to be an Independent
Fundamental Baptist, because while the rest of the Independent Fundamental Baptists are afraid to put
their sermons out on YouTube, they're afraid to preach from the housetops, they're afraid to get
arrested, they're afraid to preach hard and get in the news, and get in the face of this world and point
our finger and say, thus saith the Lord. Look, they're afraid of that they're going to become irrelevant.
You know that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away, and pretty soon, we're just
gonna be the IFB. There's gonna be hundreds of us, that's what I believe is gonna happen. There's
gonna be hundreds of churches like ours, and their churches will be forgotten.”72
According to an article on the Christian Post website, there are more than 300,000 Christian churches
in America.73 Of these, more than 10,000 of them are Independent Fundamental Baptist churches.74
Clearly, Steven Anderson and his group will have their work cut out for them to reach his goal of doing
away with all of the Old IFB churches and pastors. They are not, however, remaining idle in this, as
they are currently actively working against the Old IFB. One method they have begun to use is to plant
a New IFB church in the same vicinity as Old IFB church plants, announcing their New IFB church
plant is needed in the area because there are no Bible-believing Christian churches in the area, thus
painting the Old IFB church plant in that same area as not believing in the Bible and not Christian. This
was the tactic used by New IFB pastor Aaron Thompson of Sure Foundations Baptist Church, when he
opened a church plant in Vancouver, BC, in the same vicinity as Blessed Hope Baptist Church, an Old
IFB church plant pastored by Gleb Glebov. Blessed Hope opened its doors in July/August 2018. The
very next month, on September 16, 2018, Aaron Thompson announced his church would be opening a
satellite New IFB church in the same area. His reason? Because people there asked him to please start a
church there because there was no Independent Fundamental Baptist church for them to attend.75
Except that there was. Is Thompson lying? We don't know, nor should we speculate. However, there is
no reason Thompson could not have looked at the area, and upon discovering Blessed Hope Baptist
Church, recommended that (Old) IFB church to those seeking an IFB church. But he did not. In
keeping with Steven Anderson's goals, Thompson decided to start a New IFB church in the same city.
Other methods include intimidation and harassment. Old IFB preacher Sam Gipp seems to be a favorite
target of the New IFB pastors and members. In fact, Steven Anderson seems to be obsessed with Gipp
for some unknown reason, although Anderson claims it is Dr. Gipp who is obsessed with him.76
However, a simple look through the various YouTube videos for both men soon shows that Dr. Gipp
has made a total of two videos regarding Steven Anderson, as contrasted with the 32 videos Anderson
has uploaded to his YouTube channel, that directly attack Dr. Gipp.
Anderson and the New IFB go much farther than simply posting YouTube videos in their harassment
and intimidation of Dr. Gipp. For some time Dr. Gipp has claimed that Steven Anderson was having at
least one individual telephone the various churches Dr. Gipp was scheduled to speak at, and make
disparaging and slanderous comments about Dr. Gipp to the pastors of those churches, in an attempt to
convince those pastors to cancel Dr. Gipp's speaking engagements.77 As noted elsewhere, Steven
Anderson has posted some thirty-plus anti-Sam Gipp videos to his personal YouTube channel – videos
that disparage and slander Dr. Gipp. Is it too much to think that Anderson would stoop so low as to
have his employees actually call around and personally slander and disparage Gipp to other pastors?
We no longer need to ponder this question. A former employee of Steven Anderson, a deacon of his
church, in fact, has come forward and admitted that he did make those telephone calls, that he did make
slanderous and disparaging comments about Dr. Gipp to those host pastors, and that he did these things
under the direction of Steven Anderson who ordered him to make those calls.78 The question we must
now ask ourselves, is are these the actions of a Christ-like man of God?
Dr. Gipp has also noted that New IFB people will attend an Old IFB church service, and then disrupt
that service by handing out Steven Anderson DVDs and fliers to attend a New IFB church, all in an
attempt to draw people away from the Old IFB churches. Dr. Gipp has revealed that other Old IFB
pastors have experienced this as well.79 When Dr. Gipp witnessed a young man enter his church and
begin to disrupt the service by handing out Steven Anderson material, he soon fell victim to New IFB
intimidation tactics, when eight cars pulled up on the edge of his lawn, and sixteen men unloaded from
those vehicles and descended on Dr. Gipp's home.
Now, bear in mind that Dr. Gipp lives with his wife, both are in their 70's. Their home sits on a parcel
of land owned by his church, which also sits on that same parcel of land, several yards away from the
Gipp home. There are no other homes on that block. None. Since Dr. Gipp was not at home at the time,
and Mrs. Gipp was alone, the church caretaker became concerned to see eight strange vehicles and
sixteen strangers all descending on the Gipp home. So he decided to investigate. When he approached
the Gipp home, the men had crowded onto Dr. Gipp's front porch. One was knocking on the front door,
while another stood poised with a video camera at the ready. When the caretaker called out and asked
them what they wanted, they all came over and surrounded the caretaker, cutting off any avenue of
escape. The caretaker stood his ground, and eventually the men left, but not before leaving fliers on the
front porch of Dr. Gipp's home. Fliers that identified them as belonging to Verity Baptist Church in
Boise, Idaho. Roger Jimenez, the close friend of Steven Anderson, is the pastor of Verity church in
Boise.80
With numerous vehicles parked on his lawn, a group of 16 New IFB members from the Verity Baptist
Church in Boise, Idaho, prepare to descend on the home of Dr. and Mrs. Sam Gipp.
Recently, New IFB celebrity YouTuber Jeff Utzler, thought it would be funny to make prank telephone
calls to Dr. Gipp, and make a digital video of at least one of these prank calls. During the video Mr.
Utzler displays Dr. Gipp's home telephone number to the camera, for what purpose we aren't told.
When Dr. Gipp answers the call, Utzler has his phone on speaker for his viewers to be able to listen. As
Mr. Utzler harasses Dr. Gipp, Gipp becomes upset, which encourages Utzler to persist in his
harassment, all while trying to stifle his almost uncontrollable giggling. Utzler finally hangs up.81 Jeff
Utzler, a grown man, a medal winning Jiu Jitsu grappler, a professional firefighter and EMT,82 as well
as ostensibly a Christian, behaving like a twelve-year old juvenile delinquent.
The three faces of Jeff Utzler. At left, winning a medal at the Championship NO GI Jiu Jitsu
tournament. Center photo is Utlzer as a professional firefighter and paramedic in Ohio. At right is Jeff
Utzler giggling like a little girl as he prank calls an elderly gentleman. Jeff Utzler neither behaves as a
professional, nor an adult, nor a Christian as he claims he is.
Not only did Utzler demonstrate his lack of Christ-likeness by this stunt, but Steven Anderson
expressed his approval of such worldly behavior when he posted it to his personal YouTube channel.
According to New IFB pastor Patrick Boyle, the Old IFB feels threatened by the New IFB because of
the New IFB's theological positions as well. In an interview with another New IFB celebrity YouTuber,
Benjamin “Ben the Baptist” Naim, Boyle claims the Old IFB becomes so upset by the New IFB
eschatalogical teachings because they are “under conviction” by God, because they will not
compromise on these doctrines and admit they are wrong and the New IFB holds the proper and
biblically correct position. Boyle goes on to say the Old IFB is unable to refute New IFB doctrine, and
so they feel insecure and under conviction from God, they are unable to deal with this and so feel
threatened by the New IFB.83
This sort of over confident braggadocio is mirrored by Steven Anderson who claims the New IFB is the
“only game in town”,84 and it seems to be very common among the New IFB pastors and their
congregants, and results in all sorts of attacks by the New IFB against the Old IFB.
When one peruses Steven Anderson's personal YouTube channel, as well as the YouTube channels and
blogs of other New IFB folks, one soon discovers a plethora of anti-Old IFB videos, with Anderson and
others slandering and disparaging the Old IFB and Old IFB pastors and churches. These are all tactics
employed by Anderson and his New IFB in their attempt to harass and intimidate the Old IFB out of
existence, this leaving a void that Anderson intends to fill, apparently becoming the new Jack Hyles. As
he has stated, he does enjoy the power he wields over people and his ability to influence (read
manipulate) them.85
At this point, the reader has to ask him or herself, is the New IFB really behaving like biblical
Christians? Of course, the only way to tell is to compare this behavior to Scripture. What does God say
regarding the treatment of Christians – in this case the Old IFB, by other Christians – in this case the
New IFB?
“And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake
hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also
love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
(John 13:34-35)
“This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)
and,
“Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly
affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in
business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant
in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you:
bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same
mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in
your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” (Romans 12:9-18) [emphasis
added].
And to these could be added innumerable other passages such as 1 Timothy 5:1-2; 1 Peter 2:17;
Philippians 2:3; 1 Corinthians 13:4-13; Hebrews 10:24; Galatians 5:14; Luke 6:35-36; Ephesians 4:2; 1
Corinthians 16:14; 1 Peter 3:8; 1 John 3:11; Ephesians 4:29; 1 Thessalonians 5:11; and the list could
easily go on and on.
God has made it very, very clear that Christians are to love one another. Not simply have warm and
fuzzy feelings about each other, but to love one another in the same way that God has love us! That
means we are to forgive our Christian brethren for any and all sins they commit against us, just as God
has forgiven Christians for their innumerable sins which they committed against God. It also means
that Christians are to sacrifice for one another. That does not mean Christians are to run down and offer
up a slaughtered cow for their brother or sister's sake. But rather, just as Christ gave up His life for each
and every Christian, each and every Christian should be ready and willing to give up their life for their
brethren – as well as ready and willing to give up anything they have in their possession for their
brethren if doing so would relieve their suffering and need.
Take another look at Romans 12:9-18. A close look. Our love for our Christian brethren is to be
“without dissimulation.” It is to be sincere and genuine. We are to be “kindly affectioned one to another
with brotherly love.” We are to be of such a mind that whatever we do for (not to, but for) our brethren
is done willingly and joyfully, with all gladness. We are to distribute to the “necessity of the saints.” If
our Christian brother or sister has need of anything, and it is within our ability and means to provide it,
we should not only do so, but do so willingly and joyfully, without grumbling or complaining; and we
are to “be of the same mind one toward another” doing all we can to “live peaceably with all men.”
Now compare these traits to what you have just read of Steven Anderson and the New IFB. He wants to
eliminate all Old IFB churches and pastors, and replace them with his New IFB churches and pastors.
He wants them gone and forgotten. Does this demonstrate a biblical love for Christian brethren that is
“without dissimulation”? Ordering a deacon to call around and attempt to disrupt and disparage a
fellow Christian pastor. Does this demonstrate being “kindly affectioned to one another with brotherly
love”? Disrupting the services of Old IFB churches; harassing Old IFB pastors by sending car loads of
New IFB people to intimidate them at their home, or making prank telephone calls to them, or
uploading video after video after video to social media disparaging Old IFB pastors, does this
demonstrate loving Christian brethren in the same way that Christ loved us?
Do we see any redeeming, biblical, grace-filled, Christ-like behavior or attitude in Steven Anderson
and the New IFB in his/their behavior toward the Old IFB; or do we see the exact opposite? In
comparing the actions and words of the New IFB with truths of Scripture, do we see biblical
Christianity, or do we see signs of a pseudo-Christian cult? Now, don't answer this question just yet, as
it will be asked several times during the course of this series, and you may find yourself changing your
mind from one view to another. So wait until you read the entire article series, and have all the
evidence necessary to give an informed answer to this question. You may be surprised by your answer!

Part 1c

Dishonesty, Deceit, and Dissimulation

in the New IFB

We now find ourselves in the final segment of part one of this article series, where we will look at the
dishonesty, deceit, and dissimulation within and throughout the New IFB. And please note, this
segment does not explore the possibility of dishonest, deceit, and dissimulation within the New IFB;
but rather exposes the fact that they actually do exist within the New IFB. There is no question at all
about this, as there are documented examples of dishonesty, deceit, and dissimulation within the New
IFB, and we will examine a few of these examples here. Before we do, however, we must first
understand what these terms mean, so that we can see them accurately in the practices of the New IFB.
Dishonesty is the characteristic of being dishonest; behaving in an untrustworthy, or fraudulent, or
unethical manner. Also includes engaging in illegal activity.
Deceit is the practice of acting in a manner designed to intentionally deceive or mislead people; to
cause them to believe something that is not true.
Dissimulation is the intentional concealment of one's true thoughts, feelings, or character by presenting
a façade, i.e. false feelings, a false character, false thoughts, and false pretenses to others, while
concealing from them ones true self.
With these definitions in mind, let's look at some documented examples of dishonesty, deceit and
dissimulation within the New IFB.

EXAMPLE ONE:
Since 2012, Paul Wittenberger has been involved with, or in some way connected to, at least twenty
Steven Anderson film projects. He has moved his “production company” called Framing the World (an
LLC whose sole purpose is to run a small online business) to Tempe, Arizona and he is a member of
Steven Anderson's Faithful Word Baptist Church. He has, in effect, become the media branch of the
New IFB.
Some of Steven Anderson's critics have claimed that Paul Wittenberger “made porno films.”86 To be
honest and truthful, Wittenberger actually has worked on two homosexual pornographic films; one in
2007 (the “Itty Bitty T**** Committee” a lesbian themed pornographic film) and one in 2008 (“Dog
Tags” a male homosexual themed film). He also worked on numerous low budget horror films which
featured graphic gore, nudity, and sometimes sexual content. In all fairness to Paul Wittenberger,
however, he did not produce these films, he did not direct these films, and he did not even film these
films. He was an electrician.
In fact, the only thing he has done on any of the Hollywood films and television programs he has
credited to him on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is electrician work (as an electrician, grip,
gaffer, best boy) and work with lighting. That's it. Granted he could have chosen a better class of films
to work on, but the chances are good he would have been fired and not hired again. According to his
IMDb credits the only time he has actually picked up a camera and done actual filming, or worked as a
director or producer is on Steven Anderson films.87 Paul Wittenberger is not the pornographic
producing boogie man that many of Anderson's critics make him out to be. From a Christian
perspective, however, he is far worse. Far, far worse.
In addition to selling a plethora of Steven Anderson films and products, and other New IFB items on
his Framing the World website, Wittenberger also sells anti-Semitic and pro-Nazi material. Of course
this is in keeping with Steven Anderson's anti-Semitic views (which will be discussed later in this
series). But even these items, as evil as they are, are not the worst thing Paul Wittenberger promotes
and sells – that dubious honor goes to the New Age Eastern Mysticism and Hindu Spirituality products
Paul Wittenberger promotes and sells on his Framing the World website.88
Now bear in mind that Paul Wittenberger and Steven Anderson are partners in numerous film projects.
Wittenberger sells Steven and Zsuzsanna Anderson material. Paul Wittenberger attends Faithful Word
Baptist Church and Steven Anderson is his pastor, and most importantly, Steven Anderson endorses
Paul Wittenberger (saying he is a “Great Guy!” and calling him “my good friend Paul”), he endorses
Wittenberger's Framing the World website, and encourages his congregation and others to support
Wittenberger by purchasing the items for sale on Wittenberger's website. Not only has Anderson
created a video to this effect titled, Paul Wittenberger is a Great Guy!; but he has also written a blog
article about this and posted it to his church website. In this article Steven Anderson writes, “His online
business is an excellent resource for purchasing additional materials similar to what you would find on
the back table of our church for free. … Framing the World Productions is a great cause to support! …
On behalf of my good friend, Paul, I’d like to thank those of you who have donated or purchased from
his website. Framing the World is a business, and it’s a good business.”89
An interesting choice of words Steven Anderson uses in his promotion of Paul Wittenberger's online
store at Framing the World; saying the items he sells are “similar to what you would find on the back
table of our church...” Interesting because Wittenberger sells numerous Auromere products, which are
billed as “ayurvedic” products. Note the word “vedic” there. Vedic means relating to the Vedas. The
Vedas are the oldest Hindu scriptures, and are considered to have been given to man directly from the
Hindu gods.90 According to WebMD, “Ayurvedic medicine (“Ayurveda” for short) is one of the
world's oldest holistic (“whole-body”) healing systems. It was developed more than 3,000 years ago in
India. It's based on the belief that health and wellness depend on a delicate balance between the mind,
body, and spirit.”91
Additionally, Auromere – the company whose products Paul Wittenberger endorses and sells, and
Steven Anderson endorses by endorsing Wittenberger's website, is owned and operated by a non-profit
Integral Yoga ashram (a Hindu monastery) in Northern California. According to the Auromere website,
Integral Yoga is explained as: “One of Sri Aurobindo’s unique contributions to humanity is a perfect
synthesis of the inward and deeply profound mysticism of the East and the outwardly refined
sensibilities of the West. In the East, there has been a long-standing tendency towards the abandonment
of this world in favor of that Supreme reality which so many mystics have discovered. In the West,
there is an ever-increasing and insatiable thirst for material ‘progress’ and enjoyment, often to the
detriment of the inner life. Sri Aurobindo affirms the partial truths contained in each worldview, and
points the way towards a more Integral Yoga which exalts and fulfills Life to its greatest expressions,
calling humanity towards its lofty and as yet still undreamed of possibilities. In The Mother, Sri
Aurobindo presents a particularly inspiring description of one aspect of the Divine Mother:”92
Sri Aurobindo was an Indian philosopher, yogi, guru, poet, who died in 1950. His writings have
become a standard among the New Age groups such as Auromere. When purchasing items from Paul
Wittenberger's website – the website Steven Anderson encourages you to purchase from – you are
either directly or indirectly supporting this New Age Mysticism and Hindu company, either by
purchasing their products from Wittenberger, or by purchasing other products thus enabling
Wittenberger to continue purchasing New Age products to sell.
You might also be interested in knowing that Auromere also supports a New Age commune in India
known as Auroville, and 10% of all proceeds from Auromere products sold on Paul Wittenberger's
website are devoted to supporting “the development of Auroville, the City of Dawn,” the “City of
Human Unity” which the “Divine Mother” has expressed as the fulfillment of her vision of a city
“where all human beings of goodwill who have a sincere aspiration could live freely as citizens of the
world and obey one single authority, that of the Supreme Truth.”93 Auromere also supports the “Sri
Aurobindo Centre of Integral Education” in Ichapur, India, where “education of mind, body, life, and
spirit” are given “equal importance.”94 It should go without saying that the “Divine Mother” is not the
One True God, and the “Supreme Truth” has nothing to do with the One True God.
Steven Anderson has correctly noted that yoga is not Christian,95 and that the “lord” of Hinduism is
Satan himself.96
And yet he and Paul Wittenberger continue to endorse and promote these New Age Hindu Mystic
products, the sale of which go to further Hinduism. Anderson even goes so far as to encourage his
congregation and others to purchase these products! That he can preach against this kind of fellowship
with devils97 while at the same time encouraging fellowship with devils, is the very definition of
hypocrisy. As the pastor of a church one of his primary responsibilities is to protect the sheep that have
been entrusted to him – his congregation – however, instead of protecting them, he is encouraging them
to support a form of satanism known as Hinduism. Can any pastor who does this truthfully be called a
man of God?

EXAMPLE TWO:
In a blog post titled “Where Pastors Stand on the AIDS Sermon” written by Steven Anderson on one of
his two blogs, Anderson noted that after he preached his sermon on A.I.D.S., “Several pastors have
stood with me in my stand on the word of God against the filth and perversion of our day. Several
others have contacted me asking to be removed from our church's directory of soul-winning, KJV-only,
independent Baptist churches because 'they don't want to be associated with this controversy.'”98
Anderson then goes on to include two lists in this article. One is a list of those pastors who Anderson
claims have “publicly supported” him, “encouraged” him, and backed him up on what he has preached.
Those pastors are, according to Steven Anderson:
1. Pastor Tim Coleman of 35th Avenue Baptist Church in Phoenix, AZ
2. Pastor David Berzins of Word of Truth Baptist Church in Prescott Valley, AZ
3. Pastor Donnie Romero of Stedfast Baptist Church in Fort Worth, TX
4. Pastor Roger Jimenez of Verity Baptist Church in Sacramento, CA
5. Pastor Logan Robertson of Westcity Bible Baptist Church in Auckland, New Zealand
Of these five pastors, four of them (Berzins, Romero, Jimenez, Robertson) are part of Anderson's New
IFB movement. Anderson himself ordained Berzins and Romero and sent them out to start churches for
him. Jimenez is a childhood friend of Anderson, meeting him when he was only sixteen years old. Of
course these pastors sided with Anderson.
The other list contains the names of three pastors whom Anderson claims have contacted him and asked
him to remove them from his directory of New IFB churches (every church on that list is part of
Anderson's New IFB movement), as a direct result of Anderson's sermon on A.I.D.S. because they
allegedly “don't want to be associated with this controversy.” They are:
Pastor Joshua Gregg of Ponderosa Baptist Church in Flagstaff, AZ
Pastor Bob Gray II of Longview Baptist Temple in Longview, TX
Pastor Steve Cox of Trinity Baptist Church in Mocksville, NC 
When those who asked to be removed from Anderson's directory were contacted, a different account of
events began to emerge. Pastor Stephen Cox stated he did not know Anderson, or anything about him.
He stated he had seen a few videos and they were enough to convince him he wanted nothing to do
with Anderson. He then emailed Steven Anderson and stated he did not want to be associated with
Anderson at all. It was not as a result of his sermon on A.I.D.S., but rather the result of Steven
Anderson's overall condemnatory and hateful teaching.99
Pastor Bob Gray II stated, “I found my name on his website, and I don't agree with anything he
preaches, so I asked him to remove my name. He never sought permission or reached out to me to put
my name on his website, so I had to reach out to him and ask him to remove it. I don't subscribe to
anything Steven Anderson does, and I feel sorry for anyone who does.”100
But why let the truth stand in the way of a good story, especially if that story helps him to accomplish
his goals? So Steven Anderson went on the offensive and attacked those who would not support his
hate mongering, saying, “apparently these 'old-fashioned' Baptists are up to the minute with their
doctrine! Do they allow homosexuals in their churches? If so, guard your kids when visiting these
churches!” He then states he really doesn't know this to be true, nor why they won't stand by him. He
goes on to say, “All I know is that instead of supporting their brother in Christ in his struggle against
wickedness and perversion, they are actively discouraging him in his time of persecution and
tribulation.”
Steven Anderson made these comments for two reasons. The first is because he desired to be
recognized by legitimate Christian IFB churches, which he believed would give him an air of
legitimacy with the old IFB. This would help him reach his publicly stated goal of taking over the old
IFB, running out the current IFB pastors, and replacing current IFB teachings with his New IFB
teachings, replacing current IFB pastors with New IFB pastors, with Anderson at the top of his New
IFB empire,101
much like Jack Hyles who rose to the top of the old IFB, and stayed there until his sin brought him
back down (although before his fall he managed to become a multi-millionaire power broker with the
money he amassed through his church, First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana.
Being recognized as legitimate by the old IFB apparently became less urgent to Anderson as he and his
church began bringing more and more money each week; eventually bringing in tens of thousands of
dollars each and every week in tithes, offerings, and online donations, according to the man who was
once responsible for managing the Faithful Word Baptist Church Corporation finances.102
Less urgent does not mean his stated goals have been completely forgotten or abandoned, however, and
as the money continues to roll in, his power continues to grow (another lesson he has learned from Jack
Hyles), and with power and money Anderson can continue to expand the New IFB through more and
more church plants and satellite churches.
The other reason for his statements is to punish those churches who refused to lend their name to his
movement. In his article Anderson first attempts to disparage and discredit those pastors and their
churches by insinuating they allow pedophiles to be unsupervised around children in their churches,
and then innocently adding he doesn't really know this. Well, if he doesn’t know this to be true, then
why does he make this slanderous statement? What purpose does it serve other than to cast a cloud of
suspicion over those pastors and churches who will not allow him to co-opt their names for his
movement. He then goes on to slander them further by stating they are “actively discouraging him,”
their brother in Christ, “in his time of persecution and tribulation.”
This is, of course, an obvious lie. In fact, all of it is. These pastors did not turn their backs on him
because of his sermon on A.I.D.S., they want nothing to do with him because of all the things he
teaches. He never asked them if they would like their names on his New IFB church directory, he
simply added it without saying anything to them. Anderson's sermon on A.I.D.S., and the unchristian
comments he made in it, caused an uproar – deservedly so, and rather than go down and be swallowed
by weight of the criticism he brought down on himself; he simply makes himself out to the be victim in
all of it, in an attempt to elicit sympathy from his followers (which he did) and gain new followers
(which he did) who saw him as the underdog, the lone pastor who, like David, stood alone against a
giant. In Anderson's case he made it out to be some giant amorphous militant homosexual
conglomerate and its supporters.
As previously noted, Steven Anderson claimed there were at least five pastors who, “publicly supported
me, encouraged me, and backed me up on what I have preached.” Of those five pastors, four of them
are New IFB pastors who are loyal to Anderson, and so it is not surprising the would stand with him
regardless of the issue. But what about the fifth pastor, Tim Coleman? Did he really publicly support,
encourage and back Steven Anderson, as Anderson claims? When he was recently asked about
Anderson's claim regarding him, Pastor Coleman responded with, “That article has to be close to two
years old. I am NOT a part of the NIFB. I would never associate with that cult. I offered my friendship
to S L Anderson many years ago due to his strong stand on the King James Bible and for soulwinning.
He was a little harsh and crude, but very bold and zealous. I thought I could have a maturing influence
on him and provide him with some balance without compromise (that CAN be done, though few
succeed). He proved his obstinance about 20 months ago, and so I have no fellowship with him. Not
sure he's not a plant of some kind to sow discord among the brethren. He has changed his doctrines and
refuses to acknowledge it. He has turned into a slanderer and lies to cover up his sins.”103

EXAMPLE THREE:
Filing Fraudulent Documents with the California Secretary of State – Part One
The fraudulent document in this incident is document known as a “Statement of Information.” In the
state of California, companies and corporations must file a “Statement of Information” with the
California Secretary of State office on a regular basis. The form is fairly simple and straight forward, it
contains the name of the company, the name of the owner and officers, the address of the business, a
description of the business, and so forth.104
On January 29, 2019, Verity Baptist Church, a California Non-Profit Religious Corporation, filed its
yearly Statement of Information. This form noted the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and his home
address as: “Roger Otoniel Jimenez 303 River Run Circle, Sacramento CA 95833”; it noted the
corporation secretary and his home address as: “Oliver Alexander Gonzalez 101 Luna Grande Circle,
Unit 67, Sacrament CA 95834”; and it noted the church corporations Chief Financial Officer and his
home address as: “Matthew Ryan Stucky 320 Harris Ave Suite A, Sacrament CA 95838.”
*Please note, this document is a matter public record and accessible by anyone at anytime completely
free of charge from the California Secretary of State office. Revealing the home addresses of these
individuals in this article is not revealing anything that isn't already public knowledge.
The form is completed by filling out the final box which states, “The Information Contained Herein is
True and Correct” and then noted with the date the form was filled out and the name and title of the
person completing the form and verifying all information is true and correct. The individual attesting to
this on this particular form is Roger Otoniel Jimenez, pastor. It is dated 01/29/2019.
Although this all looks like fairly standard paperwork, nothing out of place or out of order, in this case
looks can be deceiving. For although the CEO and his home address are accurate, and the secretary and
his home address are accurate, the CFO and his home address are not accurate. The home address given
for CFO Matthew Ryan Stucky is 320 Harris Ave, Suite A, Sacramento, California 95838 is not a
residence at all. It is a retail space in a strip mall where Verity Baptist church meets for services. And
when they meet in their strip mall church, Matthew Ryan Stucky does not join them, because he does
not live in Sacramento. In fact, he does not live in California, nor even in the United States. Matthew
Ryan Stucky is lives in Manilla, in the Philippine Islands, where he pastors a church almost 7,000 miles
away from the California church where he is ostensibly the Chief Financial Officer.105
While it is impossible to know exactly what the CFO of Verity Baptist church actually does without
reading the CFO job description which Verity did not make available for this article, at the very least
the CFO is the person responsible for managing the all financial transactions in the church. Exactly
how Matthew Ryan Stucky manages to do this from almost 7,000 miles away is still a mystery.
More to the point, however, is Matthew Stucky's home address as stated on Verity's 2019 Statement of
Information. There is no doubt that Stucky does not live in the church. Furthermore, in a telephone
conversation with Oliver Gonzales, a corporate officer with Jimenez' Verity Baptist Church, Mr.
Gonzales stated in an emphatic manner that Matthew Stucky was, in fact, not the Chief Financial
Officer for Verity Baptist Church.106 As the corporate secretary, one of three top officers for Verity
Baptist Church, Mr. Gonzales would certainly be in a position to authoritatively know without any
doubt who the Chief Financial Officer is or is not.
There is also no doubt that Roger Jimenez is fully aware of this fact, and was fully aware of this when
he filled out and signed this form. In short, he knowingly placed false information on a legal document
and filed that document with a government office in the state of California.
While all of this may sound like a minor infraction of the law akin to jaywalking, it is still a violation of
state law. In fact, what Roger Jimenez did by providing false information on this form was specifically
violate California Penal Code 115 PC – Filing False Documents, and it is a felony in the state of
California. According to the Shouse Law Group website,107
California Penal Code 115 PC specifically makes it a crime to “knowingly file, register or record a
false or forged document with a government office” in the state of California. As noted, doing so is a
felony, and the penalties are fairly severe including potentially being sentenced to up to three years in
the California State Prison system, as well as a fine of up to $10,000. Furthermore, a person filing more
than a single false document can be charged with a separate count of filing false document for each
false document that is offered for filing, recording, or registering; even if all the documents are related
to one another. And, in some cases, it is possible for California Penal Code 115 PC to be considered a
crime of moral turpitude. Not exactly what one looks for in a pastor.
Again, according to the Shouse Law Group, there are three elements which must be met in order for
Roger Jimenez to be guilty of this crime. They are:
1. He must have either a) offered a false or forged document for filing, recording or registration in a
public office in California, or b) caused a false or forged document to be filed, recorded, or registered
in a public office in California. Roger Jimenez would be guilty of this element if he either of these two
qualifiers are met. Not both of them, but either of them. Offering a document just means that it has
been offered. It is not necessary for the document to actually be filed, or recorded, or registered for this
element to be met. It only has to be offered for filing, recording, or registering. Additionally, if he
caused a false document to be filed, such as having someone else take it in to be filed for him, he would
still be guilty of this element.
2. When he did so, Roger Jimenez knew that the document was false or forged. This element is met if
Roger Jimenez knew the document was false or forged. The false or forged qualifier is met “if the
information contained in the document is of such a nature that the government is required or permitted
by law to rely on it; or, the information contained in the document materially affects the rights of third
parties in a way that is contemplated by law or regulation providing for the document to be filed in a
public office.”
3. The document was one that, if genuine, could have been filed, recorded, or registered in a public
office in California. This element is self-explanatory.108
Did Roger Jimenez offer the Statement of Information to be filed in a public office in the state of
California? Yes. Did the document contain false information? Yes. Not only is the home address given
for CFO Matthew Stucky incorrect, as Matthew Stucky lives in the Philippines, not in Sacramento; but
also, as verified by the corporate secretary, Oliver Gonzales, Matthew Stucky is not the CFO for Verity
Baptist Church.
Did Roger Jimenez have personal knowledge that Matthew Stucky was not the CFO and that he did not
live at 320 Harris Ave, Suite A, Sacramento, California 95838? Yes, he did. If the corporate secretary is
aware that Stucky is not the CFO, then it is more than reasonable to assume that the CEO, Roger
Jimenez, is also aware of this, just as he is aware that the address given as Stucky's home address is
actually the address of the church which Roger Jimenez pastors. He would know that Stucky did not
live at the church. Additionally, if the state of California should ever be required to contact the CFO for
Verity Baptist Church, it would be required and/or permitted to rely on the information given on the
form Roger Jimenez filled out, and that information would be intentionally incorrect.
If the document had been filled out with accurate and correct information, could it have still been filed,
recorded, or registered with the California Secretary of State, a public government office in the state of
California? Yes.
It is painfully obvious that Roger Jimenez meets all the elements to be found guilty of violating
California Penal Code 115 PC – Filing a False Document.
And, as if this were not bad enough, California Penal Code 115 PC – filing false documents carries
with it related offenses. Those pertinent to Roger Jimenez and the document in question include:
1. PC 470 – Forgery. This is defined as the act of intentionally a) signing someone else's name; OR, b)
faking a seal or someone else's handwriting; OR, c) changing or falsifying a legal document; OR, d)
faking, altering, or presenting as genuine a false financial document. Therefore, if you first falsify a
legal document, and then offer or cause that false document to be filed, such as Roger Jimenez has
apparently done, he could be charged with both forgery and filing a false document. Forgery is also a
felony and could result in an additional three years in prison. In addition to PC 470 – Forgery, also
related is,
2. PC 118 – Perjury. This is defined as deliberately giving false information while under oath. By
signing the Statement of Information, a legal document, Roger Jimenez attested that all the information
contained within that form was true and correct. In other words, by knowing that some of the
information was incorrect, when Roger Jimenez signed the document he was deliberately giving false
information while under oath. PC 118 – Perjury could also be added to the PC 115 – Filing A False
Document, and PC 470 – Forgery, and potentially carrying with it an additional four years in a
California State Prison.
Roger Jimenez meets all the elements necessary to charged, tried, and found guilty of three separate
felonies in the state of California. If charged, and if found guilty, and if the judge sentenced him to the
maximum allowable sentence to be served consecutively; Roger Jimenez could potentially face a
$10,000 fine and 10 years in a California State Prison.
EXAMPLE FOUR:
Filing Fraudulent Documents with the California Secretary of State – Part Two
As with the previous example of deceit, dishonesty and dissimulation within the New IFB movement,
this example also concerns a fraudulent “Statement of Information” filed with the California Secretary
of State. Not by Roger Jimenez (we'll leave him alone for the time being, as he potentially has enough
legal problems of his own); but rather, this example concerns Steven Anderson and Delfin Bruce Mejia.
First, a little clarifying background information. In January 2006 Steven L. Anderson registered
Faithful Word Baptist Church with the state of Arizona as a Non-Profit, Tax-Exempt Domestic
Corporation with himself as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), President of the corporation, Solitary
member of the corporations Board of Directors, and Statutory Agent for Faithful Word Baptist Church
Corporation; while also assigning himself all power to make, alter, amend, and repeal any bylaws for
the governing of Faithful Word Baptist Church Corporation.
[Note, all of you folks who attend Faithful Word and think you are Faithful Word Baptist Church –
think again, you're not. Legally, it is Anderson, and Anderson alone.]
In September 2017, Steven L. Anderson, by and through his corporation – the Faithful Word Baptist
Church Corporation, filed with the Secretary of State for the state of California, a “Statement and
Designation by Foreign Corporation” document, thus establishing Faithful Word Baptist Church of El
Monte, California, a subsidiary of Faithful Word Baptist Church Corporation. The designated “Agent
for Service of Process” was listed as Delfin Bruce Mejia. The document is signed “Steven L.
Anderson.”
Less than a month later, on October 4, 2017, Faithful Word Baptist Church Corporation of Tempe,
Arizona filed the first Statement of Information for its subsidiary in El Monte, California with the
California Secretary of State. On that Statement of Information we read the following:
1. Corporate Name: Faithful Word Baptist Church
2. Street Address of Principle Executive Office: 2620 W. Greenway Road, Tempe, AZ 85282
3. Street Address of Principle Business Office in California: 2600 Tyler Ave, El Monte, CA 91733
4. Chief Executive Officer: Steven L. Anderson 2620 W. Greenway Road, Tempe, AZ 85282
5. Secretary: Zsuzsanna Anderson 2620 W. Greenway Road, Tempe, AZ 85282
6. Chief Financial Officer: Garrett Kirchway 1522 E. Southern Ave, Apt 1090, Tempe, AZ 85282
7. Agent for Service of Process: Delfin Bruce Mejia
8. Street Address of Agent for Service of Process: 533 W. Wardlow Rd, Long Beach, CA 90806
*And again, this document is a matter public record and accessible by anyone at anytime completely
free of charge from the California Secretary of State office. So revealing the home addresses of these
individuals in this article is not revealing anything that isn't already public knowledge.
The document was completed by Garrett Clarence Kirchway, CFO, dated 10/04/2017 who also attested
that all the information contained herein is true and correct. And it is true and correct, with everything
filled out accurately. In fact, there isn't a single problem with this document. The following year,
however, on September 25, 2018, the second Statement of Information for Faithful Word Baptist
Church in El Monte, California was filed with the California Secretary of State. It was filled out and
completed by Delfin Bruce Mejia and attested by him that all the information contained herein is true
and correct, and that is the problem. You see, Delfin Bruce Mejia filled out the corporate name
(Faithful Word Baptist Church), and the corporate number (C4065071), and then he came to box
number 3, the “No Change Statement.”
The “No Change Statement” reads, “If there have been any changes to the information contained in the
last Statement of Information filed with the California Secretary of State, or no statement of
information has been previously filed, this form must be completed in its entirety. If there has been no
change in any of the information contained in the last Statement of Information filed with the
California Secretary of State, check the box and proceed to item 13.”
At this point Evangelist Mejia checked the box noting there were no changes to the previously filed
Statement of Information dated October 4, 2017, then he went down to item 13, signed his name,
Delfin Bruce Mejia, his title of Evangelist, and the date of September 25, 2018, and then he filed the
document with the California Secretary of State. The problem is that not everything is the same as the
previously filed Statement of Information, because by September 25, 2018 Garrett Kirchway was not
the Chief Financial Officer for Faithful Word Baptist Church Corporation.
On May 27, 2018 – a full four months before the Statement of Information was filled out and filed by
Delfin Bruce Mejia; Steven L. Anderson – the President, CEO, and sole member of the Board of
Directors for Faithful Word Baptist Church Corporation preached a sermon titled “Trinity 101.” In that
sermon, which was posted to a public forum (YouTube) on that same day, fired Garrett Kirchway and
kicked him out of the corporation/church.109
Therefore, as with the case of Roger Jimenez in the previous example, Evangelist Delfin Bruce Mejia
filed a false document with the California Secretary of State, and, as with Roger Jimenez, Mejia also
faces possible convictions of California Penal Codes PC 115 – Filing a False Document, PC 118 –
Perjury, and PC 470 – Forgery; and, if charged, tried, found guilty, convicted and sentenced
consecutively he potentially faces a $10,000 fine and 10 years in a California State Prison. And that is
if only Bruce Mejia is involved. If he received his information from CEO Steven Anderson, or
Corporate Secretary Zsuzsanna Anderson, and filled out the September 25, 2018 Statement of
Information on their direction and based on information provided by them, and they caused him to
falsify a legal document and offer that false document for filing, recording, or registering with the State
of California Secretary of State, then Steven L. Anderson and/or Zsuzsanna Anderson and/or Bruce
Mejia could individually or corporately be guilty of these crimes. The real question at this point,
however, is if the situation required it, would Bruce Mejia be willing to fall on his sword to protect
Steven and Zsuzsanna Anderson?
A telephone call by this author to the California Secretary of State confirmed that filing false
documents containing false and fraudulent information, with the state of California, is most certainly a
crime. At the very least we see a pastor and an evangelist with the New IFB movement engaging in
fraudulent and illegal practices; and possibly an additional pastor and his wife involved as well. Hardly
examples of Christ-likeness.

EXAMPLE FIVE:
Ben the Baptist and Jeff Utzler
Who are “Ben the Baptist” and “Bro. Jeff Utzler”? Both are minor YouTube celebrities among the New
IFB crowd; Ben with his “weekly roundup” videos where he pretends to interview a few New IFB
pastors who have time for his nonsense, as well as his extremely childish and blatantly sycophantic
anti-Adam Fannin videos. Jeff Utzler is best known for creating what he calls “documentaries”
(actually slanderous hit pieces he creates against those who have criticized the New IFB), as well as
puerile prank phone calls to the elderly (he apparently thinks these are hilarious). Both have small but
loyal followings among the New IFB adherents.
One would think that at least with Jeff Utzler trying to determine exactly who he is would be fairly well
cut and dried. Jeff Utzler is Jeff Utzler. But, if this is true, then who is Jeff Kutzler? Their photos and
videos when compared side by side clearly show they are one and the same person. In reality his name
is actually Jeff Utzler. He is a firefighter/paramedic and a medal winning Jiu Jitsu grappler according to
news media reports.110

The question remains, however, why does he use the surname of Kutzler on some occasions and his
real surname of Utzler on other occasions? If one watches enough of his videos it soon becomes clear
he even has others in the New IFB flip flopping between surnames. All in all it is confusing, pointless,
and dishonest. Presenting yourself as one person, and then another person whom you are not, is lying.
“Ben the Baptist” does the same thing Jeff Utzler does, but at a significantly higher level of deception.
Most people know that “Ben the Baptist” is the “on-air” “brand” or name used by Benjamin Knight.
Before he became “Ben the Baptist,” Benjamin Knight ran an alt-right / Patriot Movement / Sovereign
Citizen style website called “We the Vigilant” from June 2015 to August 2017. The site contained the
standard anti-liberal and anti-Democrat controlled government articles with click-bait style headlines
such as: “Satan's World Government is Coming,” and “The Satanic United Nations Agenda,” and “The
Mark of the Beast is Being Implemented Today”; as well as the usual “The Government is Trying to
Kill Us With (GMO's / Flouride / Vaccinations / fill in the blank with your favorite conspiracy theory)!”
type stories. In addition he also made a name for himself with his “The Maverick Live” podcast where
he “reported” stories similar to those on his “We the Vigilant” website. He became known in alt-right
circles as Benjamin “The Maverick” Knight. In some of his Ben the Baptist videos he is still referred to
as Benjamin Knight by his “guests” (other New IFB folks), even though he had already introduced
himself as Ben the Baptist.
Using a screen name is not necessarily dishonest. It's known as creating a brand, something folks will
recognize as distinctively you. There are innumerable Benjamins in the world, with a massive number
of them creating YouTube videos (the chosen venue of Ben the Baptist), but there is only one Ben the
Baptist. So whether he is “Ben the Maverick”, or “Ben the Baptist,” most simply know him as
Benjamin Knight, member of Stedfast Baptist Church Jacksonville, promoter of the New IFB, etc.
What many people do not realize, however, is that Benjamin Knight is fictitious as well. He doesn't
exist. His real name, his birth name, is Benjamin Elie Naim (pronounced Bin-yah-mon Ay-Lee Nay-
EEM).
Ben Naim was born November 6, 1993. Where, however, is still a question mark. According to
biographical information he provided to the “Amendment Avenger” website, he was born in
Engelwood, New Jersey.111
According to the University of Northern Florida where he went to school, however, he was born in
Lebanon, moving to the United States in 2011, to attend school in Florida.112
When one watches his Ben the Baptist videos, he is often seen railing and spouting hatred about the
“filthy sodomites” and those who criticize Steven Anderson or who support Adam Fannin (his former
best friend whom he abandoned instantly on the word of Anderson113), whom he refers to as
“reprobates”, a word he almost spits out of his mouth.114
In the world of Steven Anderson and his followers in the New IFB, a reprobate is someone whom God
has rejected and who is destined to hell. They cannot be saved, there is no hope for them, etc. This is
usually determined by Steven Anderson, although his followers are allowed to attach the reprobate
designation to anyone they choose. When comparing Ben the Baptist with Ben Naim, the difference is
like night and day (respectively). While Ben “the Baptist” Knight rants, rails, and spews virulent hatred
(when he isn't chatting up other haters) throughout his many videos; Ben Naim is known for
volunteering with Hearts and Hammers of Calgary where he helped repair homes for disadvantaged
elderly, and spending two years volunteering with Grace United Methodist Church helping to alleviate
poverty.115
While Ben “the Baptist” Knight hurls derogatory words as he is condemning homosexuals to eternal
torment in hell with no hope for salvation; Ben Naim is volunteering with a church belonging to a
denomination that accepts homosexuals with open arms, accepts openly homosexual clergy, and
performs homosexual marriages.116
Which of these two is the real Ben? The angry, vocal, homosexual hating, invective hurling, conspiracy
theorist Benjamin Knight; or the quiet young man with the distinctively Lebanese Jewish name117 who
partners with a gay affirming church to help alleviate poverty?
Benjamin Naim has an online resume featuring a brief introduction, a sample of content he has
produced, and an “about” page that explains a little bit about himself. It's very nice, well done, and
what one would expect from a recently graduated communications major seeking a career in
journalism. On that “about” page, Ben Naim states, “My driving motivation is to expose false
information and bring honesty and integrity to the world of journalism, no matter what field I choose to
report on.”118
Recently, Ben “the Baptist” Knight was confronted with the dishonesty he has shown by presenting
himself as Benjamin Knight, when he is actually Benjamin Naim.119 Initially he tried to deflect the
charge by pointing out “Ben the Baptist” was a screen name, a “brand” he used to promote the content
he produced. It was then pointed out to him that by claiming his “driving motivation is to expose false
information and bring honesty and integrity to the world of journalism” – a direct quote from his Ben
Naim online resume website – while presenting himself as someone other than who he actually is, is
not just dishonest, but hypocritical as well. As soon as the quotation was used, however, Benjamin
“The Maverick” “The Baptist” Knight / Naim locked down his online resume. Within minutes of using
the quotation, his resume went from being public – where potential employers (as well as everyone
else) could see it; to being “protected” and “private” indicating no one, not even potential employers
can see his resume without first signing up with Wordpress, and receiving his permission.
Ben's actions now beg the question, what is it about his online resume that he is trying to hide? And
who is he trying to hide it from? His now locked down online resume bears a 2019 copyright date,
demonstrating that it is current as of January 2019. This seems to support that he is leading a double
life, and being dishonest about who he really is.
Dishonesty, deceit, and dissimulation in the New IFB seem to be a fairly common practices as can be
seen throughout the examples presented here; and they certainly seem to support the testimony of
former employees and church members who have matter-of-factly stated, “He [Steven Anderson]
blatantly lies. He has no regard for the truth.…There have been so many things that are just made up,
and that's one thing that really shocked me about Steven Anderson, was just the blatant lies.”120 and,
“He does lie. He blatantly lies. That really kind of blew me away at first, but I gave him the benefit of
the doubt, like he's probably been misinformed; but he's a liar. He lies about, he just makes stuff up;
and what he does – he does this every single time, he fills his movements head, all their heads, with just
a little idea, like maybe this or maybe that, and then the next thing you know the whole movement is
repeating it likes it's a fact.”121
Another former member who left Faithful Word Baptist Church, left not simply because of Steven
Anderson's changing doctrine and beliefs; but also because he noticed Anderson would simply make up
false stories about people who had angered him. He witnessed Anderson falsely saying all sorts of
horrible things about these people that church members clearly knew were not true. He stated that
Steven Anderson had no problem whatsoever falsely lying about people and slandering them with false
accusations. This former member posted a video message to Pastor Steven Anderson online, and in that
message he stated to Anderson, “Here's my charge to you Pastor Anderson, and I'm trying to remain
humble as possible, but quite frankly I'm sick of your lies. Here's my charge to you,...you are an
exaggerator, you are a liar; just lie after lie comes spewing out of your mouth. …I never thought you
would turn into the person that you are.”122
This was reiterated by yet another former member of Anderson's Faithful Word Baptist Church, when
he stated that Anderson spread malicious lies about his former deacon Tyler Baker and others, whom
Anderson had kicked out of his church for allegedly spreading oneness Pentecostal heresy and trying to
divide his church by secretly trying to convince people to leave Anderson's church and attend a
different church. When this former member thought Anderson's claims sounded too far fetched, he
began to seek out those who were allegedly spoken to in an attempt to coerce them into leaving. This
former church member soon discovered that only three people were spoken to, and there was nothing
coercive about the discussions. They simply discussed a doctrine which Anderson himself had been
teaching for years. He stated that Anderson, “lied with malicious intent,” and “he wanted to destroy
these people's lives.” All of the accusations leveled by Anderson were simply born out of Anderson's
imagination.123
These behaviors are not limited to Steven Anderson and his Faithful Word Baptist Church, as former
New IFB member Steven Harper who attended the New IFB church, Stedfast Baptist in Fort Worth,
Texas can attest. Concerning his experiences with these behaviors in the New IFB church he attended,
Harper stated in a video he posted online, “the manipulation and lies my family was put through, as
well as others, I have come to the conclusion this is a cult.”124
Example Six:
Bad Boys, Bad Boys, Whatcha' Gonna Do When They Come For You?
In our final example of dishonesty, deceit, and dissimulation in the New IFB (though there are many,
many others that could be included) we are going to look at a portion of a sermon preached by Steven
Anderson at Faithful Word Baptist Church on January 9, 2019. The sermon is entitled “Sheba Son of
Bichri (Adam Fannin Exposed)” Now this particular sermon is significant for many reasons. One
reason is that it introduces a new New IFB doctrine, that of a required penance necessary for restoration
after certain sins (as determined by Steven Anderson) are committed. If that restoration is not
permitted, then the person is considered a “reprobate” who is eternally rejected by God and condemned
to eternal hell. This new doctrine of the New IFB will be examined in more detail later in this series.
However, what we are primarily concerned with in this sermon, at this point in our examination of the
New IFB, are comments made by Steven Anderson during the sermon, as part of the sermon, regarding
Adam Fannin. Anderson said:
“We beseiged him, we backed him into a corner, that's why he walked away. You say, how did you
beseige him? Well look, we exposed all of his lies, we documented and proved him to be a liar over and
over again; we proved him to be the flattering, covetous, devil that he was; we proved he was doing
wicked things with the finances and everything else over there; and we proved all these things beyond a
shadow of a doubt, and then he's lyin' and deceiving and dissembling, and he basically highjacked that
building over there. So we ended up pulling out the lease of the building and you know what? The lease
didn't have his name on it. The niece, the lease was Stedfast Baptist Church Donnie Romero; so the
guys out there, the righteous remnant out there, which is the majority of the church out there by the
way is not with Fannin. The majority of the church out there, you know what they did? They called the
police to evict him! And said, 'here's the lease, here's the..you know..we got a letter from the new
pastor, we got a letter from the old pastor, we got the lease in our hand, this guy is squatting in this
building!' And then, all of a sudden, he makes a video, 'Hey guys, I'm just gonna walk away guys.'
Yeah, you better walk away punk, because the cops are gonna come drag..you know..what a phony to
act like, 'oh, you know, it's gettin' weird man, it's getting' dangerous.' Yeah! You better know it's getting'
dangerous for you, you thief! You liar!” Anderson then begins to sing the theme from the reality show,
“COPS”, “'bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come for you?'”125
In this sermon we see Steven Anderson stating as fact to his congregation:
1. “We beseiged him, we backed him into a corner” referring to Adam Fannin.
2. “We exposed all of his lies, we documented and proved him to be a liar over and over again...we
proved he was doing wicked things with the finances and everything else over there. We proved all
these things beyond a shadow of a doubt”
3. “The majority of the church out there, you know what they did? They called the police to evict him!
And said, 'here's the lease, here's the..you know..we got a letter from the new pastor, we got a letter
from the old pastor, we got the lease in our hand, this guy is squatting in this building!'”
4. Fannin left the Stedfast building – and remember, this sermon was on the 9th, and Shelley officially
fired him only two days prior on the 7th, so we are talking about these events (the firing, him walking
away from the building, and this sermon) all taking place within a 48-hour period. So Fannin walked
away from the whole mess, for no reason other than he refused to get caught up in the theatrical
melodrama unfolding in the New IFB. Anderson, however, takes his walking away as an opportunity to
metaphorically kick him some more, saying, “Yeah, you better walk away punk, because the cops are
gonna come drag..you know..what a phony to act like, 'oh, you know, it's gettin' weird man, it's getting'
dangerous.' Yeah! You better know it's getting' dangerous for you, you thief! You liar!” Anderson then
begins to sing the theme from the reality show, “COPS”, “'bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do,
whatcha gonna do when they come for you?'”
But just how true are these words of Pastor Steven Anderson to his congregation? Had Anderson truly
“proved” and “documented” that Adam Fannin was “doing wicked things with the finances and
everything else over there”? In short, no. Anderson has not proven any such thing. In fact, in a
telephone interview with Steven Anderson, he admitted the “investigation” into Adam Fannin's alleged
misdeeds consisted of, “well, there were, um, basically a few guys from the church there in
Jacksonville, they went around the casinos with pictures of Adam Fannin and Donnie Romero, asking
if people recognized them, because, you know, there were transactions on the banking..at casino ATM's,
and so they went to those casinos where transactions had taken place, and two different people that
worked at the casinos said that they didn't recognize Romero, but that they did recognize Adam Fannin,
But they couldn't be 100% sure, but they said, yeah, I believe I've seen this guy in here, but they hadn't
seen Romero; and then another casino recognized Romero. So it wasn't really a hard and fast thing
where they're willing to testify or something, 'cause they said they would only testify or cooperate if
they were subpoenaed, right, that was a..there were a couple of soft hits on Adam Fannin.”
That's it. That was the entire “investigation.” A couple of guys from the Jacksonville church visiting
some casinos were two people might have maybe seen Fannin, but they could not be sure. That is
Steven Anderson's “proved” and “documented” evidence that Adam Fannin was “doing wicked things
with the finances and everything else over there.” It may have been true, and proven, and documented
in Steven Anderson's imagination, but in reality it was not. It was all speculation and fantasy whipped
up by Steven Anderson, and he intentionally lied, intentionally deceived his own congregation about it.
And this is not all he lied about.
Anderson claims that the “majority” of the Jacksonville church “called the police to evict him!”
Showed the police the lease and a “letter from the new pastor” and told the police that Fannin was
“squatting” in the building. While this may have played well in Anderson's own mind, it is, like his
other comments, pure fiction. In a telephone interview with Benjamin Naim, also known as “Ben the
Baptist,” who is one of the unofficial leaders in the Jacksonville church, and probably the most
outspoken critic of Adam Fannin, “Ben the Baptist” stated the police were never called, and were never
involved in any way with the Adam Fannin situation.126 Never called. Never involved. Anderson is
caught in yet another bald-faced lie.
When asked directly if the police were involved, Anderson said, “I'm not 100% sure, but..'cause I was
not directly involved, but..I believe..you know, I honestly don't know the answer to that question.”127
From Anderson's own mouth, an admission that he honestly did not know if the police were called
because he was not directly involved in the situation. An admission that when he was pounding on his
pulpit, yelling at his congregation that the police were called, and were shown the building lease, and
were shown a letter from the new pastor, and were told that Fannin was “squatting” in the building – he
was lying to his congregation. He was intentionally deceiving his congregation. The people he is
supposed to be protecting, and leading, and instructing in the truths of Scripture; and he intentionally
lied to them. Looked them straight in their eyes and lied to them.
To Pastor Steven Anderson we now sing, “bad boy, bad boy, whatcha gonna do, whatcha gonna do
when the Lord comes for you?” Repent Steven. Repent of your sin. Sin made even more serious
because you knew those were lies you were telling your congregation, and still you intentionally told
them. God hates a lying tongue Steven Anderson, as you well know since you preached on that very
subject back in 2009.128 And need you be reminded that preaching against a lying tongue while
possessing one yourself is nothing short of unadulterated hypocrisy. Another sin for you to repent of
Steven.
Proverbs 6:16-19 seems appropriate here. For those unfamiliar with it, it reads, “These six things doth
the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that
shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to
mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” For someone
who constantly preaches against another abominable sin, demanding those who engage in it should be
put to death by the government, is he willing to apply that same standard to himself as he is admitedly
guilty of an abominable sin. In fact, if one honestly examines the list of seven abominable sins in
Proverbs 6:16-19, it will quickly become apparent that Steven Anderson is guilty of six of those sins.
Another passage of Scripture that comes to mind is Luke 16:10 which states, “He that is faithful in that
which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”
[emphasis added]
As we come to the end of part one, we are again confronted with the question posed earlier: is the New
IFB a cult? Former New IFB member Steven Harper certainly thinks so, as do others formerly involved
with the New IFB. Again, this is not a question to answer just yet, as there is more to come in part two
where we will examine three areas of essential doctrine, comparing what Steven Anderson and the New
IFB teach with what God’s word teaches.
With all the dishonesty, deceit, and dissimulation pervading the New IFB, perhaps a reminder of what
God Himself has to say about this is in order. We read in Revelation 21:8, “But the fearful, and
unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and
all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second
death.” Note that last category of people who will be cast into the lake of fire: “all liars.” And note that
liars are grouped together with the fearful and unbelieving, the abominable and murderers and
whoremongers and sorcerers and idolaters. That is how serious God takes lying. It is an abomination to
Him just as homosexuality is (Proverbs 6:16-19; Leviticus 18:22). Hopefully and prayerfully, Steven
Anderson, Jonathan Shelley, Roger Jimenez, Bruce Mejia, and others in the New IFB Movement will
repent of their sin, and seek forgiveness in Christ.
Sources:
Part 1A:
1. Article: What is the New IFB, The New IFB Website, https://www.thenewifb.com/what-is-the-new-
ifb accessed 16 March 2019.

2. Telephonic interview #01 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member Kris Byrne, 25 January
2019.

3. Email from Rev. Stephen R. Nichols, pastor of Regency Baptist Church, Orangevale, California.
Received 31 January 2019

4. Hyles-Anderson College website “About” page: https://hylesanderson.edu/about/; Hyles-Anderson

College Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyles%E2%80%93Anderson_College

5. Article: Let Us Prey: Big Trouble at First Baptist Church, by Bryan Smith, Chicago Magazine
Online, Published December 11, 2012, https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-
2013/Let-Us-Prey-Big-Trouble-at-First-Baptist-Church/ accessed 16 March 2019

6. Article: Hyles: I'm no dictator. First Baptist leader defends, by Debra Gruszecki – North West
Indiana Times, May 28, 1993, https://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/hyles-i-m-no-dictator-first-
baptist-leader-defends/article_fc79e105-a9e7-507e-bd03-d3834d335a1f.html accessed 16 March 2019

7. Video: Linda Murphrey - April 5, 2012, Uploaded by Linda Murphrey, Published on Aug 5, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJsOlLqBEyo&feature=youtu.be accessed 16 March 2019

8. Article: Let Us Prey: Big Trouble at First Baptist Church, by Bryan Smith, Chicago Magazine
Online, Published December 11, 2012, https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-
2013/Let-Us-Prey-Big-Trouble-at-First-Baptist-Church/ accessed 16 March 2019

9. Video: Linda Murphrey - April 5, 2012, Uploaded by Linda Murphrey, Published on Aug 5, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJsOlLqBEyo&feature=youtu.be accessed 16 March 2019

10. Available online at: The Biblical Evangelist, Chapter 3 - The Saddest Story We Ever Published!,
http://www.biblicalevangelist.org/jack_hyles_chapter3.php accessed 16 March 2019

11. Video: Linda Murphrey - April 5, 2012, Uploaded by Linda Murphrey, Published on Aug 5, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJsOlLqBEyo&feature=youtu.be accessed 16 March 2019

12. Please see the following news media articles:

Experts say Esther Combs child-abuse case is unusual, by Angela K Brown – Associated Press Writer,
http://www.sullivan-county.com/nf0/combs/abuse_case.htm
Accused minister once a local Bible teacher – Combs and his wife were quiet neighbors whom no one
suspected of illegal adoption, abuse by Daniel J. Yovich, Nov 15, 1998,
https://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/accused-minister-once-a-local-bible-teacher/
article_2ebf31f5-f72b-5ed2-b47d-660ce5454d22.html

Esther Combs faces the woman she called mother and asks: 'Why?' by Becky Campbell,
http://www.sullivan-county.com/nf0/combs/ester_evan.htm

Ex-orphan claims abuse by parents, The Associated Press, Mar 8, 2000,

https://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/ex-orphan-claims-abuse-by-parents/article_fe65e9c4-0893-
5f38-b417-927fbfaf0700.html

2 guilty of abusing orphan, The Associated Press, Mar 24, 2000,

https://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/guilty-of-abusing-orphan/article_27b25ef2-a42c-5f99-b092-
b98515d76254.html

Preacher Combs and wife get 179 years in prison, Compiled by Lewis Loflin, http://www.sullivan-
county.com/nf0/combs/

A camera zoomed in to show the trembling hands of a young woman in a blue dress telling a reporter
her heart wrenching story, a lifetime of abuse at the hands of the people she thought were her parents,
a story that began in Northwest Indiana and ended in Bristol, Tennessee Nov 3, 2000,
https://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/a-camera-zoomed-in-to-show-the-trembling-hands-of/
article_d5686c01-305e-54dd-81b0-c20d3e768082.html

13. Article: Systemic, widespread abuse, By Neil Nakahodo | Shelly Yang | Sarah Smith, December 05,
2018, https://www.star-telegram.com/living/religion/article222681130.html accessed 16 March 2019

Article: Let Us Prey: Big Trouble at First Baptist Church, by Bryan Smith, Chicago Magazine Online,
Published December 11, 2012, https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-2013/Let-Us-
Prey-Big-Trouble-at-First-Baptist-Church/ accessed 16 March 2019

14. Article: Let Us Prey: Big Trouble at First Baptist Church, by Bryan Smith, Chicago Magazine
Online, Published December 11, 2012, https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-
2013/Let-Us-Prey-Big-Trouble-at-First-Baptist-Church/ accessed 16 March 2019

15. Please see the following news media articles:

Jack Schaap Pleads Guilty in Teen Sex Case, Denies Knowing Act Was Crime
By Stoyan Zaimov, Christian Post Reporter – Sep 27, 2012
https://www.christianpost.com/news/jack-schaap-pleads-guilty-in-teen-sex-case-denies-knowing-act-
was-crime-82304/
Jack Schaap, Indiana Pastor, Claimed Jesus Wanted Him To Have Sex With Teenage Girl
By Meredith Bennett-Smith
03/14/2013, Updated Dec 06, 2017
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/14/jack-schaap-pastor-sex-teenage-girl-
indiana_n_2877551.html

Ex-megachurch pastor blames underage victim, wants out of prison

Bill Dolan – The Times of Northwest Indiana, Jun 3, 2014
https://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/ex-megachurch-pastor-blames-underage-victim-wants-out-
of-prison/article_2ae9324b-eacf-546e-9f73-c12147f5726f.html

16. Among the Hyles-Anderson/First Baptist Church of Hammond alumni convicted of pedophilic
molestation are: A. V. Ballenger, Christopher Settlemoir, Chester Mulligan, William Beith, Jack
Schaap, Tedd Butler, Joseph Combs, Craig Sisson, Russell Overla, Andy Beith, Charles Shifflett, David
Joseph Jorgensen, Earl Reeves, Evangeline Combs, Jeffrey Jarrell, Jeremiah Owen, Kerry Martin, and
Sheldon Stotmeister.
Others who while credible accused, but were never prosecuted include:
1.Jim Vineyard, good friend of Jack Hyles, Vineyard has managed to escape prosecution when his
victims came forward after the statute of limitations had expired.
2. Paul Fox, after being found to have engaged in immoral relationships with at least two minor
children, Fox was shipped off by his pastor, Bruce Goddard, to First Baptist Church of Hammond, and
Hyles-Anderson college. He was never charged for his crimes as they were covered up by Goddard and
his friend Jack Hyles.
3. Bob Olson, Faculty member at Hammond Baptist High School and on staff at First Baptist Church
has been outed by his victims for molesting boys;
4. Greg Neal, Hyles-Anderson graduate, escaped prosecution by hiding evidence until after the statute
of limitations had expired;
5. Matt Jerrill, former Hyles-Anderson student, arrested on suspicion of rape and sodomy, escaped
prosecution by committing suicide in his jail cell.

Article: Let Us Prey: Big Trouble at First Baptist Church, by Bryan Smith, Chicago Magazine Online,
Published December 11, 2012, https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/January-2013/Let-Us-
Prey-Big-Trouble-at-First-Baptist-Church/ accessed 16 March 2019

Article: Hundreds of sex abuse allegations found in fundamental Baptist churches across U.S., by
Sarah Smith – Star Telegram, Dec. 9, 2018,
https://www.star-telegram.com/living/religion/article222576310.html accessed 16 March 2019

Article: These ‘men of God’ sexually abused children. Then they found refuge at other churches, by
Sarah Smith – Star Telegram, Dec. 9, 2018,
https://www.star-telegram.com/living/religion/article222576430.html accessed 16 March 2019
Article: List of Hyles Related Clergy Sex Abuse Cases, From 2013, http://jeriwho.net/lillypad2/?
p=18589 accessed 16 March 2019

Article: List of Hyles Related Clergy Sex Abuse Cases « Blog on the Way, Tuesday, August 7, 2012,
http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/08/list-of-hyles-related-clergy-sex-abuse.html
accessed 16 March 2019

17. Steven Anderson Interview on The Point with Reginald Richardson, Botswana Radio Station
GABZ FM, "Breakfast with Reg" program, 20 September 2016
Anderson stated during this interview, “God has chosen me to be a prophet to the nations, to preach the
word of god, and to sound it out with no fear with boldness not like these preachers who are only
interested in people's money so they tell them what they want to hear for money. I don't want your
money, I want to preach the truth; you can like it or lump it.”
The audio interview can be heard at the following links:
Video 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=463Ai4PU0mw
Video 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f73tpvfqgfc
Video 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPZFIh3jCeg

18. Video: God, the Pastor, and You (Bro. Chris Segura), Uploaded to YouTube by sanderson1611
(Steven Anderson) after it was streamed live on January 6, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=2vRWxC3u1ds&feature=youtu.be accessed 16 March 2019

19. Email from Rev. Stephen R. Nichols, pastor of Regency Baptist Church, Orangevale, California.
Received 31 January 2019
Steven Anderson claims Pastor Nichols laid hands on him and ordained him as a pastor. Pastor Nichols
claims he placed his hand on Anderson's shoulder and prayed for him, as he does many people, but
never ordained him. Anderson has said the act of Nichols placing his hand on Anderson's shoulder
while praying for him counts as an ordination. Nichols also states neither he nor his church sent
Anderson to Tempe to start Faithful Word Baptist Church. What he did do was bring Anderson up in
front of the congregation and asked the congregation to pray for him as he was starting a church in
Tempe, which the congregation did. This is not the same as being specifically sent by the church, but
for Anderson it was close enough, and he considers that to mean he was specifically sent by Regency
Baptist Church. Anderson claims he as documented proof which he provides on his blog. His
documented proof consists of one church bulletin and two letters, none of which say anything
whatsoever about Anderson's supposed ordination or sending. At the end of the day, Steven Anderson
was neither ordained nor sent as he has repeatedly claimed.

Video: Response to Pastor Stephen R Nichols' False Accusations, uploaded by sanderson1611 (Steven
Anderson) after it was streamed live on July 8, 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=6A83arpQEYc accessed 16 March 2019

Article: Response to Stephen R Nichols' False Accusations, by Steven Anderson, July 8, 2015,
http://sanderson1611.blogspot.com/2015/07/response-to-stephen-r-nichols-false.html accessed 16
March 2019

Article: Wow, what a shock – NOT!, by Zsuzsanna Anderson, Wednesday, August 1, 2012,
http://stevenandersonfamily.blogspot.com/2012/08/wow-what-shock-not.html accessed 16 March 2019

20. Article: Controversial pastor draws more than 200 to ‘red hot’ preaching conference, by Anita
Chabria and Cathy Locke – The Sacramento Bee newspaper, online edition, July 29, 2016,
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article92740612.html accessed 16 March 2019

21. Email from Rev. Stephen R. Nichols, pastor of Regency Baptist Church, Orangevale, California.
Received 31 January 2019

22. Article: Controversial pastor draws more than 200 to ‘red hot’ preaching conference, by Anita
Chabria and Cathy Locke – The Sacramento Bee newspaper, online edition, July 29, 2016,
https://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article92740612.html accessed 16 March 2019

23. Email from Rev. Stephen R. Nichols, pastor of Regency Baptist Church, Orangevale, California.
Received 31 January 2019

24. Note the numerous anti-this pastor or that pastor videos produced by Steven Anderson. He has
slandered and spread innuendo and gossip about Adam Fannin, Sam Gipp, Bob Gray Sr, Andy Sluder,
Tyler Baker, Tyler Doka, Victor Tey, and many, many other church pastors; with no regard to the
unbiblical anti-Christian nature of his actions.

25. Email from Rev. Stephen R. Nichols, pastor of Regency Baptist Church, Orangevale, California.
Received 31 January 2019

26. Please see the following news media articles:

Embattled Vacaville pastor ends trial by pleading to arson, stalking charges
By Ryan Chalk |
PUBLISHED: January 15, 2015 at 12:00 am | UPDATED: August 29, 2018 at 12:00 am
https://www.thereporter.com/2015/01/15/embattled-vacaville-pastor-ends-trial-by-pleading-to-arson-
stalking-charges/

Ex-Girlfriend of Pastor Charged With Arson: 'He Wants to Kill Me'

Mark Lewis' accused of hiring transients to throw a firebomb into his ex’s home.
By LYNN REDMOND, BROOKE STANGELAND and ALEXA VALIENTEApril 25, 2014— —
Apr 24, 2014 11:19 AM ET
https://abcnews.go.com/US/girlfriend-pastor-charged-arson-kill/story?id=23456987

Former pastor takes plea deal to end arson, stalking trial

By Jess Sullivan
https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/crime-solano-county-courts/former-pastor-
takes-plea-deal-to-end-arson-stalking-trial/

Vacaville Congregation Selling Property To Pay Pastor’s Bail

By Derek Shore, February 21, 2014
https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2014/02/21/vacaville-congregation-selling-property-to-pay-pastors-
bail/

Former Vacaville pastor sentenced for arson, stalking ex

Mark Wayne Lewis pleaded no contest last month
Updated: 11:12 PM PST Feb 24, 2015
https://www.kcra.com/article/former-vacaville-pastor-sentenced-for-arson-stalking-ex/6420481

Pastor Accused of Repeated Vandalism Against Former  Girlfriend

Posted 11:09 AM, January 12, 2014, by Sam Cohen, Updated at 11:13AM, January 12, 2014
https://fox40.com/2014/01/12/pastor-accused-of-repeated-vandalism-against-former-girlfriend/

Accusations Continue to Pile Up against Vacaville  Pastor

Posted 10:05 PM, January 13, 2014, by Ian McDonald, Updated at 11:21PM, January 13, 2014
https://fox40.com/2014/01/13/accusations-continue-to-pile-up-against-vacaville-pastor/

Mystery in Vacaville, California–Who Killed Joanna Lynn Lewis?

Randolph Harris3508, February 23, 2015
https://randolphharris3508.wordpress.com/2015/02/23/mystery-in-vacaville-california-who-killed-
joanna-lynn-lewis/

Calif. Pastor Exposed by Personal Drug Dealer in Midst of Allegations That He Firebombed Ex-
Girlfriend's Home While Family Slept
By Jessica Martinez, CP Reporter, Thursday, January 16, 2014
https://www.christianpost.com/news/calif-pastor-exposed-by-personal-drug-dealer-in-midst-of-
allegations-that-he-firebombed-ex-girlfriends-home-while-family-slept.html

California ‘firebomb’ pastor investigated for meth dealing: report 

By Philip Caulfield | NEW YORK DAILY NEWS | Jan 24, 2014
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/california-firebomb-pastor-investigated-meth-dealing-
report-article-1.1590404

Records tie Vacaville pastor to meth probe

By Jess Sullivan
https://www.dailyrepublic.com/all-dr-news/solano-news/crime-solano-county-courts/records-link-
vacaville-pastor-suspected-in-arson-case-to-undercover-meth-probe/
27. Email from Rev. Stephen R. Nichols, pastor of Regency Baptist Church, Orangevale, California.
Received 31 January 2019
Repeated attempts were made to contact Roger Jimenez to afford him the opportunity to either confirm
or deny that Mark Lewis actually ordained him and sent him out to start Verity. Jimenez has thus far
ignored all requests. Therefore, we are left with two options. Either Mark Lewis, a meth-dealing,
adulterous pastor ordained Jimenez and sent him out to start Verity (which would call into question
such an ordination and sending considering Lewis was not qualified to be a pastor; or, Jimenez
ordained and sent himself just as Steven Anderson did.

28. A search of real estate records revealed that Anderson's church is neighbors with a doctors office, an
advertising firm, and a realty investment business.

29. Email from Steven Anderson to Victor Tey, dated 07 July 2017. Featured in Victor Tey's video
series, “Response to Pastor Steven Anderson”:
Response to Pastor Steven Anderson (Part 1) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6OsfTpsNbk
Response to Pastor Steven Anderson (Part 2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1amjz3lmOCU
Response to Pastor Steven Anderson (Part 3) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk6vi12tVts

30. www.faithfulwordbaptist.org Due to the false doctrine being taught on this website, visiting it is
strongly discouraged.

31. Paul Wittenberger IMDb page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1509561/

32. sanderson1611 https://www.youtube.com/user/sanderson1611

Steven Anderson https://www.youtube.com/user/truebornsons
Steven Anderson https://www.youtube.com/user/faithfulwordbaptist
and his churches YouTube channel: faithful word baptist church
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTh8KEvQAwMuJI0_zwdqVIg

In addition to his four YouTube channels, Anderson has three Facebook pages, two blogs, two Twitter
feeds, and three Instagram feeds. Anderson may have more social media accounts, as these ten were
uncovered with only a brief cursory internet search.
https://www.facebook.com/pastorstevenanderson/
https://www.facebook.com/people/Steven-Anderson/100031639953162
https://www.facebook.com/Faithful-Word-Baptist-Church-183465927963/
http://sanderson1611.blogspot.com/
http://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/page9.html
https://twitter.com/sanderson1611?lang=en
https://twitter.com/fwbclivestream
https://www.instagram.com/sanderson1611/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ84mkYh8HO/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/faithfulwordbaptist/?hl=en

Interestingly, Anderson wrote a blog article titled, The Green Grass of Social Media
(http://sanderson1611.blogspot.com/2016/07/the-green-grass-of-social-media.html), where he outlines
the deceptive nature of social media. With the massive social media presence he has, he should
certainly know about that!
Due to the false doctrine being taught on these social media pages, visiting them is strongly
discouraged.

33. https://teachallnations.net/ Due to the false doctrine being taught on this website, visiting it is
strongly discouraged.

34. kjvprophecy.com/ Due to the false doctrine being taught on this website, visiting it is strongly
discouraged.

35. www.hardpreaching.com/ Due to the false doctrine being taught on this website, visiting it is
strongly discouraged.

36. repentanceblacklist.com/ Due to the false doctrine being taught on this website, visiting it is
strongly discouraged.

37. https://www.truebornsons.com/ Due to the false doctrine being taught on this website, visiting it is
strongly discouraged.

38. www.wordoftruthbaptist.org/ Due to the false doctrine being contained in the statement of faith on
this website, visiting it is strongly discouraged.

39. In light of his hate group status, and the messages of explicit hate which Anderson exports all
around the world, PayPal and other online payment companies have refused to do business with Steven
Anderson. This has not, however, dissuaded Anderson from doing business with them. He simply opens
up another account in another name, with another address, and a different bank account. The company
is none the wiser. Yes, it is deceitful, and therefore unbiblical, but as Mel Brooks said in History of the
World, Part 1, “It's good to be the king.” Plus, this way Anderson continues to receive donations from
around the world. According to one former employee who left Anderson's church in 2017, those online
donations average, from a yearly perspective, approximately $20,000. Per week. Per week. That works
out to $1,040,000 dollars in online donations (alone, not counting weekly offerings taken in at the
church each week) coming in each year to the Faithful Word Baptist Church Corporation, a non-profit,
tax-exempt corporation, Steven L. Anderson, CEO; Steven L. Anderson, President; Steven L.
Anderson, Chair and sole member of the Board of Directors thus granting Steven L. Anderson sole and
complete authority over all aspects of this corporation, including all decision making authority, and all
decision making authority with regard to the disbursement of all money coming into the his church. A
donation to the church is really just a donation to Steven Anderson. Just so you know.
40. “Word of Truth Baptist Church, Prescott Valley, AZ” was initially started as a subsidiary church to
Anderson's Faithful Word Baptist Church; started by his friend and protege David Berzins. Berzins
later left to start his own church in Georgia, and Word of Truth reverted back to Steven Anderson who
uses it as a sort of training academy for his cadre of up and coming protege pastors and evangelists.
The church has very few attending according to neighboring business in its strip-mall location, though
occasionally a few people are seen entering its doors, and they do have a sign up, so it must still be a
church. Of sorts. However, when one visits the “church” website at http://www.wordoftruthbaptist.org/,
all one sees is a front page with two buttons. One button to view a doctrinal statement virtually
identical to Steven Anderson's doctrinal statement, and a second button marked “Donate” which
redirects to a donation page. Those visiting are told they are actually donating to Steven Anderson's
Faithful Word Baptist Church, rather than to Word of Truth Baptist Church. In fact, there is no option
presented to donate to Word of Truth Baptist Church, even on its own website. On January 23, 2019,
the Word of Truth Facebook page was updated reflect a change in the churches address, which is now
simply, “Prescott Valley, Arizona” (no street address given), and the telephone number is now a
“Google Voice” telephone number, which relays straight to a prerecorded message giving service times
and nothing more. It is also interesting to note that although Word of Truth is a subsidiary church of
Steven Anderson's church, it does not appear on the church directory of Steven Anderson's church
website. Curious, eh?

Part 1B:
41. Telephonic interview #01 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member Kris Byrne, 25
January 2019
Telephonic interview #02 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member Kris Byrne, 30 January
2019
Telephonic interview #01 with Jonathan Shelley, pastor of Pure Words Baptist Church in Houston,
Texas; Stedfast Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas; Stedfast Baptist Church in Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma; and Stedfast Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Interview done on 27 February 2019
Telephonic interview #01 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler Baker,
24 Jan 2019
Telephonic interview #02 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler Baker,
09 Feb 2019

42. Telephonic interview #02 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member Kris Byrne, 30
January 2019

43. The term “Love Bombing” was originally used by members of the Unification Church, and was
coined by the cults founder, Sun Myung Moon (remember the “Moonies”?) back in the 1970's. Moon
insisted his followers smile. All the time. Every waking moment. He believed if a person was full of
love, then they would be smiling. He referred to the practice of always smiling, and thus exuding love,
as “love bombing.” The practice is not limited to cults, and can be and has been employed by
manipulators and abusers in many different areas of life. Cult leaders such as Jim Jones, David Koresh,
Marshall Applewhite, and others often utilize a form of love bombing, where they provide for the needs
and often the desires of their followers and recruits. In doing so, they would gain their trust, loyalty,
and obedience. They knew of they could control the relationship between them and their followers,
then they could control their followers. In many cults, when a potential member arrives as a visitor,
they will go out of their way to express their happiness at the visitor being there. The goal is to attract
them to the friendliness of the group, with the goal of getting them to return. On each successive visit,
the group will begin to supply for the visitors needs and so forth. Once the visitor is a member, the love
bombing will often continue until such a time as the new member is not longer needed, wanted, or
tolerated – usually because they question the leader. The leader will also use the threat of shunning a
member, by kicking them out of the group and manipulating the remaining followers to avoid the
newly shunned person at all costs. This can be especially traumatic when the all of the newly shunned
persons friends are in the group, and no shun them as well. Many groups emphasize a radical
separation from the world, teaching the world outside the group is a foul wicked place full of evil ready
to pounce and victimize the group members should they ever find themselves outside the group. It can
be a very powerful manipulative technique. For more information on love bombing and cults in
general, the following articles are recommended:

How Cults Work

https://www.cultwatch.com/howcultswork.html

What's 'Love Bombing' And How To Tell If You've Been A Victim Of It

From showering you with gifts to messaging you non-stop throughout the day, we delve into the
worrying behaviours of a 'love bomber', who might have convinced you they're 'the one'.
By Katie O'Malley - Elle/August 2, 2017
https://culteducation.com/group/798-abusive-controlling-relationships/30262-what-s-love-bombing-
and-how-to-tell-if-you-ve-been-a-victim-of-it.html

The Danger of Manipulative Love-Bombing in a Relationship

Spot the warning signs of love bombing early and recover faster with these tips.
Dale Archer M.D, Posted Mar 06, 2017
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/reading-between-the-headlines/201703/the-danger-
manipulative-love-bombing-in-relationship

44. Article: “Hyles: I'm no dictator. First Baptist leader defends,” by Debra Gruszecki – North West
Indiana Times, May 28, 1993, https://www.nwitimes.com/uncategorized/hyles-i-m-no-dictator-first-
baptist-leaderdefends/article_fc79e105-a9e7-507e-bd03-d3834d335a1f.html accessed 17 March 2019

45. Telephonic interview #02 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member Kris Byrne, 30
January 2019

46. Former members of Stedfast Fort Worth Steven Harper and his wife Jamie Harper, as well as a
current Stedfast Fort Worth church member who has asked to remain anonymous, have reported such
things as happening.

47. Telephonic interview #03 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler
Baker, 09 Feb 2019

48. Sermon Transcription: Bastard Barry" - Sermon about Barrack Hussein Obama (KJV Bible
Preaching), delivered Steven Anderson at Faithful Word Baptist Church on 02 November 2014, http://
www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/transcript_bastard_barry.html accessed 17 March 2019

49. Article: Open Letter to the Person Protesting Verity Baptist Church, by Steven Anderson, Friday,
July 1, 2016, http://sanderson1611.blogspot.com/2016/07/open-letter-to-person-protesting-verity.html
accessed 17 March 2019

50. Email from Victor Tey to Steven Anderson, dated 06 July 2017. Featured in Victor Tey's video
series, “Response to Pastor Steven Anderson”:
Response to Pastor Steven Anderson (Part 1) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6OsfTpsNbk
Response to Pastor Steven Anderson (Part 2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1amjz3lmOCU
Response to Pastor Steven Anderson (Part 3) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk6vi12tVts

51. Email from Steven Anderson to Victor Tey, dated 07 July 2017. Featured in Victor Tey's video
series, “Response to Pastor Steven Anderson”:
Response to Pastor Steven Anderson (Part 1) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6OsfTpsNbk
Response to Pastor Steven Anderson (Part 2) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1amjz3lmOCU
Response to Pastor Steven Anderson (Part 3) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk6vi12tVts

52. Facebook Messenger conversation with Pastor Gleb Glebov, Blessed Hope Church, Vancouver, BC
Canada. 22 January 2019

53. Email received from Pastor Tyler Doka on 23 January 2019

54. Video: Resignation of Pastor Romero, with Steven Anderson, published by Stedfast Baptist Church
Forth Worth, Texas on Wednesday night 02 January 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=BbWAhNxVcWo accessed 17 March 2019. This is the actual Wednesday night service where Donnie
Romero resigns, and the Steven Anderson takes to the pulpit to field questions for the next 75 minutes.

55. Video: Pastor Donnie Romero Steps Down from Stedfast Baptist Church, with Steven Anderson,
published by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on Thursday 03 January 2019,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOkt4-gAkYc, accessed 17 March 2019. In this video Steven
Anderson explains in detail why Donnie Romero resigned his pastorship at Stedfast Baptist Church in
Fort Worth, Texas.

56. Text message sent to Adam Fannin by Steven Anderson, dated 04 January 2019. Retrieved from
Adam Fannin.

57. Telephonic interview #01 with Jonathan Shelley, pastor of Pure Words Baptist Church in Houston,
Texas; Stedfast Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas; Stedfast Baptist Church in Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma; and Stedfast Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Interview done on 27 February 2019

58. Video: Jonathan Shelley: Stedfast Jacksonville & Adam Fannin, published by sanderson1611
(Steven Anderson) on Friday 04 January 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_cu3TfbBjM
accessed 17 March 2019. In this video Shelley claims he has kept Fannin in the loop regarding Donnie
Romero's resignation, and he claims that Fannin was supportive of Shelley taking over. Adam Fannin
claims Shelley is lying, saying Shelley never spoke to him a single time.

59. Video: Update on Stedfast Baptist Church (Texas/Florida), with Steven Anderson, published by
sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) (early in the day) on 05 January 2019,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqjMOgCV6kM&feature=youtu.be accessed 17 March 2019

60. IBID

61. IBID

62. Benjamin “Ben the Baptist” Naim explicitly stated “LESLEY CALLED PASTOR ANDERSON
FOR HELP….LESLEY asked for his help” [Emphasis in original] in the comments section of a
YouTube video: “Righteous Indignation - New IFB vs. Andersonites” published by Law of Liberty
(Adam Fannin) on 21 February 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=5eftT8FFHDs&feature=youtu.be accessed 17 March 2019

63. Telephonic interview #04 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler
Baker, 12 February 2019

64. Telephonic interview with Faithful Word Baptist Church Pastor, Steven Anderson, 09 March 2019
65. Telephonic interview #01 with Jonathan Shelley, pastor of Pure Words Baptist Church in Houston,
Texas; Stedfast Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas; Stedfast Baptist Church in Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma; and Stedfast Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Interview done on 27 February 2019

66. Video: 501c3 Tax Status: An Excuse for Not Going to Church, published by sanderson1611 (Steven
Anderson) on 29 September 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0l2EkAZwB8 accessed 17
March 2019

Sermon Transcript: 501c3 Churches, delivered by Steven Anderson at Faithful Word Baptist Church in
Tempe, Arizona on 13 July 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFqSUQNCx2A accessed 17
March 2019.
Article: Steven L Anderson: 501c3 Tax Status and False Accusers, by Steven Anderson,
sanderson1611.blogspot.com/2014/07/501c3-tax-status-and-false-accusers.html accessed 17 March
2019

67. Faithful Word Baptist Church Articles of Incorporation, dated 04 January 2006
Faithful Word Baptist Church 2019 Annual Report, dated May 8, 2018

68. Telephonic interview #03 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler
Baker, 09 February 2019
Telephonic interview #05 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler Baker,
27 February 2019
Amount based on one-twelfth of the average yearly total offerings to Faithful Word Baptist Church for
2017. Tyler Baker revealed in these telephone conversations that he was responsible for maintaining all
financial records, filing taxes, paying employees, gathering, recording, and depositing all donations and
offerings related to Faithful Word Baptist Church.

69. Video: Pastor Anderson kicking out an unrepentant trouble maker, published by Craig Dohner
(member of Faithful Word Baptist Church) on 16 November 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=YBGxGKmLZgg accessed 17 March 2019

Telephonic interview #01 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member Elliott Ray, 12 February
2019

70. New Independent Fundamental Baptist Movement website, “Events” page,

https://www.thenewifb.com/events accessed 07 March 2019

71. Telephonic interview #04 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler
Baker, 12 February 2019

72. Video: Used to be "New IFB”, published by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 01 December
2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrCBAqSwGPY accessed 17 March 2019

73. Article: Over 300,000 Churches in America; Do We Really Need More Church Plants?, by Greg
Stier, Christian Post Guest Columnist, https://www.christianpost.com/news/church-planting-growth-
pastors-evangelicals-ministry-america.html accessed 17 March 2019

Religious Landscape Survey by the Pew Research Center, http://www.pewforum.org/religious-

landscape-study/ accessed 17 March 2019

74. KJV Churches

Find Independent Baptist Churches Near You!
https://www.kjvchurches.com/
75. Video: A Great And Effectual Door Has Opened Up For Canada 9-16-18, published by Sure
Foundation Baptist Church (Aaron Thompson) on 17 September 2018,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ch8kX75QbGI accessed 17 March 2019

76. Video: Sam Gipp Obsessed with Steven Anderson (Part 1), published by Steven Anderson on 15
May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arKuouWIyok accessed 17 March 2019

Video: Sam Gipp Is Obsessed with Pastor Steven Anderson (Part 2), published by “The New IFB” on
17 May 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bJ2bZbXKTw accessed 17 March 2019

77. Video: There's Hope! You CAN Escape Anderson!, published by Sam Gipp on 18 March 2018,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F5mHlfXS2c accessed 17 March 2019

78. Telephonic interview #01 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler
Baker, 24 January 2019

79. Video: There's Hope! You CAN Escape Anderson!, published by Sam Gipp on 18 March 2018,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F5mHlfXS2c accessed 17 March 2019

80. Telephonic Interview #01 with Dr. Sam Gipp, 03 February 2019

81. Video: Sam Gipp acts like a child when called out, published by “KJV soulwinners” (Jeff Utzler)
on 17 May 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kuUwWjg-1A accessed 17 March 2019

82. Video: Jeff Utzler- Championship Round Nogi absolute, published by “kruzer32” on 30 January
2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QPDkJVLS0s accessed 17 March 2019

Article: Cuyahoga Falls drug team the oldest in county, by Jess Saunders – Reporter, February 22,
2018, https://www.mytownneo.com/news/20180222/cuyahoga-falls-drug-team-oldest-in-county
accessed 17 March 2019

83. Video: Why the Old IFB is So Threatened by the New IFB, published by Liberty Baptist Church of
Rock Falls, IL (New IFB pastor Tommy McMurtry) on 06 July 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=FAHBtWgY6Yo accessed 17 March 2019. In this video, “Ben the Baptist” (Benjamin Naim)
interviews New IFB pastor, Patrick Boyle.

84. Telephonic interview with Faithful Word Baptist Church Pastor, Steven Anderson, 09 March 2019

85. Video: America's 'Hate' Preacher: Pastor Steven Anderson - BBC Documentary, published by
“Truth In Genesis” on 13 November 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4PvxG2Kh4E
accessed 17 March 2019
Article: Hell's gonna be pretty hot for you: My summer with a Christian hate preacher by Hannah
Livingston, 24 July 2017, https://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/article/2e465c60-cdd3-48f5-8944-
e9b2786e3ce9 accessed 17 March 2019

Part 1C:
86. Telephonic interview #03 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member Kris Byrne, 06
January 2019

87. Paul Wittenberger IMDb page at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1509561/

88. https://store.framingtheworld.com/

https://store.framingtheworld.com/t/auromre

89. Article: Framing the World by Steven Anderson, Pastor Anderson's Blog, September 29, 2016,
https://www.faithfulwordbaptist.org/bl_framing_the_world.html accessed 17 March 2019

Video: Paul Wittenberger is a Great Guy!, published by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 02

September 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcWGa01q4w0 accessed 17 March 2019

90. What are the Vedas? - Definition from Yogapedia,

https://www.yogapedia.com/definition/5007/vedas accessed 17 March 2019

91. What Is Ayurveda? Treatments, Massage, Diet, and More - WebMD

https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/ayurvedic-treatments accessed 17 March 2019

92. Integral Yoga page on the Auromere website, https://www.auromere.com/integral-yoga/ accessed

17 March 2019

93. Auromère “About” Website page, https://www.auromere.com/about/ accessed 17 March 2019

Auromère “Auroville” Website page, https://www.auromere.com/auroville/ accessed 17 March 2019

94. Auromère Ichapur School website page, https://www.auromere.com/ichhapur-school/ accessed 17

March 2019

95. Video: Hindu Moment #1 - Definition of Yoga, published by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on
15 March 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJ3oXmjfTBM accessed 17 March 2019

96. Video: The Lord" of Hinduism is Satan Himself! (The Devil), published by sanderson1611 (Steven
Anderson) on 23 January 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbGwExJYuhI accessed 17 March
2019

97. "Having Fellowship With Devils" (Baptist Preaching), published by sanderson1611 (Steven
Anderson) on 06 March 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ShCUggWmFM accessed 17
March 2019

98. Article: Where Pastors Stand on the AIDS Sermon by Steven Anderson, December 15, 2014
http://sanderson1611.blogspot.com/2014/12/where-pastors-stand-on-aids-sermon.html accessed 17
March 2019

99. Email from Pastor Stephen Cox, pastor of Bible Baptist Church in Simpsonville, SC, dated 18
February 2019

100. Telephonic Interview with Pastor Bob Gray II, pastor of Longview Baptist Temple in Longview,
TX, 22 February 2019

101. Video: Used to be "New IFB", published by sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on 01 December
2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrCBAqSwGPY accessed 17 March 2019

102. Telephonic interview #03 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler
Baker, 09 February 2019. During this interview, Baker revealed that while he was employed by Steven
Anderson as a church deacon, one of his duties was to manage the financial books for Faithful Word
Baptist Church Corporation. Baker stated he recorded the weekly tithes, offerings and donations
brought into the church each week, as well as managing the online donations. He stated he did the
payroll for all four employees which at that time included Steven Anderson, himself, Garrett Kirchway,
and Chris Segura; and he also did the church's tax returns each year. When asked how much Faithful
Word brought in each week, Baker stated, “If you look at it from a yearly perspective, the church
averages about $10,000 per week in tithes and offerings at the actual church, and about twice that total
per year from PayPal.” This would tally up to an average yearly total of $520,000 in tithes, offerings
and donations taken in at the church itself, and another $1,040,000 taken in per year from online
donation sources, for a total yearly income of approximately $1,560,000.

103. Email from Pastor Tim Coleman, pastor of 35th Avenue Baptist Church in Phoenix, AZ, dated
February 24, 2019

104. Article: What Is a Statement of Information? - Rocket Lawyer

https://www.rocketlawyer.com/article/what-is-a-statement-of-information-cb.rl accessed 17 March
2019

Article: What is a Statement of Information (California)? - Zenefits Help Center

https://help.zenefits.com/Getting_Started_with_Zenefits/Company_Documents_Required_for_New_In
surance_Setup/What_is_a_Statement_of_Information_(California)/ accessed 17 March 2019
105. Email from Matthew Ryan Stucky dated 17 February 2019 confirming he lives in Manilla, 15
minutes away from the church he pastors there.

106. Telephonic Interview with Oliver Gonzales, Corporate Secretary for Verity Baptist Church of
Sacramento, California, a New IFB church pastored by Roger Jimenez, 16 March 2019

107. California Penal Code 115 PC - Filing False Documents, Shouse Law Group,
https://www.shouselaw.com/forging-deeds.html accessed 17 March 2019

108. California Penal Code 115 PC - Filing False Documents, Shouse Law Group,
https://www.shouselaw.com/forging-deeds.html accessed 17 March 2019

109. Video: "Trinity 101" (Throwing Out Oneness Heretics), published by sanderson1611 (Steven
Anderson) on 27 May 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ZxB8_VsrY&feature=youtu.be
accessed 17 March 2019

110. Article: Cuyahoga Falls drug team the oldest in county by Jeff Saunders – Reporter, 22 February
2018, https://www.mytownneo.com/news/20180222/cuyahoga-falls-drug-team-oldest-in-county
accessed 17 March 2019

111. http://www.amendmentavenger.com/vigilant/

112. https://unftv.com/fall-2017/

113. Telephonic Interview #01 with Benjamin Knight (aka: Ben the Baptist / Benjamin Naim), member
of New IFB church Stedfast Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida, 23 February 2019

114. Such as his anti-Adam Fannin and anti-James White videos, for example:
I Will Have NO FELLOWSHIP With “Law Of Liberty” Cult Members
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtC0lB6dwAI
Stedfast Jax Reacts to Fannin Firing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zR0J0LLsXZ8
James White Thinks He’s God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIE00U6u2nw

115. https://linkedin.com/in/benjamin-naim

116. United Methodist Church (UMC) Bishop Karen Oliveto is openly homosexual, as are more than
150 other UMC clergy. The UMC accepts openly homosexual people in their membership, and there
have been some UMC clergy who have performed same sex marriages. This is common knowledge
within the UMC, and is easily validated with only a Google search.

117. The name “Benjamin” is of Hebrew origin, being found in the Old Testament as the name of
Jacob's youngest son in Genesis 35:18. It is from the Hebrew “Binyamon” and literally means “Son of
the Right Hand” or “Son of the South. See: Benjamin at Dictionary.com,
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/benjamin
His middle name of “Elie” (pronounced Ay-Lee) is also a Hebrew name meaning “God is Great.” It is
also a shortened version of Eliezar, a name familiar to readers of the Old Testament as belonging to
Abraham's servant, the son of Moses and Zipporah, and also the name of the priest who helped move
the Ark of the Covenant. See: https://www.sheknows.com/baby-names/name/elie/ and
http://www.name-doctor.com/name-elie-meaning-of-elie-33089.html
His surname of “Naim” (pronounced Nay-EEM) is both a Muslim and a Jewish (Sephardic Jew) name
meaning “bliss” or “happiness.” In a discussion with several Lebanese people, the general consensus is
that while Naim is sometimes associated with Muslim families, it is far more commonly associated
with Jewish families, specifically Jewish families living in Lebanon. See: Dictionary of American
Family Names © 2013, Oxford University Press

118. original at: https://bennaimblog.wordpress.com/about/

Archived at: https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:c8v_sZNW50gJ:https://

bennaimblog.wordpress.com/about/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

119. Comments section on Adam Fannin's “Righteous Indignation” video, which can be found at:
Righteous Indignation - New IFB vs. Andersonites,
published by Law of Liberty (Adam Fannin) on 21 February 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=5eftT8FFHDs&feature=youtu.be accessed 17 March 2019

120. Telephonic interview #03 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member & Deacon Tyler
Baker, 09 February 2019

121. Telephonic interview #01 with former Faithful Word Baptist Church member Elliott Ray, 12
February 2019

122. Video created by former Faithful Word Baptist Church member, Russell Bopst, titled, Russell
Bopst says Pastor Anderson lies, Published on Jul 12, 2017, https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=zE1SbEvTonE, accessed February 1, 2019.

123. Video: Why I Left Faithful Word Baptist Church - Josh Hall, published by Whole Armour
Ministries on 29 July 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE0d3Y4v4dc&feature=youtu.be
accessed 17 March 2019

124. Video created by Steven Harper, titled, Stedfast Baptist Church Coverup Video #1 Donnie Romero
12-3-18, Published on Jan 13, 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lON9TEvNLU, accessed
February 1, 2019
125. Video: "Sheba the Son of Bichri" (Adam Fannin Exposed), published by sanderson1611 (Steven
Anderson) on 09 January 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crCo4fYHSag accessed 17 March
2019

126. Telephonic Interview #01 with Benjamin Knight (aka: Ben the Baptist / Benjamin Naim), member
of New IFB church Stedfast Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida, 23 February 2019

127. Telephonic interview with Faithful Word Baptist Church Pastor, Steven Anderson, 09 March 2019

128. Video: "God Hates a Lying Tongue" sermon by Pastor Steven Anderson, published by
sanderson1611 (Steven Anderson) on May 5, 2009, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEKUcBo_vq8
accessed 17 March 2019