Indianapolis Baptist Temple
| Indianapolis Baptist Temple | |
|---|---|
 Entrance of Indianapolis Baptist Temple | |
   | |
| 39°39′58.8″N 86°5′56.3″W / 39.666333°N 86.098972°W | |
| Location | 4002 E. Southport Rd. Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Country | United States |
| Website | www |
The Indianapolis Baptist Temple is an Independent Baptist church based in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.[1][2] The church's building was seized by the U.S. federal government after the church refused to withhold taxes from employees' paychecks for 16 years.[2] The founding pastor of the church, Greg J. Dixon, died in October 2019 aged 87.[3]
History[edit]
Indianapolis Baptist Temple (IBT) was founded in March 1950. The church became a member of the Bible Baptist Fellowship.[4]
In 1955, Greg J. Dixon became pastor.[5][6] When he started at the church, it had average attendance of 150. During the next 20 years, IBT grew by about 300 members a year, according to the Polis Research Center at IUPUI.[citation needed] The congregation was at its peak during the 1970s, when it had as many as 8,000 members and an average attendance of 3,000.[6] The 1977 BBC documentary series The Long Search used the IBT and Rev. Dixon to represent Christian fundamentalism in the program entitled Protestant Spirit USA.
References[edit]
- ^ Horne, Terry (February 14, 2001). "Feds seize Baptist Temple". Indianapolis Star. Gannett Company. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
- ^ a b "Baptist Temple tax dispute". Indianapolis Star. Gannett Company. July 21, 2001. Retrieved June 25, 2011.
- ^ Ryckaert, Vic. "Greg J. Dixon, the Indianapolis pastor who defied the federal government, died Sunday". Indianapolis Star.
- ^ Smith, David L. (February 1, 2001). A Handbook of Contemporary Theology: Tracing Trends and Discerning Directions in Today's Theological Landscape. Baker Academic. ISBN 978-1-4412-0636-7.
- ^ "Growth is Essential to Temple, Pastor". Indianapolis Star. March 29, 1981. p. 3. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Bromley, David G.; Shupe, Anson D. (1984). New Christian Politics. Mercer University Press. p. 197. ISBN 978-0-86554-115-3.
External links[edit]
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