Steven Anderson, the pastor of Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona, and leader of the New Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (NIFB) sect. He is known for his controversial and inflammatory rhetoric, including advocating for the execution of gay people and referring to LGBTQ+ individuals as “sodomites” and “reprobates”. In a 2014 sermon, he claimed that an AIDS-free world could be achieved by Christmas if biblical laws were followed, which include the death penalty for men who have sex with men. He has also celebrated the Orlando Pulse nightclub shooting, stating there were “50 less pedophiles in this world”. Anderson has been banned from multiple countries, including the U.K., Ireland, and Botswana, due to his hateful rhetoric. In 2009, he gained national attention for a sermon titled “Why I Hate Barack Obama,” which led to a man bringing firearms to an event where the president was speaking. Three of his children have come forward with allegations of years of physical and psychological abuse, including beatings with an electrical cord, forced cold showers, and emotional manipulation. In response, Anderson claimed the allegations are biblically justified and likened himself to the Apostle Paul, asserting that his children’s accusations are a form of persecution. He has also publicly accused a family member of abducting one of his children and requested his online followers to surveil them.
Steven Lee Anderson (born July 24, 1981) is an American preacher and founder of the New Independent Fundamental Baptist Movement. He is the pastor of Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, Arizona, which describes itself as an “old-fashioned, independent, fundamental, King James Bible–only, soul-winning Baptist church”. Anderson has been a prominent figure in controversial religious discourse due to his extreme views and rhetoric.
Anderson has advocated for the death penalty for homosexuals, stating in sermons that such individuals should be executed and even suggesting that governments should carry out these executions. He has publicly prayed for the deaths of former U.S. President Barack Obama and Caitlyn Jenner, claiming he would not judge or condemn anyone who killed Obama. His sermons have also included statements that the victims of the 2016 Orlando nightclub massacre “should’ve been killed anyway” and that the victims of the 2015 Paris Bataclan attack “deserved to die” for attending a concert.
Anderson has produced a documentary titled Marching to Zion, which has been described as promoting “a wide range of antisemitic stereotypes” and arguing that the anticipated Jewish messiah is the Antichrist. He has also promoted Holocaust denial, releasing a video titled The Holocaust Hoax Exposed in 2015. His views have led to his classification as a hate preacher by organizations such as the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which lists his church as an anti-gay hate group due to his advocacy for the execution of gay people. The SPLC also notes that Anderson has called for the elimination of the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Reserve Bank, the Social Security Administration, and child protective services.
Anderson has been banned from entering numerous countries, including South Africa, the United Kingdom, Botswana, Canada, Jamaica, the Schengen Area, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand, due to his extremist views and rhetoric. As of 2019, he had been banned from more than 30 countries. Despite these bans, he continues to broadcast his sermons online through YouTube, his personal vlog “sanderson1611” (with over 120,000 subscribers), and the church’s vlog, reaching a global audience.
In addition to his controversial teachings, Anderson has faced allegations of abuse from his children, who accused him of physical and emotional abuse. He is married to Zsuzsanna Anderson, whom he met in Munich, Germany, and they have 12 children together. Anderson is known for his adherence to KJV-Onlyism, the belief that the King James Version of the Bible is the only valid and inspired translation, a stance criticized by religious scholars as elevating a specific translation beyond biblical authority. His ministry has been described as a “personality cult” due to its hyper-independent ecclesiology and lack of accountability to any denominational or ecclesiastical oversight.
1. KJV-Onlyism: Elevating Tradition over the Authority of God’s Word
One of the central tenets of Steven Anderson’s teaching is his promotion of KJV-Onlyism, the belief that the King James Version of the Bible is the only inspired, infallible, and authoritative translation of Scripture in the English language. Anderson goes so far as to claim that all other modern translations are corrupt and cannot be trusted. This stance is problematic because it elevates a specific translation to a level of authority that the Bible itself does not claim, effectively adding to the Word of God.
The Bible teaches that all Scripture is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16) and inspired in its original manuscripts, but it does not limit God’s Word to a specific translation or language. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew and Aramaic, and the New Testament was written in Greek, and faithful translations can be made into any language. By insisting that the KJV is the only true version, Anderson distorts the doctrine of Scripture’s inspiration, suggesting that God has only preserved His Word perfectly in a single English translation from the 17th century. This claim undermines the accessibility and authority of God’s Word for non-English-speaking Christians around the world and elevates a man-made tradition over the sufficiency of Scripture.
Furthermore, Anderson’s KJV-Onlyism often leads him to make baseless accusations against those who use other translations, creating unnecessary division within the body of Christ. Paul warned against those who “quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers” (2 Timothy 2:14). By promoting KJV-Onlyism, Anderson places a stumbling block before believers, diverting their attention away from the true gospel and onto secondary, unbiblical matters.
2. A Gospel of Hatred, Not Love
Steven Anderson’s teachings are often characterized by an unbiblical spirit of hatred and hostility, particularly toward those he would consider to be worse sinners than others, and fellow Christians who disagree with him. His sermons are filled with inflammatory, derogatory language that not only contradicts the biblical command to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) but also misrepresents the character of Christ. Anderson frequently preaches that certain groups are beyond God’s grace and actively prays for their destruction, claiming that they are beyond the hope of salvation.
This message is in direct contradiction to the gospel of Jesus Christ, which calls sinners to repentance and offers grace, mercy, and forgiveness to all who turn to Him in faith. Jesus Himself declared, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10), and Paul reminds us that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15). By promoting a message of hatred and condemnation rather than grace and redemption, Anderson not only fails to proclaim the true gospel but also denies the heart of God, who “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).
3. Legalism and Works-Based Righteousness
Anderson’s teachings often reflect a legalistic mindset, in which he emphasizes outward conformity to rules and traditions as evidence of true faith. For example, he preaches that certain external practices, such as women wearing dresses and men wearing short hair, are absolute requirements for Christians, going beyond what Scripture explicitly teaches. This approach leads to a works-based view of righteousness, rather than the biblical teaching that we are saved by grace through faith alone, apart from works (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The Bible is clear that our righteousness comes not from our ability to keep external rules but from Christ’s finished work on the cross. Paul warned the Galatians against legalism, saying, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). Anderson’s legalistic teachings burden believers with unnecessary rules, robbing them of the joy and freedom that come from knowing Christ and resting in His grace.
4. Lack of Biblical Accountability and Fruit of the Spirit
One of the marks of a false teacher is a lack of accountability and the absence of the fruit of the Spirit. Anderson’s ministry operates independently, with no oversight or accountability from other mature Christians or church leaders. This lack of accountability allows him to promote his own ideas unchecked, leading to the promotion of unbiblical and harmful doctrines.
Moreover, the fruit of Anderson’s ministry is characterized by anger, hostility, and division, rather than the fruit of the Spirit, which includes “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). Jesus warned that false teachers would be known by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-20), and Anderson’s fruit reveals a heart that is not aligned with the Spirit of Christ.
Conclusion: Why Steven Anderson Should Be Avoided
Steven Anderson is a false teacher because he elevates KJV-Onlyism above the authority of Scripture, promotes a gospel of hatred instead of the love and grace of Christ, and imposes legalistic rules that are not rooted in the Word of God. The Bible warns us to “watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them” (Romans 16:17). Anderson’s teachings do exactly that—they distort the gospel, create unnecessary divisions within the body of Christ, and turn people away from the true message of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself cautioned against false teachers, saying, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). The will of the Father is to proclaim the gospel of repentance, faith, and grace in Christ, not a message of hatred, division, or adherence to man-made rules. For these reasons, it is essential to avoid Steven Anderson’s teachings and instead hold fast to the pure and unchanging truth of God’s Word, which reveals the true gospel of Jesus Christ and leads us into a deeper relationship with Him.
