Posted on 03/11/2006 5:42:09 AM PST by WKB
Baptists are caught up in controversy again.
This time conservative Southern Baptists are in contention over a new rule approved by the International Mission Board that disqualifies future missionary candidates who admit to speaking in a charismatic "private prayer language."
Proponents say the new regulation is needed to emphasize Baptists' long-held position against charismatic practices such as praying and speaking in unknown tongues, or "glossalalia," a practice popular among Pentecostals and other groups.
The irony is that Jerry Rankin, the leader of the Richmond, Va.-based foreign mission board, has long used a charismatic prayer language in his private prayers. So, could the man who runs the worldwide organization of 5,000 missionaries be disqualified under the rule? Not at all. The new regulation is not retroactive.
The mission board already prohibits missionaries from publicly speaking in tongues, but in November added the regulation disqualifying new missionary candidates who, like Rankin, admit to having a private prayer language.
Future candidates who use a private prayer language also have a right to appeal to try to convince screening committees that their practice doesn't violate Baptist policy.
Rankin said in a press conference with Baptist editors that he's used a private prayer language for 30 years but doesn't encourage others to do it. Rankin strongly opposes publicly speaking in tongues.
One mission board trustee, the Rev. Wade Burleson, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, Okla., has led the opposition to the new private prayer language rule and believes it may have been meant to discredit Rankin. Burleson criticized the new rule as narrow and restrictive.
"For the record, I do not have the gift of tongues," he said on his Web site. "I never have had it and I don't desire it, but I sure don't mind going to Africa and serving on a mission field with someone that prays in tongues in their prayer closet."
David Rogers, a Baptist missionary and son of the late Rev. Adrian Rogers, an icon among conservative Baptists, agreed. He said in a letter to Burleson that he doesn't use a private prayer language but works with many missionaries who do.
The Rev. Tom Hatley, chairman of the mission board, this week said trustees thought the rules were needed to address some problems with charismatic practices in Baptist missions in some parts of the world, particularly South America. He doesn't think the rules were meant to target Rankin.
"One of the reasons it hasn't come faster is that trustees knew Jerry Rankin had a private prayer language and the rule might be wrongfully perceived as trying to hurt him," said Hatley, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Rogers, Ark.
Hatley, a native of Fort Worth who grew up in Glen Rose, sent out an open letter this week to pastors urging them to study the proposals and offer their views by e-mail. He included position papers quoting the late Rev. W.A. Criswell, longtime pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas, and Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, as critics of charismatic practices.
"Most pastors and theologians among Southern Baptists of recent decades and of today regard the charismatic movement as divisive, encouraging spiritual pride, and stressing minor gifts out of proportion to biblical evidence," the paper states.
Burleson has said he opposes the new rule on his widely read Web site, www.wadeburleson.com. The trustees adopted, then rescinded at Hatley's request, a motion that the Southern Baptist Convention remove Burleson as a trustee.
Central to the controversy are different interpretations of the New Testament. The Book of Acts tells of the Holy Spirit coming down on the Day of Pentecost "like a rushing mighty wind." It says cloven tongues like fire appeared over Jesus' followers and they began to speak in other tongues. Non-Christians from many nations heard the story of Christ in their own language and scores were converted to the new faith.
Southern Baptists generally have taught that the event in Acts was a one-time miracle related to building up of the early church and that the tongues mentioned were then-known languages.
But Pentecostals and many charismatic Baptists, Catholics, Episcopalians and independent Christian groups say they experience their own New Testament-style Pentecost today. They believe the Holy Spirit comes over them, enabling them to speak a spiritual language and drawing them closer to God.
It amazes me that so many can take Paul's letter, an essay on not speaking in tongues and twist it to speak in tongues.
I tried to add Religion to the topics and it
says "Religion" unknown. Is that anything like
and unknown tongue?
"Can anyone help me find 'private prayer language' in my bible?
"
"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;" - Mark 16:17
When I was a young girl I was taken to both Catholic and Protestant pentacostal meetings where people often spoke in tongues. Everyone else seemed terribly impressed but I could clearly hear that the speakers were saying "Abada babada beebada boobada," in a chant--it was not some unknown language, but gibberish.
On the other hand, we have no right to judge whether or not, during the speaking, there is some powerful interaction going on between the speaker and God. We don't know what is in the speaker's heart and mind; only God does.
I do not agout Dr. Rankin's prayer life, but I do know that he was and excellent pastor.
Hey, we have a local gal that channels a 35,000 year old Atlantian warrior and charges $$ to watch her do it. About the same legitimacy, IMO.
"It amazes me that so many can take Paul's letter, an essay on not speaking in tongues and twist it to speak in tongues."
I Corinthians 14:39: "Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues."
And this is not just for private prayer but to be spoken out in a congregation where unbelievers might come in: "In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips
will I speak unto this people;
and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. (Is. 28.11, 12)
22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not - - "
HERESHECOMEONAHONDA, SEEMYBOWTIE TIEMYBOWTIE, OHMYSHIN OHMYKNEE!
Also, recently, I drove an hour to visit McGee's old Baptist-like, independent Church of the Open Door Amplified electric guitar music could be heard at least ta block and a half away.away. (Very neighborly)
The point iI'm trying to make is that this mainline Baptist church, typical of many, may not have believed in tongues, but it was jcertainly using charismatic churches set the pattern.
I came out of a charismatic tradition and now worship at a church that is not charismatic. I will admit, it lacks a certain fire.
I studied this because I needed to make sense of it for my own Christian walk. I thought the closest author to the truth was Spiros Zodhiates, who is a greek scholar. He writes all kinds of translations and lexicons.
Basically he says the word "tongues" as used by Paul had different meanings based on whether the plural was used or not. The prayer language is not nonsense but he says it is it is self edifying and therefore not for public use. Also it holds up the church to ridicule.
I at times use a private prayer language but it is just that. It brings you into a private place with the Lord. Sort of like sweet icing on cake, it's nice but you can't live on it.
You have no idea how encouraged I am to find another baptist who hasn't lost his sense of humor!
FRegards,
H-T
LOL.
As a kid one of Mom's friends had a boyfriend named Jim Jones and we used to call him Uncle Jim. When the Jim Jones massacree hit I was a very confused boy for a while till I got it all sorted out and realized there was more than one Jim Jones..... ;-)
You have no idea how encouraged I am to find another baptist who hasn't lost his sense of humor!
We are few and far between but it is one thing
that God has blessed me with.
I don't know if I could make it without it.:>)
You won't find the word "piano" either, but there's a whole lot of churches that have them.
The info is there if you really want to search it out and prayerfully consider it, but I would guess from the tone of your comment that you probably aren't really interested in it.
Maybe I'm wrong.
My own church, a Southern Baptist church (I attend the church and am a member of the church and was baptized into that denomination, but I do not consider myself a Southern Baptist per se anymore; I don't have a lot of use for denominations, if I'm ever asked that I put "Christian"), is getting just like that, and I don't like it. IMHO, it's because that kind of stuff draws people in, and I think there is an exaggerated emphasis on church growth these days instead of what the actual mission of a church should be.
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