Language policy and prayer (a.k.a. Speaking in Tongues)

[Harold F. Schiffman]

>>From the Enid (OK) News

Rev. Burleson speaks to congregation on International Mission Board
difficulties

CNHI News Service

 By Robert Barron Staff Writer

It has been a difficult week for the Rev. Wade Burleson, pastor of
Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid. Burleson is a trustee of International
Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. IMB board chairman Tom
Hatley, pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church in Rogers, Ark., issued a
three-paragraph statement Wednesday following a trustee vote the previous
night in executive session in Richmond, Va., to terminate Bur-lesons
four-year term.

If he is removed it would be the first time in the history of the Southern
Baptist Con-vention for such an occurrence. Burleson explained to his
congregation what happened at the mission conference, and was interrupted
several times by applause, including one standing ovation. During the
sermon he told his congregation: He is bound by conscience to resist new
policies of the IMB related to baptism and a private prayer language for
missionary candidates. The new policies violate scripture and go past the
Baptist faith and message. My conscience is bound to Gods word, he said.
Because the trustees approved the new policies, he took them to the SBC
membership at large by beginning a Weblog, or blog. This apparently upset
some of the trustees, since many of them had never heard of a blog. Those
trustees thought Bur-leson was opposing them and not the policies. The
allegations against him seem to be an attack against his character, but he
told the church his soul is at rest, because he is living by a principle.

The principle for which I am fighting is as follows: Conservative Baptists
should cooperate in missions and evangelism even though we may disagree
with each other over minor doctrines, he said. Burleson addressed his
church Sunday referring to Galatians 1:10. Am I now trying to win the
approval of men, or God? Or am I trying to please men.  If I were still
trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ A news release
from the IMB stated that in taking the action the trustees addressed
issues involving broken trust and resistance to accountability, not his
opposition to policies recently enacted by the board. When Burleson was
appointed to the mission board by the Southern Baptist Convention he was
contacted by a group who wanted him to be like-minded with them. Before he
attended his first meeting he was asked to join a group with an agenda for
the missions board, he said. It is a violation of policy for any group to
meet outside the board. All decisions are to be made by the full missions
board, Burleson told a packed sanctuary Sunday morning.

That group introduced two new policies, which he opposed in what he
described as vigorous debate. One of those issues involves what was
described as a private prayer language. Some refer to it as speaking in
tongues. The group wanted to prohibit anyone in mission service from
having a private prayer language and a new policy stated missionaries
could not pray in a language that is unintelligible. Burleson considers
that rule a violation of scripture and questioned it.  He told the church
Sunday he does not speak in tongues, nor does he know of anyone in his
church who does. I dont have a dog in this hunt, he said. The mission of
the Southern Baptist Convention is to teach scriptures, he said. There can
be differences of opinion about speaking in tongues, he said.  Southern
Baptists must cooperate together for the sake of missions around the
world, Burleson said. A second issue requires missionaries to be baptized
in a church that believes in eternal security. Burleson knows and supports
a missionary who was baptized in a pond, came to the United States and was
educated and now is a missionary in his home country.

The mission board asked Burleson if he would re-baptize the man and
Burleson refused, believing it is not necessary. Some members of the
mission board suggested they may ask the missionary to associate with
another church. I dont care where they were baptized, in a pond, or in a
river, he said. The group on the missionary board was attempting to create
new policy and were successful with the full board. Burleson opposed and
some others felt as vehemently as he. Burleson felt so strongly about the
changes he started a Weblog, or blog discussing it. Burlesons membership
in the missions board will be voted upon during the Southern Baptist
Convention in June. Burleson sees the move as an attempt to force everyone
to see all issues the same way. If that is successful, he predicted it
will be the death knell of the Southern Baptist Convention. This isnt
about speaking in tongues and baptism, he said. The move to remove him
from the board came as a shock to him. Burleson said he heard grievous
things the night before the motion, but he would not discuss them. He
accused a group of trustees of conducting business in violation of policy.

The recommendation broke my heart. The recommendation was made in
executive session but was announced in plenary session, then a news
release was issued. Between the session and the issuing of the news
release, numerous attempts were made to get him to resign. He said
resigning would admit he is wrong, and that he will stand on principle.

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