Tongue tied

Southern Baptists concerned about the issue of speaking in tongues will not be silenced.
The subject has came up numerous times during this year’s annual meeting and it may be explored even further next year.
Messenger Lee Saunders of Texas asked that consideration be given to the development of a convention policy regarding the gift of tongues.
The elephant in the room was officially exposed.
Saunder’s request was referred to the convention’s executive committee for report back to the convention at next year’s annual meeting in Indianapolis.
This could very well mean that Baptists will spell out exactly what they do or don’t believe about glossolalia or private prayer language.
The issue has certainly been bandied about during these last two days. Of course Oklahomans like the Rev. Wade Burleson (Enid) and the Rev. Robin Foster (Perkins) have been discussing it for some time now.
Next year in Indy Southern Baptists may come to some consensus about whether or not their missionaries and seminary professors can ascribe to the practice of speaking in tongues.
Some Baptists have stayed mum on the issue, but after this gathering, I doubt any Southern Baptist leader will have that luxury forever.
Meanwhile Burleson says he believes the issue is nobody’s business — what someone does in private prayer is their business.
Somehow I think it is going to become everybody’s business — soon.
Interestingly enough, a resolution concerning glossolalia did not make it out of committee.
Gerald Harris, the resolution committee chairman, said the committee had good reason not to wade into the debate.
“We didn’t feel like the resolution committee was the Supreme Court, so to speak, to interpret theology for the convention.”