NASHVILLE, Tenn. (ABP)—Half of the senior pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention believe some people are granted a special, spiritual language for prayer, a recent survey has found.
The findings, from LifeWay Christian Resources, come in the midst of continued turmoil in the SBC over the existence and practicality of such “private prayer languages.” They also came just before the convention's annual meeting, where messengers were expected to address policies related to glossolalia, or speaking in tongues.
LifeWay's research, gathered in April and May, included findings from 1,004 Protestant laity, 405 Southern Baptist senior pastors and 600 non-SBC Protestant senior pastors.
In the survey, 50 percent of Southern Baptist pastors answered “yes” and 43 percent said “no” to the question: “Do you believe that the Holy Spirit gives some people the gift of a special language to pray to God privately? Some people refer to this as a private prayer language or the ‘private use of tongues.'” Seven percent of the pastors interviewed said they didn't know.
Furthermore, 63 percent of the non-SBC Protestant senior pastors and 51 percent of Protestant laypeople believe in the validity of a private prayer language, according to the research.
The report received immediate attention from young SBC pastors who have used blogs to further their cause against a year-old International Mission Board guideline prohibiting the hiring of new missionaries who admit to praying in a private prayer language.
Alan Cross, in a blog post, wrote that the data suggest SBC leaders were mistaken when they maintained that a “continualist” position on spiritual gifts—belief that miraculous gifts given during the time of the apostles can still be used in the modern era—was “an extreme minority position in Southern Baptist life.”
“For the past year-and-a-half, we have heard repeatedly from proponents of the IMB policies-guidelines that they were in the vast majority in Southern Baptist life. This study proves that they are clearly wrong,” Cross, pastor of Gateway Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala., said. “Southern Baptists are very divided over this issue, and there is a wide range of opinion.”
Others have agreed with Cross' insistence, including Oklahoma pastor Wade Burleson, Texas pastor Ben Cole and Georgia pastor Marty Duren, all of whom have been prominent in leading opposition to IMB prayer language guidelines. They all addressed the survey on their blogs and have hinted at further action relating to glossolalia during the June 12-13 annual meeting.
Oklahoma pastor Robin Foster, meanwhile, has crafted a resolution to be introduced at the meeting denouncing the practice of speaking in tongues and calling on Southern Baptist agencies not to hire employees who engage in such practices.
But Ed Stetzer, LifeWay's director of research, said the report showed there was “significant openness” to private prayer languages within the convention.
“One of the big findings of the study is that you've got a substantially cessationist portion of the Southern Baptist Convention, and then you have a large portion that believes that God gives some people a private prayer language,” he said in a LifeWay podcast about the study. “And that middle ground is not that large. And, I think that is an important finding in this study.”
Critics have attacked the research, questioning its methodology, terminology and motives. Malcolm Yarnell, an assistant dean for theological studies at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, said the questions regarding private prayer practices were vague and made certain assumptions about the “gift” of tongues. He was also suspicious of the timing of the study's release, right before the SBC meeting in San Antonio.
“LifeWay should conduct a sweeping review of its research methodology,” Yarnell said.
Yarnell questioned the dual nature of the survey—it included a separate analysis of seminary graduates—since the mixed findings could cloud results, he said. All 1998-2004 master's-level graduates from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Canadian Southern Baptist Seminary were invited to participate in the survey as well. A small number of graduates from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary also were questioned, researchers said.
Of those recent seminary graduates interviewed, a majority said they believe the gift of tongues has ceased—a number higher than that of current SBC pastors. Fifty-five percent of recent Southern Baptist seminary graduates agreed that “the gift of tongues (as described in 1 Corinthians) ceased to be a valid gift in times past.” Forty-one percent of SBC pastors indicated that they believe the gift of tongues was given only during the time of the apostles, according to the report.
In the survey—conducted via phone interviews—seminary graduates were asked if they “pray in tongues, practice glossolalia, or have a private prayer language.” Roughly 5 percent of the graduates said they practice the gift, and less than 4 percent of graduates working in Southern Baptist ministries said they practice a private prayer language. The pastors and laity were not asked if they practiced the gift of tongues.
Ultimately, LifeWay's survey has added fuel to the fire of both supporters and critics of tongues guidelines and practices in the Southern Baptist Convention. Now, supporters and critics anticipate the SBC's annual meeting as the next arena for dealing with the growing debate.
“What people do with this information will show whether they believe that the SBC leadership should represent the views of the people, or the views of those who have managed to gain power,” Cross said. “We will soon find out the answer.”