RESOLUTION ON PRIVATE PRAYER IN TONGUES
Submitted By William Dwight McKissic, Sr.
Cornerstone Baptist Church
5415 Matlock Rd.
Arlington, TX 76018
(817) 468-0083
website: www.cbcarlington.org
WHEREAS, the Southern Baptist Convention has definitively grounded our confession of faith in the inerrant Word of God (II Tim. 3:15, 16); and
WHEREAS, the inerrant word of God speaks authoritatively, sufficiently, and clearly to the practice of a believer’s private devotional life (Col. 3:16; 4:2, Psalms 19:14); and
WHEREAS, the New Testament teaching includes apostolic instruction that governs the gifting of the Spirit, including but not limited to the gift of tongues and its use by those so gifted of God (I Cor. 12:7, 10, 30; 14:2, 4, 5, 13-15); and
WHEREAS, the New Testament teaches that believers gifted with tongues are restricted to utilize that gift in private prayer to God whenever public tongues are impermissible (I Cor. 14:27, 28); and
WHEREAS, the Southern Baptist Convention has never adopted a statement, policy, or confession that denied the continuation of all spiritual gifts, including the gift of tongues or denying the potential for such gifts to be used in private devotion; and
WHEREAS, many faithful Southern Baptists testify concerning their spiritual gift of tongues as exercised in private prayer; and
WHEREAS, this convention has historically allowed for confessional flexibility and great freedom when it comes to the private devotional lives of all Southern Baptists; now be it therefore
RESOLVED, that the Southern Baptist Convention, meeting in San Antonio, Texas, June 12-13, 2007, continues its long and cherished tradition of respecting the personal freedoms of private devotion for all Southern Baptist pastors, ministers, evangelists, missionaries, educators, and laypersons; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention recognize the confessional framework of the Baptist Faith and Message 2000 as sufficient to represent those doctrines that generally characterize Southern Baptists, and which document contains no statement, article, or provision limiting the continued availability of all spiritual gifts to the church today; and be it further
RESOLVED, that we encourage all Southern Baptists to eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially those that are given to edify the whole body of Christ, without denying the gifts of the Spirit that guide believers in their private devotion; and be it finally
RESOLVED, that we encourage all Southern Baptists to cultivate sincere and consistent habits of disciplined personal prayer whereby they may enjoy the power, filling, and fruit of the Spirit of God as operative in their lives.
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I would appreciate your prayers that this resolution would be received in the spirit that it is given.
Please feel free to comment.
Wm. Dwight McKissic, Sr. 
May 25, 2007 at 9:56 pm
Dwight,
As you know, “tongues” is an issue on which you and I disagree. But that’s okay because of our love for Christ and for each other, we can disagree agreeably. 🙂
Having said that, I want to go on record as supporting your resolution. I will gladly vote in the affirmative for this resolution if it comes before the convention because of my agreement with you on the principle of doctrinal freedom beyond BFM2K.
Regards,
Les Puryear
May 27, 2007 at 5:00 am
Dwight:
Amen. This really, really needs to happen.
Kudos for presenting it, whatever happens.
May 27, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Dwight, since I don’t have a vote (and I would vote for the resolution), I’ll offer a prayer — for wisdom to prevail, prejudice to fall, and freedom to erupt in and through the SBC. Keep bringing the light and the love, brother, from the Word and the Spirit.
May 27, 2007 at 12:08 pm
Hey Pastor Dwight,
Alan up in in liberalville….I mean Massachusetts.
I too will vote for this to pass.
See you Friday.
Alan
May 27, 2007 at 8:13 pm
Dwight,
Outstanding resolution. Your focus on respecting the private devotion of Southern Baptists is superb. I will obviously be supporting this resolution in San Antonio. Thank you for your leadership.
May 28, 2007 at 9:21 am
This is GREAT!! As an SB worker in East Asia, I’m grateful that I’m ‘grandfathered in’ on this issue. Know that I’ll be pr’n that this passes and that it will set the mood for a movement of that same Gift-giving Holy Spirit will move among those at the convention with grace and mercy, and that healing will come to our convention!
I feel that too much time, money and energy has been spent on issues like PRIVATE pr languages and chapel construction!!! There are thousands of Chinese that die EVERYDAY and we’ve far too much to do to be so consumed with such matters!
THANKS to you, and Wade and Ben Cole for your stand on this and so many other issues that keep folks from focusing on KINGDOM matters.
May 28, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Dwight,
Your resolution certainly has my vote as a messenger from my fellowship.
May 29, 2007 at 5:54 pm
Les Puryear: Dear Les – I look forward to seeing you and your wife in San Antonio. I appreciate the fact that we do not allow our different view of “tongues” to affect our love for each other. You and/or Tim Rogers paid for breakfast for my wife and I when we were visiting in North Carolina. I trust that you and your wife along with Bro. Tim and his wife would allow Vera and I to buy you a lunch or dinner while you’re in Texas. What you and I both agree on is the fact that no Baptist agency should go beyond the BFM2K. As a matter of fact, if IMB, NAMB and SWBTS drop their current tongues policy, they would all be in line with the BFM2K and there would be no need to vote on any tongues resolution.
See you in San Antonio.
BTW, I remain committed to supporting your small church conference.
Bob Cleveland: Bob – I’ll be looking for the pink hat as soon as I arrive in San Antonio. Dwight.
Todd Nelson: Todd- Thanks for your prayers. We’ll all need them in San Antonio.
Alan Stoddard: Your friendship and your ministry to the Cornerstone family mean more than you’ll ever know. I’m thankful and proud of the work that you do and your continuing your education. Look forward to spending time with you in San Antonio.
Alan Cross: Your love for Christ, His Word and His people is so apparent. My life is richer because of your friendship and your ministry of writing and preaching/teaching.
Looking forward to seeing you in San Antonio.
Dwight
Randy: Thanks for your encouragement and thank God for the “grandfather clause.” It’s people like you and “future Randy’s” that makes it worth the fight for Wade, Ben, Art and myself. May God continue to bless your work in East Asia.
Paul Burleson: It is with keen anticipation that I look forward to you preaching on Father’s Day. Thanks for the encouragement and affirmation.
Love One and All,
Dwight
June 6, 2007 at 9:54 pm
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June 22, 2007 at 1:27 pm
You will never know what your resoultion means to me! I recently ask Jesus to baptize me in the Holy Spirit and praise be to HIM He did it!!! I am now in the Word as never before, with a hunger and understanding I never dreamed of. Being quite naive about how “Baptist” have an issue with this…I became so discouraged when I found out that I was not “accepted” by many fellow believers, since I now have a private prayer language..it is real and it is a gift from God.
Your Sister in Christ
August 13, 2007 at 3:48 am
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November 11, 2007 at 9:50 pm
What happened to the resolution?
I was not able to attend and as I don not see it on the SBC web-site I can only assume it was either defeated or ruled out-of-order.
Don’t quit, We must accept the whole counsel of scripture.