Southern Baptist Seminary Tells the Holy Spirit to "Get Lost"

Jesus once said that "the [Spirit] blows where it wills" but the Southern Baptist Southwestern Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, begs to disaqgree.

The school has a policy that forbids faculty from speaking in tongues (either in public or private) or encouraging others to do so.

While speaking at a chapel service recently, new seminary trustee Rev. Dwight McKissic mentioned that he sometimes spoke in tongues during private prayer. This led to a reaffirmation and a strict enforcement of the policy.

The Associated Press story quotes the policy as follows

"Southwestern will not knowingly endorse in any way, advertise, or commend the conclusions of the contemporary charismatic movement including private prayer language. Neither will Southwestern knowingly employ professors or administrators who promote such practices."

Seminary President Paige Patterson did not allow a videotape of McKissic's sermon to be posted online or saved in the seminary's archives with the sermons of all chapel speakers.

. . . "I have opposed (speaking in tongues) for all of these years because I think it's an erroneous interpretation of the Bible."

No doubt these folks would never see the "Star of Bethlehem" (astrology) or accept the dreams of Jacob (Jungian) or the visions of Ezekiel, either (channeling). Apparently, at least at Southwestern Theological Seminary, the Southern Baptists have curtailed the freedom of the Holy Spirit by a vote of 36-1 (McKissic dissenting).

In a condescending nod to the rest of the Body of Christ, seminary President Patterson said he defends the right of other Christians to believe in speaking in tongues.

It was not clear, however, whether such Christians would be welcomed on his campus.