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Baptist Contribution to Theological Reflection on the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit”: a Response

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Baptist Contribution to Theological Reflection on the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit”: a Response “Baptist Contribution to Theological Reflection on the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit”: A Response. S. Ademola Ishola Introduction The paper titled, “Baptist Contribution to Theological Reflection on the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit” by Professor William H. Brackney is well articulated and thorough. I actually expect that the Baptists would be at the vanguard of theological reflections on the Holy Spirit given our historical commitment to the Word of God, the Holy Bible. While our Baptist history “works against any sweeping statement of theological consensus,” yet, members of the Baptist family in various parts of the world have been reflecting on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit all along. My intention is to respond briefly to the paper, and also to share African perspective on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. I must appreciate Prof. Brackney’s insightful comment that the “experience of the Spirit is rich in these [Latin America, Asia and Africa] parts of our family.” From the very beginning of our history, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit has been taught, starting with John Smyth and Thomas Helwys whose understanding were shaped by the Puritan Separatist mentors. These Baptist precursors’ understanding of the Holy Spirit influenced most of the confessional statements by various Baptist groups. The 18th century gave birth to a heightened theological expression by pastors and theological teachers, among whom were John Gill and Andrew Fuller. It was Andrew Fuller’s writings that influenced not only his constituency, but also the Baptists in North America whose robust reflection reverberated around the world through missionary enterprise. The 19th century revivalist tradition and Wesleyan holiness movement added impetus to greater emphasis on the Holy Spirit. Of the several thinkers at this time was Adoniram Judson Gordon, whose bent on dispensational orientation also provided the foundation for inerrancy advocacy. Also, his writings on the work of the Holy Spirit are linked to the history of modern missions. While A. J. Gordon was advancing the work of the Holy Spirit in missions, a new theological strand surfaced through the theological writings of William Newton Clarke and Walter Rauschenbush. The two of them produced their theological reflections based on scientific realities and rationalism of the time. The two Baptist theologians were cessationists—those who felt extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as prophecy, tongues, interpretation and miracle among others ceased with the early church. Some of their publications coincided with the emergence of Pentecostalism in 1914, and may have been their response to the new movement. Rauschenbush’s understanding of the Holy Spirit was more influenced by social theorists such as Albrecht Ritschl and Adolf von Harnack. He also felt the spiritual gifts as normative for believers and espoused by the new Pentecostal movement ceased in the first century. One other Baptist scholar that contributed to the above was H. Wheeler Robinson 1 whose leaning on social sciences and psychology gave impetus to the reductionist view of the Holy Spirit. There were, however, A. H. Strong and E. Y. Mullins who leaned towards doctrinal tradition, with the latter formulating a biblical doctrine of the Holy Spirit as co-equal with the Father and the Son. The 1940s witnessed the influence of the conservative and fundamentalist Baptists, as well as the Cessationist School of dispensationalist hermenuetics whose views counter the “growing constituencies of Holiness theology and Pentecostalism.” Missions Thrust of 19th Century The missionary efforts of the North American Church (Southern Baptists) to the rest of the world began during the theological ferment of the 19th century. Nigeria received the first Baptist missionary couple in 1850, and more personnel joined the mission force in the 1940s, most of whom were products of the theological formation at the time, and their understanding of the Holy Spirit was informed by their theological contexts—mostly cessationists. Publications by E. Y. Mullins, Merrill F. Unger, Charles Ryrie, Clack Pinnock and James William McClendon among others of similar theological persuasion formed the major theological treatises used to train national pastors and lay leaders. Nigerian Baptists’ Reflection on the Holy Spirit A representative of the African contribution to the doctrine of the Holy Spirit is the Nigerian Baptists’ theological reflection on the sacred subject. The 1900s witnessed the wave of the Pentecostal and Charismatic phenomenon and the movement made inroad into our churches through some events affecting most people groups. This was followed by the emergence of interdenominational student organizations such as Scripture Union, Evangelical Christian Union and Student Christian Movement in the 1950s.i Most of these groups leaned towards the expressions of Christian doctrine of the Holy Spirit by the Pentecostal and Charismatic groups. The 1970s witnessed the full bloom of the Pentecostal tendencies or practices among the young people, particularly on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The stress on the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the emphasis on speaking in tongues, healing and deliverance, simultaneous prayers during worship and holding prayer vigils were considered by the then Baptist leaders as “unBaptistic practices.”ii Such practices, as far as the leaders were concerned, was to be stamped out of the Baptist churches and in the gatherings of our young people. The response of the leaders of the Nigerian Baptists at the time was outright condemnation and to some extent combative against such manifestations of the Holy Spirit. The denominational leaders at the time as pointed out above were products of the theological ferment especially by the cessationists. Also the emergence and growth of the African indigenous churches as at the time Baptists were growing and spreading in Nigeria and West African countries contributed in 2 no small measure to our leaders’ reactions to the strand on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit held by the Pentecostals. The literal interpretation of biblical passages on the Holy Spirit and as held by Christian Students’ organizations and the African indigenous churches had indirect impact on some of our churches. Some other practices that attracted the condemnation of the then Baptist leaders were, The emphasis on healing, that once Christians pray and have faith, healings must take place. This is coupled with deliverance—casting out of demons militating against the welfare of individuals and even a whole nation. Emphasis on miracles, insisting that signs and wonders must accompany evangelistic thrust by churches. Insistence that all Christians must speak in tongues, or what some of them called, “second blessing or experience.” Emphasis on health and wealth—prosperity theology. Emotional outbursts during worship, such as prophetic utterances during prayers and preaching. The above-listed emphases are just some of the issues Baptist leaders had to deal with, while local church pastors had to deal with “unbaptistic practices” by mostly students from some of the tertiary institutions around some local Baptist churches, and of course during their vacations. Baptist Students Fellowship (BSF) In addition to the above, the formation of Baptist student groups in various higher institutions started officially in the 1960s when the then General Secretary of the NBC, Dr. I. N. Patterson assigned some missionaries to coordinate their activities. It was the activities of the BSF that attracted official response to the Pentecostal practices by these young people. The arrowhead of the students’ ministry, Miss Mary Frank Kirkpatrick was accused of promoting Pentecostal practices, and subsequently regarded as “security risk” to the country, and was deported out of Nigeria. The then leader of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Dr. S. T. Ola Akande defended her, but his efforts were belated.iii The mystery behind her deportation could not be ascertained, however, the consensus among her followers was that the American missionaries who were cessationists were responsible for her sudden exit. The “deportation” was carried out by the “security agents” on December 15, 1977 without the knowledge of the Nigerian Baptist leaders, indicating the connivance of the then leaders of the Baptist Mission of Nigeria. A similar incidence happened in Ghana with the sudden exit of the missionary coordinating the activities of the students in the late 1970s.The reactions by her disciples in various institutions was mass exodus from some of prominent Baptist churches to join New Generation churches, while some of them started their own ministries and churches. 3 Pentecostal Manifestations in Nigerian Baptist Churches Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, the Pentecostal practices were already manifesting in many of our local Baptist churches. The activities of the Charismatic groups around the country, the formation of Baptist Students Fellowship in local Baptist churches, and evangelistic rallies by preachers with Pentecostal leanings intensified the practices. The reactions by some local Baptist pastors were swift as some of them banned the activities of the BSF and removed them from leading the Sunday schools, prayer meetings and choirs. Some churches even banned some student groups from using their church facilities for all their meetings. This led to efforts to give reorientation of members of the BSF who were misrepresenting the ideals of the fellowship, and those
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