“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 would be at the vanguard of theological reflections on the Holy Spirit given our historical commitment to the Word of God, the Holy . 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 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 and . 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.

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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 exhibiting extra-biblical practices in the name of being filled with the Holy Spirit. Efforts were then made to publish materials on basic in relation to new experiences of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. By this time, however, several young people were kicked out of our churches, and many of them joined the Pentecostal and Charismatic groups on campuses and some started their own “Baptist” churches. It is estimated that close to seventy percent of the leadership of the New Generation churches in Nigeria are former Baptists who were either kicked out of their churches or simply left for where they could be utilized.

Nigerian Baptists’ Contribution to the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

Efforts to come up with official statements on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit were frustrated possibly due to the aversion that no one could speak ex-cathedra for the Baptists on any issue. Possibly the first to venture out his thoughts on the subject of the gifts of the Holy Spirit was Yusufu Ameh Obaje whose views was an indirect support for the acceptance of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.iv Professor Osadolor Imasogie whose sermon, “Reflections on Dreams, Visions, Prayers, Miracles and Speaking in Tongues” was an admission by one of the Nigerian Baptists elders of the phenomenon and the impact of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movement on most of the Baptists churches.v

However, negative reactions to the manifestations of the Holy Spirit as espoused by the Pentecostals called for official statement to correct misgivings and misuse of the gifts associated with the Spirit. It was in 1993 that Statements of Faith and Practice of the Nigerian Baptist Convention was approved. On the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the document states,

The Holy Spirit gives to Christians certain gifts for the equipping of the believers for ministry and the building up of the church of Christ. These gifts are varied and many. Some are listed in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12 and 14 and Ephesians 4. No believer has all of these gifts. No gift is superior to another or to be used as criteria for the spirituality of believers. Among the gifts are wisdom, teaching, tongues,

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interpretation of tongues, administration, healing, miracles, evangelism, prophecy, stirring speech, giving, leadership and exhortation. Scriptures specifically caution against the misuse of the gift of speaking in ecstatic utterance. It is not a forbidden gift, but must be interpreted and done decently and in order (cf. Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 7:7; 12:4-11, 28; Ephesians 4:11-15; 1 Peter 4:10).vi

The above statement cannot be considered cessationist in nature, and it is the clearest word on the manifestation of the Holy Spirit from the Nigerian Baptists since the leadership fell into the hands of the nationals. The statement was a departure from the silence of the denomination since the emergence of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements in Nigeria. The doctrinal expression was an admission of the presence of Pentecostal practices, but which must be handled biblically. The Baptists in Nigeria have thus been contributing to the development of the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. One of the Nigerian Baptist pastors who got his PhD in from Southern Baptist Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky stated that the New Testament does not support the view that “charismatic gifts like healing and speaking in tongues died with the apostles.”vii

In his Foreword to a book by two lecturers at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary, Ogbomoso, the then General Secretary of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Dr. Samuel Ola Fadeji commented thus:

Drs. Travis Collins and Ademola Ishola have both examined the charismatic movement with special reference to its impact on the Nigerian Baptist Convention. . . They have dealt with very sensitive issues like night vigils, dreams and visions and speaking in tongues. They have also dealt with less sensitive or less controversial but equally important issues like prophecy, demons, prosperity, etc. . . . We have bright hopes that this book will be used of God’s Holy Spirit to help every reader to gain good insight into the wave of charismatic movement as experienced in our own time.viii

This would probably be the first official statement by the leaders of the Nigerian Baptist Convention and what can be described as endorsement of the book’s content. One can safely conclude that since the appearance of this book, the negative reactions of some older pastors to the charismatic or Pentecostal tendencies/practices reduced considerably and younger people have been allowed and actively involved in the body life.

In a research work, it was my contention that “a holistic pneumatology is essential to the development of a contextual approach to the Yoruba context,” and possibly among Africans in general. In that viewpoint, it was stressed that,

No attempt is [to be] made to limit what the Spirit can do in time, place, and in the lives of the believers. This is in view of the fact that there is no biblical evidence indicating

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that any of the gifts will fade or cease, nor that all believers must be identically gifted. In view of this, the biblical accounts of the acts of the Holy Spirit must be made to bear on the Yoruba believers’ experience. In light of the Yoruba worldview, in which the spiritual world is a reality, and where spiritual guidance is sought through divination, the Holy Spirit must be appropriated as the Living Christ who guides and intervenes in all circumstances of life. Hence, the tendency to be selective in regard to the gifts and works of the Holy Spirit [would] fail to do justice to biblical accounts, nor will such exegesis be relevant to the Yoruba context.ix

The allowance of the appropriation and practices of the full manifestations of the Holy Spirit is the point here, but that which is done within the biblical givens and without excesses. There have been other publications on the subject of the Holy Spirit and as it relates to charismatic tendencies.x

In 1999, the theme for the annual Convention was, “Come, Holy Spirit” in which various teachers and preachers handled the subject of the Holy Spirit.xi The subject of the Holy Spirit has ceased to be a source of controversy among the Nigerian Baptists and particularly in regard to his manifestation. In cases where there is excess, the individuals or churches involved have been biblically-counseled.

Conclusion

Let me conclude by listing few major areas of emphasis as I see it from the paper and gleanings from some of our constituencies. These are:

1. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is indispensable in salvation experience—the new birth is a new birth of the Spirit. 2. We hear the gospel by the power of the Holy Spirit. The BWA emphasized on this in the last quinquennium with the theme, “Jesus Christ, Living Water.”xii It is significant to note that our current theme for this period is, Hear the Spirit which possibly prompted this meeting. 3. We are convicted of our sins by the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. John 16:6-11). 4. We respond in penitence and confession by the power of the Holy Spirit. 5. While the Pentecostals emphasize the post-conversion experience of the Holy Spirit, described as “baptism,” Baptist theologians would rather describe the post-conversion experience of the Holy Spirit as “fullness” which is attained by:  Living and growing in the Spirit  Walking and serving in the Spirit  Maturing and bearing fruit of the Spirit.

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6. In some charismatic traditions, they speak of nine call gifts of the Spirit (based on 1 Corinthians 1). Baptists are of the opinion that about twenty (20) different gifts are mentioned in the Bible (Old and New Testaments). 7. Pentecostals elevate the gift of tongues as the authentic evidence of Spirit’s baptism, fullness, unction, etc. Baptist theologians teach that tongue speaking is not the only evidence of a spirit baptized or filled Christian. All spiritual gifts are equal authentic manifestation of the presence of the Holy Spirit in a Christian life. 8. Baptists teach that the role of spiritual gifts in Christian life should be balanced with the fruit of the Spirit. Development of Christ-like character is an equally important work of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

May the Spirit of the Living God continue to illumine and empower us towards doing his will and also for the expansion of his kingdom here on earth.

Endnotes i For details, see Matthews A. Ojo, “The Growth of Campus and Charismatic Movements in Western Nigeria,” Ph.D thesis, University of , 1987. ii Matthews A. Ojo, he Nigerian Baptist Convention and the Pentecostal Resurgence,” in Ecclesiates: The Preacher, The Churchand the Contemporary Society. Papers in Honour of Rev. Dr. S. T. Ola. Akande @ 80, edited by Ademola Ishola and Deji Ayegboyin (Ibadan: Sceptre Prints Limited, 2006), p. 328. iii Ibid., p. 344. iv Yusufu A. Obaje, Have You Received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit? (Ogbomoso: Adebayo Calvary Printers, 1986). He also authored, The Miracle of Speaking in Tongues: Which Side Are You? (Ogbomoso: Adebayo Calvary Printers, 1987). He also contributed a scholarly article at a seminar organized by the Programme on Theological Education of the World Council of Churches on its 1991 theme, “Come, Holy Spirit, Renew the Whole Creation.” The article is titled, “Theocentric Pneumatology and its Implications for the Renewal of the Church Today” in Spirit Renewal and Ministry, edited by John S. Pobee (Accra: Ecumenical Theological Education, World Council of Churches and Asempa Publishers, 1993), pp. 33-48. v Osadolor Imasogie, “Reflections on Dreams, Visions, Prayers, Miracles and Speaking in Tongues,” a sermon preached at the Nigerian Baptist Theological Seminary Chapel, Ogbomoso on April 12, 1988 (published by the Benin Baptist Association in 1988). vi Statements of Faith and Practices of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (Ibadan: Baptist Press, 1993), p. 8. vii Sola Aworinde, Blest be the Tie (Lagos: Charisma Creations, 1990), p. 50. viii Samuel Ola Fadeji, “Foreword,” in Baptists and the Charismatic Movement by Travis Collins & Ademola Ishola (Ibadan: Baptist Press, 1995), pp. 5-6. ix S. Ademola Ishola, Towards a Contextualized Missiological Approach to the Yoruba Religio-Cultural Milieu. (Ann Arbor, MI: U.M.I, 1992), pp. 204-207. See also, Millard Erickson, Christian Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1985), pp. 877-880; and Thomas Starkes, A Search for Common Ground (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1977), p. 72—these Baptist scholars, among others disagree with the cessationists and their viewpoints fit well to African contexts. x See, Emiola Nihinlola, The Blessings of Pentecost, A Refreshing Interpretative Analysis of Acts 2:1-47 (Ibadan: Sceptre Prints Limited, 2003); Gbile Akanni, When God Speaks: The Nature & Integrity of God’s Word (Gboko, Benue State, Nigeria: Peace House Publications, 2008) and God’s Commitment to You: His Personal Word to the Believer (Gboko, Nigeria: Peace House Publications, 2010).

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xi See The Minutes of the 86th Annual Session of the Nigerian Baptist Convention including the Proceedings and Messages (April 24-29, 1999) held in Effurun, Delta State. xii See, Ademola Ishola, “The Empowerment of the Holy Spirit,” in Jesus Christ, Living Water. Official Report of the Centenary Congress, , (July 27-31, 2005), pp. 21-29.

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