Editorial
JAMES E. COSSEY
EDITOR IN CHIEF
The Holy
Spirit and
S
PEAKING WITH other tongues Take a long look back. Examine our
is the initial evidence of the history. On August 19, 1886, when
baptism in the Holy Spirit. The Richard G. Spurling issued the call and
preponderance of scriptural evi- eight people came forward to form the
dence leaves me no room for Christian Union, which later became the
The Great
doubt. But as much as I believe that speak- Church of God, it was a missional call.
ing in the language of the Spirit is the ini- Our movement was not birthed through
tial evidence, I am likewise convinced it is fine programs; it came forth from the fires
Commission
not the only evidence. While Acts 2:4 sup- of passionate mission! What happened?
ports spiritual language as the initial evi- At what point did mission give way to
dence, Acts 1:8 presents spiritual power as maintenance? Or has it? That is a ques-
the substantial evidence of Spirit baptism. tion each of us must ask and answer in
A powerless life—even for one who speaks our own heart and our own local congre-
in tongues—is not a spiritual life. Jesus gation. We must also ask and answer that
said, “You shall receive power when the question as a movement. Are we simply
WITNESSING ABOUT
Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you an institution? Or will we become one?
CHRIST IN THE
shall be witnesses to Me” (v. 8, NKJV). Or will it continue to be said of us as
This issue of the Evangel emphasizes Sabine Barring-Gould said in the ancient
POWER OF THE
the Great Commission. As our general hymn, and as Charles W. Conn declared
overseer says in his interview (see page in his great historical record, “Like a
HOLY SPIRIT IS THE 16), this is not a program or a methodol- mighty army moves the Church of God”?
ogy to get more people involved in We know what the initial evidence of
MISSION OF THE
church activity. Witnessing about Christ Spirit baptism is, but what is the substan-
CHURCH OF GOD.
in the power of the Holy Spirit is the mis- tial evidence? Spiritual power! According
sion of the Church of God. This is our to Jesus, when we have His power, we
THIS IS OUR REASON
reason for being—the only reason. We are will become His witnesses. A large per-
called to lead lost people to Christ and to centage of our culture does not want to
FOR BEING—
develop them as His disciples. hear our message. Many would even cen-
THE ONLY REASON.
Modern missiologists have coined the sor our opinions (as we saw with the
term missional to define the ministry of recent Miss California USA fiasco). Popu-
the Church. Ed Stetzer and David Put- lar culture has never accepted the Christ-
man, in their book Breaking the Missional ian message. But many people will, so we
Code, say that a missional church is one must tell it. Whether our professional
that has transitioned from programs to occupation is preacher, teacher, physi-
You are invited to visit the online
processes; from demographics to discern- cian, nurse, truck driver, or ditch digger,
Evangel site at www.onlineevangel.org
and my personal blog at
ment; from models to missions; from we are strangers in a strange land. We are
www.jecossey.blogspot.com
attractional to incarnational; from profes- missionaries as surely as those who travel
Views expressed on my blog are my
sional to passionate; from uniformity to to foreign soil.
personal views and do not reflect
diversity; from seating to sending; from The initial evidence of Spirit baptism
the views of the Evangel staff, the
decisions to disciples; from additional to is speaking in tongues. The substantial,
Church of God, or Pathway Press.
exponential; from monuments to move- ongoing evidence is a life of faithful wit-
ments (Broadman and Holman, 2006). ness in the power of the Holy Spirit.
EVANGEL • SEP 2009 3
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