Introduction

1. We are very enthusiastic about the Holy Spirit. We believe in him and his power to equip us for doing God’s will.

2. The Holy Spirit may come to us in richness in many ways. No single church has the monopoly on the Holy Spirit.

3. The “charismatic” branch of the Church of Christ is powerful and growing and has a great deal to teach us. It became particularly relevant in the late 20th century because of people’s increasing need to experience God at an emotional level. This is a legitimate desire, yet should be tempered by ensuring that people also “think” their religion—that they are well-grounded in thought and doctrine. We value the joy, the sense of liberty and the boldness that many charismatic people demonstrate.

The filling of the Spirit

1. The Scriptures clearly urge us to be filled with the Spirit, and it is something to be highly desired.

2. There are two divergent opinions in the church-at-large about how the filling of the Spirit happens. Some teach that we receive the Spirit at the moment of believing in Christ, and that the fullness of the Spirit comes as we yield more of our lives to the Spirit who is already within. Others teach subsequent filling(s) “from outside,” where the Holy Spirit fills/anoints/falls on us in a new way. Paradoxical as it may seem, we believe that the Scriptures and the wide experience of many Christians give credence to both views. So our teaching and practice need to give place to both to the exclusion of neither.

3. The Holy Spirit is appears to delight in working in different ways with different people (the Spirit blows where is wishes.) We celebrate this diversity. Any suggestion that any one kind of experience is normative or constitutes a sign that one person is more spiritual than another is erroneous. The fruits of the Spirit are the truest measure of the fullness of the Spirit.

4. We need to avoid regarding any experience, however precious it may be, as a short cut to holiness or victorious Christian living—we all have to submit to the hard work of sanctification.

The gifts of the Spirit

1. All gifts of the Spirit (‘supernatural’ or other) are valuable. It is good to desire these so that we can better minister within the body, understanding that God is sovereign and gives them as he deems best. The emphasis is on knowing the Giver, not glorifying the gifts.

2. People are not more filled with the Spirit because they have more ‘spectacular’ gifts than people who have more ‘ordinary’ gifts.

3. The gift of tongues it is a legitimate gift of the Spirit. We want to avoid two errors in dealing with it: First, we discourage over-emphasis on it. It is not the highest gift, nor is it a ‘litmus test’ of the filling of the Spirit, though it often happens at the time of the filling of the Spirit. Second, we want to avoid any belittling of the gift. Generally it is a gift for use in private for the edification of the individual, but it can be used in public, in which case an interpretation will be expected.

3. Prophecy (a person receiving a specific word from the Lord for the church or for an individual) is legitimate. We will not usually call for this in open worship services, but rather asked people who think they may have a word from the Lord to first bring it to the elders, to whom the duty falls to test the message.

4. The laying on of hands should be normal in churches, and people should learn how to use the gifts of the Spirit.

5. In all this tolerance and variety should be regarded very highly. People should be free to worship and minister as the Spirit leads them. We do not seek stereo-type behaviour, nor do we want anyone feeling pressured to behave in particular.

6. We draw our doctrines from Scripture alone, not from people’s experiences (even if the experience comes from the Holy Spirit).

7. We realise that the subject of charismatic gifts and practice is a sensitive one. To some people causes anxiety; for others it is very precious. So we want to be very careful about loose or flippant talk in these matters. We encourage serious, open dialogue on these things.

Summary

We do not seek any stereo-type behaviour, and we will resist silly or un-scriptural emphases. We value the joy and emotion which charismatic people often exhibit, and will always add to it sound teaching and sensible thinking. We welcome the Holy Spirit among us.