Comment posted Contact The Author by Bill Prather.

Dave Patterson, my best friend, sent me a copy and I read it in two sittings. Absolutely agree with your thoughts. I identified many times throughout the book, being a chaplain, myself, and bred, born, and raised in a Wyoming Assemblies of God church. The evidence was tongues, period. I lived in constant “fear” of loosing my soul until I was twenty years old because I didn’t speak in tongues, “rather than my native language, when I was in public and/or private worship. Enlightment came first when Bro. Riggs took me under his wing when at Bethany. Later, as a pastor of an A/G church, I became convienced (within myself) that being filled with the Holy Spirit is a soverign act of God. I will never forget being excoriated by the breathern in the Wisconsin District, primarily those within my own Section, first and formost because I grew a beard and coming in close second was that I would not invite and person to the church’s pulpit that was considered a “Holy Ghost” anointed evangelist who “got people filled.” The presbyter of the section, visited me one day and asked what I was preaching on. He had heard that I was in the midst of a twelve week series entitiled: Christians Building Meaningful and Healthy Relationship. He asked me if I had ever “got the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.” Followed by, “do you ever get the anointing and speak in tongues when you preach?” When answering in the negative, he suggested that I start praying for “the anointing, and then “my” people would really get something out of the preaching.

The sad thing for me Glen about my response to the “questionaire” is that I always had a deep conviction about checking the YES box. I did not have the courage and guts to say, no. I had not educated myself in the scriptures in order to be confident in defending my position. So, to my integral detriment over the years, I hesitated before I checked the box, sensed dissidence at the checking, and guilt for a time afterward. Your book has all of that away, given me the courage, desire, knowledge and joy of being able to check NO, authentically with respect.

I also indentify with the historical bigotry of our Fellowship. Surfice to say, I left a church after serving nine months because of it. It was touted that I was “run out on a rail because I loved ‘blacks’.” Enough said. God has always and remains soverign in my life.

As the time presents itself, we will meet. If not on this side the other. I love your sister Carol. One of the sweetist, dearest “ladies,” I have ever known. I remain thrilled to know that I attended Dave as his best man.

Keep the faith,
Bill Prather

Filed under: on July 12th, 2009