'Prayer language' belief defies ban
By Julia Duin
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
June 4, 2007

Fifty percent of Southern Baptist pastors revealed in a poll they believe the Holy Spirit bestows a "private prayer language" on believers, a repudiation of official denominational policy banning its missionaries from speaking in tongues.

In a survey released Friday, the Nashville, Tenn.-based LifeWay Research, the research arm of America's second-largest Christian denomination, revealed that 50 percent of Southern Baptist pastors answered "yes" when asked the question: "Do you believe that the Holy Spirit gives some people the gift of a special language to pray to God privately?"

Forty-three percent of the 405 pastors polled said "no," and 7 percent responded "don't know."

Ed Stetzer, LifeWay's research director, called the results "surprising." the rest