Should Speaking in Tongues be used to establish Christian school eligibility?

[Servant of Jesus]

Pacific Academy is a Kindergarten to Grade 12 Christian school in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada who have 1400 students and who claim to be "unabashedly Christian to the core and emphasize the life-changing importance of a relationship with Jesus Christ in all that we do."

But in order to be accepted to Pacific Academy, the following registration priorities are used (scroll to the bottom):

1. Students presently enrolled.

2. Students who, or whose parent(s), regularly attend a Pentecostal or similar charismatic Christian church, or students who, or whose parent(s), regularly attend an evangelical Christian church and have experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by the sign of speaking in tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance (Acts 2:4).

3. Students who, or whose parent(s), regularly attend an evangelical Christian church.

So the question is: should a big Christian school base admissibility of a prospective student on whether the parents have spoken in tongues, as defined by most charismatic or Pentacostal churches?

.

 

[angelmom01]

Constitutionally, Pacific Academy must strive to fulfill the mandate that 75% of our student body be from category 2. Siblings of students presently enrolled are given priority within categories 2 and 3.

Weird.

I guess, by default, if you don't speak in tongues you are not spirit-filled. So not sure who would want to go to this school, other than those who feel that way, so I don't guess it matters all that much what they use as criteria. Though I assume that they mean by their own "Constitution" when they make the above statement. Might be interesting to know how one might "prove" that they meet the criteria, though. Must they speak in tongues "on demand"? Or maybe have a recommendation from their pastor or some other "witness"?

 

[ebia]

Pacific Academy is a Kindergarten to Grade 12 Christian school in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada who have 1400 students and who claim to be "unabashedly Christian to the core and emphasize the life-changing importance of a relationship with Jesus Christ in all that we do."

But in order to be accepted to Pacific Academy, the following registration priorities are used (scroll to the bottom):

1. Students presently enrolled.

2. Students who, or whose parent(s), regularly attend a Pentecostal or similar charismatic Christian church, or students who, or whose parent(s), regularly attend an evangelical Christian church and have experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by the sign of speaking in tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance (Acts 2:4).

3. Students who, or whose parent(s), regularly attend an evangelical Christian church.

So the question is: should a big Christian school base admissibility of a prospective student on whether the parents have spoken in tongues, as defined by most charismatic or Pentacostal churches?

.

I guess if you want a school of 1200 people all deluding each other.

 

[laconicstudent]

I guess if you want a school of 1200 people all deluding each other.

Lol, yeah. All the parents are going to do is go to a service, and pretend to have a fit and start babbling and pass it off as "tongues".

 

[Servant of Jesus]

Not only is the school with this policy elevating the Pentecostal or similar Charismatic church above a "normal" evangelical Christian church- but it is also making prospective students potentially suffer as a result of a deficiency that their parents are responsible for.

It makes me wonder whether the school then places a value judgement on whether those people who aren't able to speak in tongues are second rate Christians- or worse.

Jesus and his parents, Mary and Joseph, in the New Testament are never reported to have spoken in tongues- I wonder if He would have been denied admission.

 

[mont974x4]

It's their school they are free to set their own requirements. It's no big deal.

 

[Servant of Jesus]

I wonder if the students are allowed to speak in tongues during oral exams- and have the teacher or adjudicator interpret.

 

[laconicstudent]

It's their school they are free to set their own requirements. It's no big deal.

True, that. Doesn't make it any less amusing though.

 

[mont974x4]

No, it is not any less amusing. LOL

Do liberals have tree hugging classes? I mean, like before their kids can start pre-school that have to hug a baby tree? Do they have "sit in's 101"?

 

[Servant of Jesus]

Pacific Academy is operated by the Pacific Pentecostal Education and Communication Society- which is presumably why they would insist that children of parents who profess to speak in tongues be given priority in terms of admission.

I don't want this to sound too sinister- but when a school limits enrolment based on a belief that its brand of Christianity is better than other brands, then I think there is a potential problem.

I for one would have great misgivings about enrolling my child in a school that starts out with such a "holier than thou" attitude; seems very un-Christian-like to me.

But then.......it is a Christian school- so does that make it the lesser of two evils?

 

[zeke37]

Pacific Academy is a Kindergarten to Grade 12 Christian school in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada who have 1400 students and who claim to be "unabashedly Christian to the core and emphasize the life-changing importance of a relationship with Jesus Christ in all that we do."

But in order to be accepted to Pacific Academy, the following registration priorities are used (scroll to the bottom):

1. Students presently enrolled.

2. Students who, or whose parent(s), regularly attend a Pentecostal or similar charismatic Christian church, or students who, or whose parent(s), regularly attend an evangelical Christian church and have experienced the infilling of the Holy Spirit as evidenced by the sign of speaking in tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance (Acts 2:4).

3. Students who, or whose parent(s), regularly attend an evangelical Christian church.

So the question is: should a big Christian school base admissibility of a prospective student on whether the parents have spoken in tongues, as defined by most charismatic or Pentacostal churches?

.

well, I think we agree that "tongues" of 1Cr14 is not charismatic ecstatic utterances...
so, any church that is "led" in that direction, is IMO ascary place, and one to be avoided.

I don't think anyone "should" go there at all...it is a school for deception, not truth.

I guess if you want a school of 1200 people all deluding each other.

I imagine that many TV preachers will come from it. shame

Not only is the school with this policy elevating the Pentecostal or similar Charismatic church above a "normal" evangelical Christian church- but it is also making prospective students potentially suffer as a result of a deficiency that their parents are responsible for.

don't worry about it...they are not suffering for being away from deception...

It makes me wonder whether the school then places a value judgement on whether those people who aren't able to speak in tongues are second rate Christians- or worse.

could be

Jesus and his parents, Mary and Joseph, in the New Testament are never reported to have spoken in tongues- I wonder if He would have been denied admission.

no one spoke charismatic/ecstatic utterances as recorded in the NT...let alnoe May/Joseph...
infact, Christ actuakly TAUGHT us how to pray...
and, as you know, it did not include ecstatic/charismatic utterances.

I wonder if the students are allowed to speak in tongues during oral exams- and have the teacher or adjudicator interpret.

funny guy...
any of them or all of them could claim that God is giving them the correct answer...
the teacher would have no choice but to believe them...

Pacific Academy is operated by the Pacific Pentecostal Education and Communication Society- which is presumably why they would insist that children of parents who profess to speak in tongues be given priority in terms of admission.

I don't want this to sound too sinister- but when a school limits enrolment based on a belief that its brand of Christianity is better than other brands, then I think there is a potential problem.

I for one would have great misgivings about enrolling my child in a school that starts out with such a "holier than thou" attitude; seems very un-Christian-like to me.

But then.......it is a Christian school- so does that make it the lesser of two evils?

well...if it is not of God, then guess where it is coming from....who is the father of lies....I sure would not want to go there or send my kids there.

 

[Servant of Jesus]

Does anyone know if Pentecostal churches as a whole agree that speaking in tongues or not is NOT a salvation issue.

If they do believe this, then it is really sad that they would base enrolment eligibility on whether a prospective student's parents (again, not the student him or herself) are able or willing to speak in tongues. "Willing" in the sense of- honest or not- the parents can always fake it at an interview to get their kid enrolled.

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[Servant of Jesus]

Just noticed that one of the Directors of Pacific Academy is Mary Pattison, who I presume is the wife of one of Canada's wealthiest men- Jimmy Pattison, who is very active in the Pentecostal church.

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