The Pentecostals staged a 50-hour vigil in Atlanta to end racial divisions. Thousands of black and white Pentecostals met in March in a Baptist church in Atlanta to repent for the racism and denominational exclusivity that has fractures their movements for decades. Pat Robertson and Thomas Trask were there. Denominational differences between Pentecostals and Southern Baptist Convention was discussed and the SBC congregation came forward the second night to pray for their congregation which opposes Pentecostal doctrines. Ron Phillips of Chattanooga, Tenn., prophesied that God was about to pour out revival on Baptists. "Release the baptism of the Holy Spirit right now. Let the river of God loose now," Phillips prayed. He then laid hands on Bishop Eddie L. Long and declared: "You will lead black Baptists and Anglo Baptists, I have called you and raised you up as a miracle church, and I will call my Baptist children back to the power of the Holy Spirit." Long fell to the floor and lay there for more than 15 minutes before a group of men. The following night he told the congregation that he proudly wears the label of "Bapticostal," noting that he was baptized in the Holy Spirit in the 1980s at a crusade led by evangelist Jimmy Swaggart. [ The Tampa Tribune., pp. 25, 26 ]

Southern Baptists refuse to Rescind No-Tongues Rule. An attempt to rescind a Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) policy that prohibits North American missionaries from speaking in tongues has failed, leaving its sponsor frustrated and uncertain of his next move. Pastor Bob Shearer of Harbison Church of the Cross in Columbia, S.C., filed a resolution at the convention's annual meeting in mid-June. But it quietly died, with the resolutions committee not acting on the proposal. Chattanooga, Tenn., pastor Ron Phillips, whose annual "Fresh Oil Conference for Charismatic Baptists" drew record attendance this spring, wasn't surprised the issue got pushed aside. . First Baptist Church of Satellite Beach voted to leave the SBC by a 77% margin. "We felt God telling us we couldn't stay connected with someone embracing Freemasonry and denying the move of the Holy Spirit in the world today," said Booth of the domestic missions board's policy. [Charisma Magazine, August 2001 p. 30 ]