Photo by Krystle van der Salm on Unsplash.
On April 3, 1960, Episcopal priest Dennis Bennett announced to his congregation in Van Nuys, California, that he had been baptized with the Spirit and spoken in tongues, inaugurating the “second wave” of the charismatic movement.
The vast majority of the leaders of the first wave in the early 20th century left their traditional churches to form Pentecostal denominations. But in the new wave, leaders such as Bennett stayed where they were, and over the next decade the charismatic movement spread in Episcopalian, Lutheran, Methodist, and even Roman Catholic circles. It also spread through Reformed and Presbyterian churches. For its adherents, the movement celebrated the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in and among believers. The “charismatic” gifts, they believed — including tongues, healing, and miracles among others — were simply bringing the New Testament experience into the 20th century. 
So, it’s not surprising that the PCA, born at the same time the charismatic movement was sweeping across mainline Protestant churches, would face this potentially divisive issue. B.B. Warfield’s position that “supernatural gifts” ceased with the death of the last apostles — likely the majority view of the PCA — was reflected in a Book of Church Order paragraph proposed to the First General Assembly through the Constitutional Documents Committee. However, the Assembly chose not to act on this paragraph but instead appointed a Special Committee “to study the whole question of the charismatic gifts, and to bring suggested language for this paragraph to the Second General Assembly.” Kennedy Smartt, in his book “I Am Reminded,” reports that the committee represented several views on the issue and “wasn’t given a ghost of a chance to be successful in fulfilling the task assigned to it.”
As it turns out, the skeptics were wrong. In 1974, the committee unanimously proposed a pastoral letter on the issue to the Second General Assembly, which the Assembly adopted and circulated to the churches in the PCA. The letter expressed the committee’s conclusions in four sections:
1. As the normal experience of the Spirit’s baptism occurs at regeneration, it should not be viewed as a second blessing or special work of grace enjoyed by some but not all Christians.
2. Assurance of salvation is not based on any experience, but on the biblical promise of eternal life to all who believe. Such assurance should be cultivated by “continual use of the means of grace.”
3. The filling of the Spirit refers to Christ’s dominion in the Christian’s life and “occurs when one is led willingly by the Word through the Spirit’s work.”
4. Unsurprisingly, the final section of the letter, “Concerning the Gifts of the Spirit,” is the longest. Among its chief points:
• The Holy Spirit grants each Christian a spiritual gift, which He apportions “individually as He wills” so the person may serve Christ and build up His church.
• No spiritual gift is to be despised nor is any to be misused to bring glory to anyone but Christ.
• Some gifts have ceased (such as the office of apostle). Others, such as “helps,” are obscure and can’t be defined with certainty. Some, such as “teaching” and “giving,” can be clearly seen today. And some have received undue prominence “in recent days” (e.g., “tongues, working of miracles, healing”):
° Regarding tongues: It’s evident in Acts 2 that they were foreign languages, but it’s difficult to know the exact nature of the phenomenon in other places in the New Testament, or if the modern manifestations correspond to the New Testament gift. But the pastoral letter suggests three principles regarding this gift: (1) any view of modern tongues that suggests it as an experience by which new revelation is received is contrary to the finalized character of revelation in Scripture; (2) any view of tongues that sees it as an essential sign of the baptism of the Spirit contradicts Scripture; and (3) any practice of tongues that causes dissension and division in the church or diverts it from its mission is contrary to the purpose of the Spirit’s gifts.
° Regarding miracles: (1) miracles related to revelation have ceased since revelation was completed when the New Testament canon closed; (2) the power of God to work wonders and heal the sick in response to believing prayer can’t be limited, and continues to this day for the glory of God; and (3) an obsession with signs and miracles is a sign of an unhealthy church.
• The pastoral letter closed by recommending continued study of the issue and by urging “a spirit of forbearance among those holding differing views regarding the spiritual gifts as they are experienced today.”
Apparently, this last exhortation has been taken to heart, for the issue of charismatic gifts has not been a major source of controversy since the Second General Assembly approved this letter and distributed it to the church.