MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
It is a controversy that has been brewing now for almost ten years at Piney Hills Baptist Church in Memphis. At various times during the year the subject comes up, and each time the division between the factions within the church only grows deeper. The whole issue surrounds the pronunciation of the word "naked."
On one side of the issue is the church's pastor, Paul Billingsley.
"The word is pronounced 'nay-ked' just like it's spelled" said Billingsley. "I have no idea why these people want to make such a big deal over how I say it."
But on the other side of the issue is the church's associate pastor, Jeff Cummings.
"I know that it's spelled 'n-a-k-e-d' but you say it like 'nekkid'" said Cummings. "That's just the way to say it. To say 'nay-ked' sounds so 'hoity-toity' and smarty."
While these two factions are the predominant ones within the church there exists another smaller group that insists on a totally different pronunciation.
"Look, 'b-a-k-e-d' is pronounced 'baked'" said deacon Arthur Gillian. "No one goes around saying 'bay-ked' so why should 'n-a-k-e-d' be 'nay-ked?' We should just say 'naked' just like in 'baked' or 'waked.'"
The issue was heightened this past Sunday when Cummings preached from Genesis chapter 3 and quoted God as asking Eve "who told you that you were nekkid?" which clearly caused stirring amongst the members of the congregation.
"I knew he was going to do that" said Billingsley. "I think he chose to preach on that passage just to bring up the issue."
The church has requested that a board of overseers made up of pastors from surrounding area churches intervene before the issue causes more division in the church. But many fear that hard feelings have already grown too deep for there to be a real reconciliation.
"I'm willing to talk" said Cummings." But I'm firm about my convictions. I'm not going to change the way I talk for anyone. I hope we can find a solution to this problem."
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
The story of how Karl and Emily Crisler met and fell in love is a moving one. They were both in their first year at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson. She was fresh into her studies in Marriage and Family Therapy, he a Master of Divinity student struggling through Greek and Hebrew. They met in Theological Foundations, a three-hour-long Monday night class, and became fast friends.
"We started out just chatting some during the break time." Said Emily. "At first I thought he was just the typical MDiver, trying to impress me with how intelligent he thought he was. I just tried to be polite. But soon I really begin to notice him more and more. He was different, humble in many ways. We became good friends."
"I knew I wanted to marry her the moment I laid eyes on her!" Said Karl. "She didn't know it then, but I did. We were going to get married some day."
And, indeed they did. By the time they entered their second year at RTS they were husband and wife.
It would be great if the story ended with "and they lived happily ever after," but, unfortunately, that is not what happened. While the Crisler's faced many of the struggles common to newlyweds, one in particular caused significant problems in their marriage.
"It was a typical evening at home." Said Karl. "Emily had cooked a wonderful meal, and we were just having some dinner conversation. I began telling her about what we'd been studying in my Systematic Theology class on Infralapsarianism and Supralapsarianism."
Infra & Supralapsarianism are two views known commonly within reformed doctrine. Infralapsarianism argues that God's disposition towards the reprobate in his eternal decree is somewhat more "passive," that God determined that the fall would happen before he predestined some to salvation, thus "passing over" those who would not be saved. Supralapsarianism places God's decree to predestine some to salvation ahead of his decree of the fall. Thus reprobation occurs in a more "active" sense.
"As our conversation continued it suddenly became clear that Emily and I weren't on the same page." Said Karl. "When I was describing Supralapsarianism to her she said 'Well, that's what I believe.' and I asked her "How in the world can you believe that?"
"It was a big mess." Said Emily. "We argued for almost two hours about the whole thing."
In the days and weeks that followed tensions began to mount in the Crisler's marriage. Finally, they decided to get some counseling to help them through this trial.
"I really think things are beginning to get worked out now." Said Emily. "Even if we have this major theological difference between us, I know we can work it out and learn to live and work together."
"I still think she's wrong, but I love her." Said Karl. "And I know we've committed to stay together 'for better or for worse.' That's what I intended to do. I know we're not the only ones dealing with these things though. I have a friend out at Westminster Seminary, and he and his wife are going through some struggles over some major theological issues. His wife actually believes that flowers in the sanctuary are an acceptable thing, even in light of the regulative principle of worship. I don't know how it's going to work out for them, but we're committed."
BOSSIER CITY, LOUISIANA
It is one small letter but it is causing big problems for one congregation in the northwest Louisiana town of Bossier City. The issue has divided both the congregation and the elders of Westminster Presbyterian Church so deeply that the almost half of the church's membership including 3 elders and the associate pastor recently split to form a new congregation in town.
The controversy, which has been growing for almost 5 years now, all centers around the pronunciation of the Hebrew letter 'waw' or 'vav.' Many in the realms of scholarship insist that the letter is to be pronounced 'vav,' making a 'v' sound when it appears in Hebrew words. Others, though, insist that the letter is to be pronounced 'waw,' making a 'w' sound. So then, depending on what stance one takes one could say, for example, "Bar-mitsvah" or "Bar-mitswah."
"We had hoped it wouldn't come to this." Said the church's pastor, Michael French. "But we've got to be firm in what we stand for. The letter is pronounced 'waw' with a 'w' and that's all there is to it. We're not going to budge on this issue."
"I must agree with our pastor." said 80-year-old Mildred Wilson, a life-long member of the congregation. "There's already one 'v' in the Hebrew alphabet, why in the world would you need another? If you want a 'v' just don't put a dagesh lene in 'Beth' and you'll have a 'v' sound. But don't go messing with 'waw.'"
Still others argue against the 'w' pronunciation.
"It's stupid." Said 6th-grader Kenny Nelson. "What are you supposed to do about the conjunctive then? I mean, come on, do you really expect me to say 'w'ahavta eth Yahweh Eloheka b'kal-l'vavka, wuvkal-nafsh'ka, wuvkal-m'odheka' when I'm saying my Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)? That's weird. All the other kids would laugh at me for saying 'w'!"
The final split in the congregation occurred this past Sunday when those who support the 'v' pronunciation wrote a letter to the pastor, remaining elders and the congregation expressing their desire to withdraw and form a new congregation."We are deeply saddened that this matter has come to this point, but we must stand firm and we must be unwaivering in what what we believe is right and true." The letter stated. "Therefore we feel it is in the best interests of all involved if our relations with Westminster Presbyterian Church are severed immediately that we may seek to believe and practice what we believe to be true regarding the Hebrew letter 'vav.' We hope that a level of fraternal fellowship may be maintained between our two congregations in the future but with the clear understanding that we will not be persuaded to change our convictions on this matter."
"It's grieving." Said French. "But we're going to keep pressing on fighting for the truth. I do hope that we can indeed maintain some kind of relationship with these folks who left, but it's going to be hard as long as they maintain this position. I guess one day in heaven this issue will be settled at last."
It is a controversy that has been brewing now for almost ten years at Piney Hills Baptist Church in Memphis. At various times during the year the subject comes up, and each time the division between the factions within the church only grows deeper. The whole issue surrounds the pronunciation of the word "naked."
