Acts of the Green Apples

The action in San Francisco continued. The bishop's chancellor was supposedly sent to Tod Ewald's church to ascertain if they were really following the bishop's instructions that no one was to speak in tongues. The reporters descended upon the church for news. The reporters claimed the chancellor attempted to hide behind a pillar, and when that didn't conceal him, he held up a hymnal in front of his face. It was a bit startling to find the chancellor's picture in the paper holding a hymnal before his face and Tod's being quoted as saying, "Glossolalia is too real for some people."

Les Crne wanted me to be on the "Hungry i" talk show and debate with Bishop Pike on television. I refused. It does not seem to me that the Good News is something to argue about. However, Les persuaded me to be on the show one day and the bishop to be on another day. I chose the second day. The bishop was out of town and sent a substitute who was also a bishop. I didn't see the show, but it was probably the assistant who had been so much opposed. The day I was on the show, some very peculiar people telephoned in. I remember one was what is called "Jesus Only" Pentecostal. She tried to get me to say no one was going to Heaven unless he spoke in tongues. I consider this a grave heresy. The entire show was a frustrating experience because so many people talked so much about silly things that there was little opportunity for sound discussion. Of course Les was smooth and would cut them off eventually. Years later, after Les had gone to a bigger show in New York, someone mentioned glossolalia to him. His reply was, "That Jean Stone has something real." This made me feel better about the whole thing.

Paul Coates did an interview show, filmed in Los Angeles that was also shown in the Bay Area. While I was speaking in San Francisco, someone from his staff telephoned me long distance to ask me to allow Paul Coates to interview me. I didn't like the publicity and any sane person would have been afraid of Paul, who can be quite ruthless; but I had always told God that I would go wherever anyone wanted me to talk about Him if it were feasible. I agreed to go, but when I was asked if I would speak in tongues on the show I said, "Certainly not," and hung up. After I hung up it was as though that small silent voice said, "Would you pray in English?" I mentally agreed that I would, and it was as though the voice said, "Are you ashamed of the language I've given you?" I was cut to the heart and decided that if they asked me again I would pray in tongues on the show -- but I was scared.

Back in Los Angeles, as the time approached to appear on the Coates show, a minister from out of town was visiting the area. I asked him if he would like to be on the Paul Coates show with me. He had no aversion to publicity and was delighted. When I suggested he might do the praying in tongues he was pleased as punch. The show went over very well, so well that the religion editor of the Redwood City Tribune received the baptism in the Spirit watching the show. The next day she went to the editor of the newspaper and said, "Perhaps you want to fire me: I speak in tongues."

"Fire you! That's news! Write it up."

Her tale of being baptized with the Spirit while watching the Paul Coates Show was put on the front page of the Redwood City Tribune. The Palo Alto Standard was so taken with it that the article was reprinted in it the next Sunday. The minister could not get over my unselfishness in allowing him to share the spotlight. Little did he know how relieved I was to be able to share it.

The next time I was invited to guest on the Paul Coates Show, they wanted me alone. I was terrified but I went. I explained what glossolalia was, how it had come to us at Van Nuys, and prayed briefly in tongues. A number of years later, after a service at Trinity Chapel, a man came up to me, shook my hand and said, "I'm happy to meet an Episcopalian. It was an Episcopalian woman who kept my wife from going to hell." He went on to say that he had been a Pentecostal for twenty years, but that his wife had been violently opposed to Christianity and had been militant about it. She contracted cancer and was in the latter stages, but her attitude toward God was more violent than ever. One night he came home from a church service, and his wife told him she felt different about everything. She said she had watched the Paul Coates Show, and Paul had interviewed an Episcopalian woman who had explained Christianity and speaking in tongues so she could understand it. In fact, the woman had even spoken in tongues on television. The wife said when the program ended she prayed and asked Christ to take over her life, and now she loved Him and always would. The husband brought his pastor to see her and she received the baptism in the Spirit. When she went to be with God, it was in peace and joy.

During that period we were on the television news two or three times. One evening one of the major news broadcasters came to the house to film our Monday night prayer meeting. It was to appear on the eleven o'clock news that evening. There were approximately seventy-five people present. After the photographer was finished he said he was sorry that no one had spoken in tongues as they had wanted to film it. I told him that if someone merely prayed in tongues they would be speaking to God and there would probably be no interpretation. But if the Spirit prompted someone to speak, then it would be God speaking to the group and interpretation would follow. He was very disappointed. I went back, sat down on the sofa and told the group what he had said. I suggested we wait a little while to ascertain if the Holy Spirit wished to manifest any of the gifts. A well-dressed young man sitting on the hearth (the chairs were filled) said, "Me," and pointed to himself. I asked, "What?" He said, "Ever since I came in the door I knew I should speak in tongues, but I thought perhaps you didn't want anyone to do so until they were through filming." They trained the cameras on him, he spoke in tongues, Father Harvey interpreted, and the newsmen went home. I offered the young man (whom I had not previously met) a cup of coffee. He mused, "I wonder what the inmates at the State Hospital will say when they watch the news tonight."

I steadied my hand. I thought, "Bishop Pike has said speaking in tongues is schizophrenic and I have put an out-patient from the mental hospital on television."

As the young man took the coffee from me I casually inquired, "Are you employed at the State Hospital?" He replied, "I'm the psychologist there."

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