Southern Baptists face push for public list of intercourse abusers

A blistering report on the Southern Baptist Conference’s mishandling of sex abuse allegations is elevating the prospect that the denomination, for the first time, will create a publicly accessible database of pastors and other church personnel known to be abusers.

The creation of an “Offender Data System” was one of the key recommendations in a report launched Sunday by Guidepost Options, an impartial agency contracted by the SBC’s Govt Committee after delegates to last yr’s nationwide meeting pressed for an investigation by outsiders.

The proposed database is predicted to be considered one of a number of recommendations presented to 1000's of delegates attending this year’s nationwide assembly, scheduled for June 14-15 in Anaheim, California.

“These suggestions shall be open to questions, debate and comments on the assembly ground,” mentioned SBC President Ed Litton.

He expressed hope that the surprising findings in the Guidepost report will convey “lasting change” to the SBC, America’s largest Protestant denomination. It has been dropping membership steadily in recent years, whereas being wracked by inside divisions over race and gender roles.

The Guidepost report mentioned survivors of abuse by SBC clergy repeatedly shared allegations with the Govt Committee, “only to be met, time and time again, with resistance, stonewalling, and even outright hostility from some inside the EC.”

“Our investigation revealed that, for a few years, just a few senior EC leaders, together with exterior counsel, largely controlled the EC’s response to those reports of abuse ... and had been singularly targeted on avoiding liability,” the report said.

The motion for an impartial investigation was put ahead finally year’s nationwide assembly by the Rev. Grant Gaines, senior pastor of Belle Aire Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Studying the Guidepost report, Gaines mentioned he was struck by repeated examples of a callous disregard for survivors, in addition to leaders prioritizing safety of the SBC from liability over abuse prevention.

“We’re at a fork within the road,” Gaines stated. “I think this report offered the information that we wanted for there to be a groundswell of assist to take the fitting actions.”

Specifically, Gaines stated he helps the proposal to create a system that alerts communities to recognized offenders.

“I feel that’s one of the first things we should always do,” he stated.

Lawyer and author Christa Brown, who says she was sexually abused as a teen by the youth minister at her SBC church, has been pressing the SBC since 2006 to create a publicly accessible database of identified abusers. She was heartened that Guidepost was recommending such a system, but mentioned questions remain about its implementation.

“What is completely vital is that the native church can not function because the default or presumed starting place for a survivor to attempt to obtain an investigation of clergy sex abuse,” she stated by way of e mail. “If the local church is deemed to be a requisite first cease for survivors to pursue motion, then many survivors’ voices will probably be choked of their throats before sound is ever uttered.”

Among the Guidepost report’s findings was that the Executive Committee kept a secret listing of tons of of SBC-affiliated clergy and other personnel recognized as sex abusers. Brown mentioned the committee, at a special assembly Tuesday, ought to agree to release this list.

“I urge you to make public the whole thing of your checklist of pastors & ministers accused of sexual abuse, in whatever kind it’s been saved for lo these a few years,” Brown tweeted. “Submit. It. Now.”

The ultimate decisions about recommendations to submit to the Anaheim delegates might be made by the SBC’s Sexual Abuse Task Drive, comprising seven members and two advisors. Its work over the previous yr has been an emotional journey, mentioned Pastor Bruce Frank, who led the group.

“We noticed patterns and issues that have been deeply concerning,” he said. “Our foremost job was to empower Guidepost to do their job, and they have finished a truly outstanding job within the final nine months to have a look at occasions that occurred over 20 years.”

In the subsequent week or so, the duty power will convey forth formal motions in “precise language,” which will probably be made public and presented to the delegates in Anaheim for a vote, mentioned Frank, lead pastor of Biltmore Baptist Church in Arden, North Carolina.

Frank said the crux of the task force’s suggestions based mostly on Guidepost’s report can be summarized in two words – prevention and care.

“Our predominant objective needs to be stopping sexual abuse,” he stated. “And if abuse does occur, how can we look after survivors in a much better pastoral approach? How can we higher talk to ensure (abusers) don’t go from one church to another?”

His hope is that this report serves as “a catalyst for change.”

“Any one that is fair-minded will take a look at what’s in that report and demand that issues be higher,” Frank stated. “SBC is a giant family with 48,000 churches. There is perhaps some disagreement on easy methods to make things higher. But I’m assured that we’ll work via the difficulties.”

In addition to sex abuse, the agenda for the assembly in Anaheim includes election of a new SBC president to succeed Litton.

One of the main contenders is Bart Barber, a pastor from Farmersville, Texas, who expressed dismay on the mean-spirited behaviors attributed to some SBC officials in the Guidepost report.

If elected, Barber said in a broadcast interview Monday, “I’m praying that God will give me the wisdom to know what to do.... We’re sailing into uncharted waters.”

“The work’s not executed,” he added. “We’ve gotten the report, however I think all people within the survivor community that I’ve heard from has stated reviews are one thing, but we’ll see if this household of church buildings has the courage and resolve to take motion.”

The sex abuse scandal was thrust into the highlight in 2019 by a landmark report from the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Categorical-News documenting a whole bunch of instances in Southern Baptist churches, together with several by which alleged perpetrators remained in ministry.

___

Associated Press faith coverage receives support by means of the AP’s collaboration with The Dialog US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely answerable for this content.