Southern Baptists face push for public record of sex abusers

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

The creation of an “Offender Info System” was one of many key suggestions in a report launched Sunday by Guidepost Solutions, an impartial firm contracted by the SBC’s Government Committee after delegates to last year’s national meeting pressed for an investigation by outsiders.

The proposed database is predicted to be one in every of a number of recommendations presented to hundreds of delegates attending this year’s national meeting, scheduled for June 14-15 in Anaheim, California.

“Those suggestions will likely be open to questions, debate and comments on the meeting flooring,” stated SBC President Ed Litton.

He expressed hope that the shocking findings within the Guidepost report will convey “lasting change” to the SBC, America’s largest Protestant denomination. It has been losing membership steadily in recent times, while being wracked by inner divisions over race and gender roles.

The Guidepost report stated survivors of abuse by SBC clergy repeatedly shared allegations with the Government Committee, “solely to be met, time and time once more, with resistance, stonewalling, and even outright hostility from some within the EC.”

“Our investigation revealed that, for a few years, just a few senior EC leaders, together with outdoors counsel, largely managed the EC’s response to those experiences of abuse ... and have been singularly targeted on avoiding liability,” the report stated.

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

Reading the Guidepost report, Gaines said he was struck by repeated examples of a callous disregard for survivors, as well as leaders prioritizing protection of the SBC from liability over abuse prevention.

“We’re at a fork within the road,” Gaines said. “I believe this report supplied the information that we needed for there to be a groundswell of help to take the precise actions.”

Particularly, Gaines said he supports the proposal to create a system that alerts communities to identified offenders.

“I think that’s one of many first issues we must 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 urgent the SBC since 2006 to create a publicly accessible database of known abusers. She was heartened that Guidepost was recommending such a system, but stated questions stay about its implementation.

“What is completely important is that the local church cannot function because the default or presumed beginning place for a survivor to attempt to obtain an investigation of clergy sex abuse,” she mentioned through e mail. “If the local church is deemed to be a requisite first stop for survivors to pursue motion, then many survivors’ voices can be choked of their throats before sound is ever uttered.”

Among the Guidepost report’s findings was that the Executive Committee saved a secret list of tons of of SBC-affiliated clergy and different personnel identified as intercourse abusers. Brown stated the committee, at a particular assembly Tuesday, ought to agree to release this listing.

“I urge you to make public the whole lot of your record of pastors & ministers accused of sexual abuse, in no matter kind it’s been kept for lo these many years,” Brown tweeted. “Put up. It. Now.”

The final decisions about suggestions to undergo the Anaheim delegates will likely be made by the SBC’s Sexual Abuse Task Drive, comprising seven members and two advisors. Its work over the past yr has been an emotional journey, said Pastor Bruce Frank, who led the group.

“We noticed patterns and things that were deeply concerning,” he stated. “Our predominant job was to empower Guidepost to do their job, and they have finished a really outstanding job in the last nine months to look at events that occurred over 20 years.”

Within the subsequent week or so, the task force will carry forth formal motions in “precise language,” which will probably be made public and introduced to the delegates in Anaheim for a vote, said Frank, lead pastor of Biltmore Baptist Church in Arden, North Carolina.

Frank mentioned the crux of the duty power’s recommendations based mostly on Guidepost’s report may be summarized in two words – prevention and care.

“Our important goal should be preventing sexual abuse,” he said. “And if abuse does occur, how will we look after survivors in a much better pastoral method? How can we higher communicate to make sure (abusers) don’t go from one church to another?”

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

“Any one who is fair-minded will have a look at what’s in that report and demand that issues be higher,” Frank mentioned. “SBC is a giant household with 48,000 church buildings. There is perhaps some disagreement on tips on how to make things higher. However I’m confident that we’ll work by the difficulties.”

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

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

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

“The work’s not accomplished,” he added. “We’ve gotten the report, however I feel everyone within the survivor community that I’ve heard from has said experiences are one factor, however 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 spotlight in 2019 by a landmark report from the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Specific-News documenting tons of of circumstances in Southern Baptist church buildings, including several by which alleged perpetrators remained in ministry.

___

Associated Press faith protection receives help through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely chargeable for this content.