Southern Baptists face push for public listing of sex abusers

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

The creation of an “Offender Information System” was one of the key recommendations in a report released Sunday by Guidepost Solutions, an independent agency contracted by the SBC’s Government Committee after delegates to final year’s nationwide meeting pressed for an investigation by outsiders.

The proposed database is anticipated to be one among a number of recommendations introduced to thousands of delegates attending this year’s nationwide assembly, scheduled for June 14-15 in Anaheim, California.

“These suggestions will likely be open to questions, debate and feedback on the assembly flooring,” mentioned SBC President Ed Litton.

He expressed hope that the shocking findings within the Guidepost report will bring “lasting change” to the SBC, America’s largest Protestant denomination. It has been shedding membership steadily lately, whereas 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 Executive Committee, “only to be met, time and time once more, with resistance, stonewalling, and even outright hostility from some throughout the EC.”

“Our investigation revealed that, for many years, a number of senior EC leaders, together with outdoors counsel, largely managed the EC’s response to these reports of abuse ... and have been singularly centered on avoiding legal responsibility,” the report mentioned.

The movement for an independent investigation was put forward eventually yr’s national assembly by the Rev. Grant Gaines, senior pastor of Belle Aire Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Studying the Guidepost report, Gaines stated he was struck by repeated examples of a callous disregard for survivors, as well as leaders prioritizing safety of the SBC from legal responsibility over abuse prevention.

“We’re at a fork in the road,” Gaines mentioned. “I feel this report offered the data that we needed for there to be a groundswell of assist to take the precise actions.”

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

“I believe that’s one of many first things we must always do,” he said.

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 recognized abusers. She was heartened that Guidepost was recommending such a system, however said questions stay about its implementation.

“What is absolutely vital is that the native church can't function as the default or presumed starting place for a survivor to try to obtain an investigation of clergy intercourse abuse,” she stated via e mail. “If the local church is deemed to be a requisite first stop for survivors to pursue motion, then many survivors’ voices will be choked in their throats before sound is ever uttered.”

Among the many Guidepost report’s findings was that the Government Committee saved a secret listing of hundreds of SBC-affiliated clergy and other personnel identified as intercourse abusers. Brown said the committee, at a particular meeting Tuesday, should conform to launch this record.

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

The ultimate choices about recommendations to submit to the Anaheim delegates shall be made by the SBC’s Sexual Abuse Process Drive, comprising seven members and two advisors. Its work over the past 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 mentioned. “Our important job was to empower Guidepost to do their job, and they have performed a truly exceptional job in the final 9 months to take a look at occasions that occurred over 20 years.”

Within the next week or so, the duty drive will bring forth formal motions in “precise language,” which will 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 stated the crux of the duty force’s suggestions primarily based on Guidepost’s report will be summarized in two phrases – prevention and care.

“Our most important purpose must be stopping sexual abuse,” he mentioned. “And if abuse does happen, how can we look after survivors in a much better pastoral way? How can we better talk to verify (abusers) don’t go from one church to a different?”

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

“Any one who is fair-minded will look at what’s in that report and demand that issues be better,” Frank mentioned. “SBC is an enormous household with 48,000 churches. There may be some disagreement on how you can make issues better. However I’m confident 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 many leading contenders is Bart Barber, a pastor from Farmersville, Texas, who expressed dismay on the mean-spirited behaviors attributed to some SBC officers within the Guidepost report.

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

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

The intercourse abuse scandal was thrust into the highlight in 2019 by a landmark report from the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Specific-Information documenting hundreds of circumstances in Southern Baptist church buildings, including a number of wherein alleged perpetrators remained in ministry.

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