Southern Baptists face push for public checklist of intercourse 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 different church personnel known to be abusers.

The creation of an “Offender Information System” was one of many key suggestions in a report released Sunday by Guidepost Solutions, an unbiased firm contracted by the SBC’s Executive Committee after delegates to last yr’s national assembly pressed for an investigation by outsiders.

The proposed database is anticipated to be one among a number of suggestions presented to 1000's of delegates attending this year’s national assembly, scheduled for June 14-15 in Anaheim, California.

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

He expressed hope that the stunning findings within the Guidepost report will carry “lasting change” to the SBC, America’s largest Protestant denomination. It has been losing 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 Government Committee, “solely to be met, time and time again, with resistance, stonewalling, and even outright hostility from some inside the EC.”

“Our investigation revealed that, for many years, just a few senior EC leaders, along with exterior counsel, largely managed the EC’s response to these reports of abuse ... and had been singularly focused on avoiding legal responsibility,” the report said.

The motion for an independent investigation was put forward ultimately year’s nationwide meeting 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, as well as leaders prioritizing safety of the SBC from liability over abuse prevention.

“We’re at a fork in the highway,” Gaines mentioned. “I feel this report supplied the information that we would have liked for there to be a groundswell of support to take the proper actions.”

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

“I believe that’s one of many first issues we should 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, however said questions remain about its implementation.

“What is totally essential is that the local church can not function because the default or presumed beginning place for a survivor to attempt to get hold of an investigation of clergy intercourse abuse,” she stated by way of e-mail. “If the native church is deemed to be a requisite first cease for survivors to pursue action, then many survivors’ voices will likely be choked of their throats before sound is ever uttered.”

Among the Guidepost report’s findings was that the Executive Committee kept a secret record of a whole bunch of SBC-affiliated clergy and different personnel recognized as intercourse abusers. Brown mentioned the committee, at a special meeting Tuesday, should agree to launch this list.

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

The ultimate selections about suggestions to undergo the Anaheim delegates might be made by the SBC’s Sexual Abuse Activity Power, 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 saw patterns and things that have been deeply concerning,” he stated. “Our primary job was to empower Guidepost to do their job, and they have executed a really remarkable job within the final nine months to take a look at occasions that occurred over 20 years.”

Within the subsequent week or so, the task drive will carry forth formal motions in “exact language,” which shall 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 mentioned the crux of the task drive’s suggestions primarily based on Guidepost’s report might be summarized in two words – prevention and care.

“Our essential aim ought to be stopping sexual abuse,” he stated. “And if abuse does happen, how will we care for survivors in a a lot better pastoral way? How can we better communicate 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 that is fair-minded will take a look at what’s in that report and demand that things be higher,” Frank said. “SBC is a giant family with 48,000 churches. There may be some disagreement on methods to make issues higher. However I’m assured that we’ll work via the difficulties.”

Along with intercourse abuse, the agenda for the meeting in Anaheim contains election of a brand 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 officials within the Guidepost report.

If elected, Barber stated 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 done,” he added. “We’ve gotten the report, however I believe everyone within the survivor neighborhood that I’ve heard from has said reports are one thing, however we’ll see if this family of churches has the braveness 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 Specific-News documenting tons of of instances in Southern Baptist churches, together with a number of by which alleged perpetrators remained in ministry.

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