Baptist News Global
Sections
  • News
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Curated
  • Storytelling
    • Faith & Justice >
      • Charleston: Metanoia with Bill Stanfield
      • Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell
      • Little Rock: Judge Wendell Griffen
      • North Carolina: Conetoe
    • Welcoming the Stranger >
      • Lost Boys of Sudan: St. John’s Baptist Charlotte
      • Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church
      • Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center
    • Signature Ministries >
      • Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio
    • Singing Our Faith >
      • Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church
      • Norfolk Street Choir
    • Resilient Rural America >
      • Alabama: Perry County
      • Texas: Hidalgo County
      • Arkansas Delta
      • Southeast Kentucky
  • More
    • Contact
    • About
    • Donate
    • Planned Giving
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Advertising
    • Ministry Jobs and More
    • Transitions
    • Subscribe
    • Submissions and Permissions
Support independent, faith-based journalism. Donate
Search Search this site

SBC’s sexual abuse study should include a probe of its own files on reported abuse

OpinionChrista Brown  |  April 29, 2019

Christa Brown

Within hours of each other, two men emailed me with harrowing stories of having been sexually violated as kids on a church trip to Glorieta Baptist Conference Center (now defunct) in New Mexico. They both told of having grown up in the same Southern Baptist church in Louisiana, and they both named the same music minister as their perpetrator.

I asked if the two of them had been in touch, but they said they hadn’t spoken in over 20 years.

This unlikely coincidence happened in 2007 when survivors were flooding my inbox with their stories of Baptist clergy sex abuse and church cover-ups. Because of the providential timing, the story of these two men has remained with me.

The saddest part of it was what they told me about their futile efforts to seek help from Southern Baptist Convention officials.

The first man, whom I’ll call Bill, was the son of an ordained Southern Baptist minister. He was 14 at the time he was abused, and he told of significant physical and psychological harm.

Years later, as an adult, he called the SBC offices, asking to speak with someone about the abuse. According to Bill, the man who returned his call “spent more time trying to show the error of my homosexuality than providing a listening ear.” He insisted that the perpetrator had “turned (Bill) gay,” and emphasized that “the SBC held no responsibility.” He did nothing to extend compassion or care to Bill or to responsibly address his allegations.

The second man, whom I’ll call Brad, was 16 at the time he was abused by his music minister. He told his parents, who informed the senior pastor, but the police were not notified.

“The pattern of denominational dismissiveness toward clergy abuse reports has continued to the present day.”

Twenty-five years later, Brad learned that the music minister was still working in a Southern Baptist church in Louisiana. And the senior pastor of the church, who had kept the reported abuse quiet, had become an official in the Louisiana Baptist Convention prior to his retirement.

Brad sent an email addressed to six SBC officials: the president of the Executive Committee, three additional Executive Committee members, the SBC president and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission president.

Brad informed them that he was aware that the statute of limitations had expired but believed revealing what had happened was necessary “to prevent future assaults on innocent children.” He told them he knew of another boy who had been sexually assaulted by the same minister.

“I worry every time my daughter is on a church trip,” he wrote.

An Executive Committee member responded, sermonizing Brad on forgiveness and quoting Ephesians 4. He said that he was forwarding Brad’s email to still another SBC official, an Executive Committee vice-president.

Brad waited a couple weeks and wrote again, expressing his frustration at being ignored and reiterating his desire to protect others. In reply, he received an email from an attorney representing the SBC.

The attorney offered up the standard denominational excuse for inaction – local church autonomy – and stated that he joined the Executive Committee vice-president “in praying that neither your daughter nor any other child will be sexually molested.”

According to Brad, without any extension of care to him or any attempt to responsibly address his allegations, the statement of prayer support seemed more like another “cold shoulder.”

Yet Brad wrote back yet again, stating he had contacted SBC officials several times through the years and how “humiliating” it was. He expressed his view that the SBC’s attorney was protecting the convention from legal liability, adding, “I only wish someone like you had done something to protect those of us who didn’t have protection all these years you have been counseling Baptist leadership.”

Brad received a reply stating that “the Southern Baptist Convention does not have the power to prevent what you have described…. Just as you had no power to control the man you say abused you, nor the churches who may have decided to employ him, you, like the Convention, have no legal liability either for anything he may have done.”

When Brad forwarded me this final email, I was outraged. There is no comparison between the abstract, self-serving “no power” claim of a multi-million dollar denominational entity and the very real lack of power in a child who has been intentionally groomed and abused by a clergy predator.

Brad gave up, but by then, seven SBC officials had been informed about his report of clergy sex abuse. Including the SBC’s attorney and the Louisiana convention official, there were at least nine men who could have chosen to do something. But no one did.

“An excavation of these files would likely entail revelations about still more convention officials who knew about abuse reports and did nothing.”

In the same year that Brad was writing to SBC officials, Anne Marie Miller was making an abuse report to leaders of the International Mission Board. Despite finding that the abuse “more likely than not” had occurred, and even though the accused perpetrator continued in ministry, the IMB kept the information hidden in its files for 11 years. It took media exposure to bring the information to light.

Meanwhile, when a woman contacted the ERLC last year to report a minister she described as a “pedophile,” the reply included this chilling line: “Engaging in this matter is not in the scope of our role, authority or ability.”

Clearly, the pattern of denominational dismissiveness toward reports of clergy abuse has continued to the present day.

Over the course of many years, Brad, Bill, Anne Marie Miller, myself and countless others have contacted SBC officials with reports about clergy who sexually abused kids.

What happened to all these reports? Were they considered of so little significance that some were simply trashed? Or are the reports still there in the SBC’s files? If so, why aren’t convention officials doing something about them? It shouldn’t take media exposure to prod action.

The SBC purports to be studying the abuse problem. But if the denomination is sincere about wanting to get a handle on its clergy sex abuse scandal and understand its institutional failures, it needs to authorize an independent commission to delve into the SBC’s own files, including abuse files housed with its attorneys.

An excavation of these files would likely entail revelations about still more convention officials who knew about abuse reports and did nothing. Sadly, that’s why the files will probably stay closed, protecting against potential revelations rather than protecting kids.

Related news:

Newspaper story on sexual abuse in SBC was a long time coming for activist Christa Brown

Previous commentary by Christa Brown:

What’s wrong with the proposed sexual abuse amendment to the SBC constitution

Another alarm sounds on clergy sex abuse: Will Southern Baptist leaders just hit snooze again?

Southern Babtoys Corporation: a satirical look at the pervasive problem of clergy sexual abuse


OPINION: Views expressed in Baptist News Global columns and commentaries are solely those of the authors.
Tags:Southern Baptist Conventionclergy sexual abusechurch sexual abuse
Christa Brown
More by
Christa Brown
  • Get BNG headlines in your inbox

  • Featured

    • How American exceptionalism is killing America

      Opinion

    • Join Ryan Burge and Mark Wingfield for a free webinar on the ‘nones’

      News

    • When pastors change churches during a global pandemic, it takes creativity and perseverance

      News

    • It’s up to the Senate now to fix our democracy

      Opinion


    Curated

    • Public policy leader Weston Ware dies at age 88

      Public policy leader Weston Ware dies at age 88

      April 12, 2021
    • Panel advances bill to let Arkansas teachers talk creationism

      Panel advances bill to let Arkansas teachers talk creationism

      April 9, 2021
    • Are LGBTQ students at Christian schools discriminated against? A lawsuit, scholarly studies say yes.

      Are LGBTQ students at Christian schools discriminated against? A lawsuit, scholarly studies say yes.

      April 8, 2021
    • A Georgia church, kicked out of the SBC for allowing gay members, wants to make sure ‘everybody’s welcome’

      A Georgia church, kicked out of the SBC for allowing gay members, wants to make sure ‘everybody’s welcome’

      April 8, 2021
    Read Next:

    De La Torre calls for ‘badass believers’ to decolonize Christianity

    NewsJeff Brumley

    More Articles

    • All
    • News
    • Opinion
    • Curated
    • When politics becomes religion

      OpinionDavid Gushee, Senior Columnist

    • Kieve senses a calling to new role helping churches prevent and respond to sexual abuse

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • ‘The Bible says’: Sermons then and now

      OpinionCarl Kell

    • Join Ryan Burge and Mark Wingfield for a free webinar on the ‘nones’

      NewsBNG staff

    • It’s up to the Senate now to fix our democracy

      OpinionElder Lee Harris

    • De La Torre calls for ‘badass believers’ to decolonize Christianity

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Here’s something to try on for size: Talk about things that are ‘more-than-human’

      OpinionCody J. Sanders

    • Another Friday night, another Supreme Court rapid ruling on churches and COVID

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Would Jesus wear $800 sandals?

      OpinionTerry Austin

    • Now Beth Moore is taking on patriarchy in the church

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • When pastors change churches during a global pandemic, it takes creativity and perseverance

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Angry man with bulldozer severely damages Dellanna West O’Brien School in Liberia

      NewsGrace Thornton

    • Where is Mike Huckabee?

      OpinionRobert P. Sellers

    • American Christianity in China also imports gender bias and Calvinism

      AnalysisRick Pidcock

    • We cannot now close our border to those fleeing the horror we helped create

      OpinionChris Conley

    • That time I went to the school board meeting to speak against banning books

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • Chip Gaines writes about building a network of support and not being constrained by conventional wisdom

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • What I found hidden in my mother’s Bible after her death

      OpinionKim Brewer

    • Months after two hurricanes, vaccinated volunteers finally heading to Lake Charles

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Four ways to help others through grief and mourning amid social isolation

      OpinionJacob George

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Understanding human capital makes volunteer recruitment easier

      AnalysisBrian Foreman and Justin Nelson

    • Contrary to what you’ve heard, study finds churches thrive with racial diversity

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • CBF Benefits Board names executive vice president and COO

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • A few good men?: Promising Young Woman and the culture of abuse

      OpinionGreg Garrett, Senior Columnist

    • Kieve senses a calling to new role helping churches prevent and respond to sexual abuse

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Join Ryan Burge and Mark Wingfield for a free webinar on the ‘nones’

      NewsBNG staff

    • De La Torre calls for ‘badass believers’ to decolonize Christianity

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Another Friday night, another Supreme Court rapid ruling on churches and COVID

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Now Beth Moore is taking on patriarchy in the church

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • When pastors change churches during a global pandemic, it takes creativity and perseverance

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Angry man with bulldozer severely damages Dellanna West O’Brien School in Liberia

      NewsGrace Thornton

    • Chip Gaines writes about building a network of support and not being constrained by conventional wisdom

      NewsMaina Mwaura

    • Months after two hurricanes, vaccinated volunteers finally heading to Lake Charles

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Contrary to what you’ve heard, study finds churches thrive with racial diversity

      NewsCynthia Astle

    • CBF Benefits Board names executive vice president and COO

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • In state legislatures, a push against trans teens, for churches as ‘essential’ and seeking to define ‘religious freedom’

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • What we missed most about in-person church, what’s coming back and what’s likely to change

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • If you want to help the poor, first understand their humanity

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Second Easter during pandemic brings greater sense of hope nationwide

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • In Tigray, Ethiopia, six months of pain, suffering and disaster

      NewsAnthony Akaeze

    • Ryan Burge sifts the data to paint an evolving portrait of the ‘nones’

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Transitions for the week of 4-2-21

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • 25 faith-based schools named in LGBTQ discrimination case against Department of Education

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Less than half of Americans now claim a formal congregational membership

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • Ministry jobs and more

      NewsBarbara Francis

    • Virginia interfaith leaders explain how other states could abolish death penalty just as Virginia has done

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • New data on COVID vaccine efficacy is good news for faith leaders seeking to be influencers

      NewsMark Wingfield

    • Georgia mom is an advocate for organ donation because her son is one of the longest-living heart transplant recipients in the nation

      NewsJeff Brumley

    • When politics becomes religion

      OpinionDavid Gushee, Senior Columnist

    • ‘The Bible says’: Sermons then and now

      OpinionCarl Kell

    • It’s up to the Senate now to fix our democracy

      OpinionElder Lee Harris

    • Here’s something to try on for size: Talk about things that are ‘more-than-human’

      OpinionCody J. Sanders

    • Would Jesus wear $800 sandals?

      OpinionTerry Austin

    • Where is Mike Huckabee?

      OpinionRobert P. Sellers

    • We cannot now close our border to those fleeing the horror we helped create

      OpinionChris Conley

    • That time I went to the school board meeting to speak against banning books

      OpinionMark Wingfield

    • What I found hidden in my mother’s Bible after her death

      OpinionKim Brewer

    • Four ways to help others through grief and mourning amid social isolation

      OpinionJacob George

    • A few good men?: Promising Young Woman and the culture of abuse

      OpinionGreg Garrett, Senior Columnist

    • I knew the truth about women in the Bible, and I stayed silent

      OpinionBeth Allison Barr

    • How American exceptionalism is killing America

      OpinionRichard T. Hughes

    • The end of American exceptionalism

      OpinionSteve Sullivan

    • To live into Easter, we need to keep writing a new song

      OpinionLaura Mayo

    • How to find resilience for the long run of COVID, as we’re ‘almost there, but not quite yet’

      OpinionPaula Mangum Sheridan

    • George Floyd’s murder: Knowing what cannot be unseen

      OpinionWendell Griffen

    • The habits of churches that need resurrection

      OpinionBrett Younger

    • Consider the trees: A Holy Week reflection on looking up

      OpinionRick Pidcock

    • Baylor, Baptists and slavery: A way forward

      OpinionGreg Garrett, Senior Columnist

    • Admitting our part in ‘Good’ Friday

      OpinionSteve Sullivan

    • Why I’ll remember 2021 as ‘The Year with Two Easters’

      OpinionTyler Tankersley

    • Holy Week 2021: Justice, gospel and cups of cold water

      OpinionBill Leonard, Senior Columnist

    • Through Scripture, understanding that my speech is a form of prayer

      OpinionEarl Chappell

    • This Holy Week, let us ‘go in peace’

      OpinionCurtis Ramsey-Lucas

    • Public policy leader Weston Ware dies at age 88

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Panel advances bill to let Arkansas teachers talk creationism

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Are LGBTQ students at Christian schools discriminated against? A lawsuit, scholarly studies say yes.

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • A Georgia church, kicked out of the SBC for allowing gay members, wants to make sure ‘everybody’s welcome’

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Faith leaders call for elimination of Senate filibuster

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Joe Biden is not planning to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Christian nationalism is a barrier to mass vaccination against COVID-19

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Celebrity lineup to read King’s anti-war speech on assassination anniversary

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Montana House backs bill on religious challenges to rules

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Georgia faith leaders to leave water bottles around Capitol in protest of new voter laws

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Vatican makes moral case for supporting people displaced by climate change

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Baylor partnership brings Baptist Standard archive online

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Survey: Most Americans know Biden is Catholic, far fewer know Harris’ religion

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Georgia’s new GOP election law draws criticism, lawsuits

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • At nationwide rallies, Christians stand up for Asian Americans

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Appellate court arguments set for Charleston church shooter

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Franklin Graham unfazed after evangelical base blasts him for encouraging vaccines

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Shooter at Kansas Jewish centers appeals death sentence

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Like Beth Moore, many women preachers have had to break free to follow God’s call

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Texas health care provider ordered to pay former employees for mandating prayer and religious discussions

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Many QAnon followers report having mental health diagnoses

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Final vote results show major setback for Israel’s Netanyahu

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • “We are complicit”: Only some churches are offering real reparations and repentance for slavery

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Pope Francis reduces cardinal wages as Vatican finances struggle due to pandemic

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    • Growing number of Southern Baptist women question roles

      Curated

      Exclude from home pageBNG staff

    Conversations that Matter.

    © 2021 Baptist News Global. All rights reserved.

    Want to share a story? We hope you will! Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here.

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • RSS