The saga of how a prominent Southern Baptist church in Little Rock, Ark., mishandled knowledge of child sex abuse continues to reverberate through a denomination already at odds with itself over how to respond to abuse claims. What makes the…
SBC Executive Committee releases previously secret list of convicted and credibly accused church sexual abusers
At 8:50 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee released a 205-page document containing the names of more than 700 convicted and credibly accused clergy sexual abusers. This action is the most sweeping of several rapid…
The church cannot speak against sex trafficking until it admits its own abuse problems, author says
The church can play a major role in eliminating sex trafficking worldwide, but only after it confronts and heals the scourge of sexual sin consuming it from within, said Elizabeth Melendez Fisher Good, an educator, author and advocate on issues…
New database tracks Baptist predators ‘of all flavors’
“While this database was inspired by SBC abuse, we have opened it to include Baptists of all flavors, not just SBC.”
Why all congregational ministry should be trauma ministry
Persons who have experienced trauma are among those gathered for worship every Sunday. Congregations have a unique opportunity to serve these persons through trauma-informed care. That not only includes helping persons heal from trauma but also knowing how to keep from contributing to trauma, however unintentionally.
CBF launches task force on clergy sexual misconduct
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship Governing Board approved a task force on clergy sexual misconduct June 21 in a final meeting prior to this week’s CBF General Assembly in Greensboro, N.C. The CBF will collaborate with Baptist Women in Ministry in…
Victims’ group asks Southern Baptists to create ‘safe place’ for reporting sexual abuse
As the Southern Baptist Convention prepares to gather for its annual meeting June 14-15 in St. Louis, leaders of a support group for survivors of institutional sex abuse called on denominational leaders to take action to prevent the next “Spotlight”-style…
Annual report shows continued toll of clergy sex abuse crisis
The Catholic church paid $153 million in the U.S. last year to settle lawsuits, and fielded hundreds of new accusations, as fallout continued from the clergy sex abuse scandal exposed in the early 2000s, a new report says.
When will SBC address clergy sex abuse?
While other major faith groups have recognized the need for clergy accountability mechanisms, Southern Baptists persist in denominational do-nothingness.