First, Jennifer Lyell had to defend herself against a public misrepresentation of her story of sexual abuse published by Baptist Press; now she’s facing a second public humiliation from critics who believe the Southern Baptist Convention’s sexual abuse investigation is…
New survey asks an overlooked group — college students — what they think of Critical Race Theory
In the current furor over Critical Race Theory, one set of voices most directly affected by the actual teaching of this academic theory has been missing: College students. Axios and Generation Lab sought to correct that omission with a nationwide…
Now we know why the SBC hasn’t acted more on sexual abuse
For the last two years, observers have watched the Southern Baptist Convention deal with a crisis of abusive pastors. After a 2019 Houston Chronicle report, it seemed like the leadership of the denomination was becoming intent on protecting the vulnerable…
What the SBC should learn from the Ravi Zacharias tragedy
According to an investigative report released earlier this month, deceased celebrity evangelist Ravi Zacharias abused multiple women with “sexting, unwanted touching, spiritual abuse and rape.” The evidence is overwhelming. The details are stark and nauseating. Many have described the report…
Two years after the Chronicle’s expose, has anything changed to prevent clergy sexual abuse in Baptist churches?
Editor’s note: While the issue addressed in this column speaks primarily about the Southern Baptist Convention, the ordination processes referenced are typical of many Baptist bodies in America, which operate with complete autonomy on clergy ordinations. Two years ago, the…
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.”
Armed with new lawyers, man appeals dismissed lawsuit alleging abuse by former SBC leader Paul Pressler
One of Houston’s leading law firms is handling the appeal of a lawsuit alleging sexual abuse by former Southern Baptist Convention leader Paul Pressler.
Abuse survivors take center stage in lead up to next week’s Southern Baptist Convention
The Southern Baptist Convention meets next week after revelations of widespread stories of sexual abuse and coverup in a six-part series of investigative reports by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News.
SBTC’s ouster of church ‘unbliblical,’ its sex-offender pastor says
The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention acted contrary to scripture by withdrawing fellowship from a church pastored by a registered sex offender, that minister has said. Erbey Valdez, 47, the pastor of New Spirit Baptist Church in San Antonio, expressed…