“I can do anything! Anything!” These are words posthumously ascribed to Russian mystic and claimed religious healer Grigori Rasputin. Their authenticity is debated by historians, but the dramatization of the real event did make for excellent television in the Netflix…
Michael Tait issues ‘confession’ confirming abuse and drug reports
Contemporary Christian musician Michael Tait published a “confession” June 10 that largely corroborates accusations against him published the previous week by The Roys Report and also reported by Baptist News Global. “Recent reports of my reckless and destructive behavior, including…
Former Newsboys frontman Michael Tait accused of sexual assault
Multiple men have accused Michael Tait, former frontman for the contemporary Christian band Newsboys, of grooming and assaulting them as young men. The allegations are the fruit of a two-and-a-half year investigation published by The Roys Report. Although no formal…
Jennifer Lyell, key figure in SBC abuse crisis, dies after brief illness
One of the key figures in the Southern Baptist Convention’s sexual abuse crisis has died prematurely after reportedly suffering a massive stroke days earlier. Jennifer Lyell, a former executive at the SBC’s Lifeway Christian Resources, died Saturday, June 7, at…
Caner on leave as Truett McConnell trustees investigate abuse claims
Truett McConnell University President Emir Caner has been placed on administrative leave while trustees wait on a third-party investigation into alleged mishandling of sexual abuse complaints at the Georgia Baptist school. University trustees met Friday morning, June 6, as fallout…
For abuse survivors, SBC meeting brings pain and lessons
When the Southern Baptist Convention meets next week in Dallas, many clergy sex abuse survivors will feel the hurt and betrayal of it. This will be the first SBC annual meeting since Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg made it clear…
Prosecution might still be an option in Truett McConnell abuse case
As students and alumni of Truett McConnell University gathered for the first of two planned events to protest alleged mishandling of sexual abuse cases at the Baptist school June 5, news came that one of the alleged perpetrators could yet…
Truett-McConnell trustees to meet as sexual abuse scandal worsens
Trustees of Truett McConnell University are meeting Friday to discuss charges of alleged sexual abuse against Hayle Swinson, a former student and later employee, committed by a former university vice president. Valdosta, Ga., trustee B. Miles Hannan confirmed the meeting…
In Georgia, a Baptist school accused of ignoring sexual abuse despite a mountain of evidence
Barely two weeks before Southern Baptists gather in Dallas for their annual meeting, another alleged sexual abuse case — this time involving a former student at a Georgia Baptist university — has surfaced. The story includes the alleged grooming of…
Duane Rollins, who sued Pressler for sexual abuse, dies
Gareld Duane Rollins, whose allegations of abuse by Houston judge Paul Pressler were ignored for decades by leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention, died May 23, according to Robert Downen, the journalist who reported on his case more than anyone…
New Orleans Archdiocese agrees to pay nearly $180M to victims of clergy sexual abuse
The Archdiocese of New Orleans agreed to pay nearly $180 million to victims of clergy sexual abuse under a settlement announced Wednesday, the latest in a string of settlements by the Catholic Church.
SBC annual meeting may be deja vu all over again
Note: For more discussion on the upcoming SBC annual meeting, check out the latest episode of BNG’s podcast “Stuck in the Middle with You.” In less than three weeks, messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting will descend…