By Bob Allen The mother of a child sex abuse victim who is suing a Maryland ministry with ties to leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention said June 11 that a “good-old-boy” network among evangelical preachers is just as effective…
SNAP seeks independent review of abuse handling by prominent SBC churches
By Bob Allen A support group for survivors of clergy sexual abuse is asking the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee to hire an independent consultant to investigate two churches’ handling of confessions by a former staff member subsequently convicted of…
Church sued for abuse that occurred at VBS
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist church in Tennessee is being sued for $2 million by a mother whose 10-year-old daughter was sexually abused while attending Vacation Bible School in 2009. The girl, now 15, and her mother both use…
SBC leader enters Twitter fray
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist Convention official criticized bloggers commenting on a recent criminal trial for jumping to conclusions about allegations that a popular Calvinist speaker with ties to SBC leaders conspired to withhold reporting of child sex abuse…
SBC official stands by criticism of SNAP
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist Convention official has refused to apologize for comments seven years ago that critics of the denomination’s handling of sexual abuse were not really advocating on behalf of children but rather were opportunists motivated by…
Critics question support of former ministry head accused of covering up abuse
By Bob Allen Thursday’s conviction of a former youth leader at a church in Maryland has renewed calls that evangelical leaders cease promoting a ministry colleague accused in a class-action lawsuit of conspiring to cover up sexual and physical abuse…
Jury returns guilty verdict in abuse case
By Bob Allen A Maryland jury has found 56-year-old Nathaniel Morales guilty of five counts of sex crimes he committed in the 1980s and early 1990s at a prominent Washington-area evangelical church. Leaders allegedly knew about abuse allegations but did…
Trial shines light on alleged abuse cover-up
By Bob Allen A longtime pastor at a D.C.-area evangelical church testified in court May 13 that he did not report crimes alleged in 1992 against a man standing trial this week on charges of sexual abuse, according to a…
Former pastor charged with abuse
By Bob Allen A former pastor at Baptist churches in Arkansas and Tennessee faces multiple charges of sexually abusing children following his arrest May 5 on a warrant issued after conducting a graveside service at a cemetery in his hometown…