By Christa Brown The Southern Baptist Convention is convening its annual ballyhoo in New Orleans this week, but it doesn’t look as though they will make any progress on protecting kids against clergy sex abuse. Since 2006, clergy abuse survivors,…
Florida Baptists challenge abuse ruling
By Bob Allen The Florida Baptist Convention is contesting a May 17 jury verdict that found the Southern Baptist Convention affiliate liable for sexual abuse committed by a former church planter. The Florida Baptist Witness reported June 12 that the…
Texas arrest rocks Alabama church
By Bob Allen An Alabama Baptist church fired its new pastor after his recent arrest on sexual abuse charges in Texas, but it isn’t the pastor’s first time in jail. Mark Allen Green, 41, in jail under a $500,000 bond…
Trial nears for accused peeping evangelist
By Bob Allen A former traveling Southern Baptist evangelist and popular youth speaker under investigation in three states for video voyeurism has so far escaped prison in exchange for guilty pleas in two cases but now faces a June 25…
State convention held liable for abuse
By Bob Allen A jury found May 17 that the Florida Baptist Convention is liable for failing to do an adequate background check before recruiting and training a former church planter now in prison for molesting a 13-year-old boy. According…
Camp director convicted of sex crime once worked at Glorieta
By Bob Allen A former Baptist camp director who recently pleaded guilty to a federal sex crime formerly worked at Glorieta Conference Center, Associated Baptist Press has learned. Michael Latham A LifeWay Christian Resources spokesman confirmed April 12 that Mike…
Former Baptist camp director pleads guilty to sex crime
By Bob Allen A former Louisiana Baptist camp director has pleaded guilty to sending pornographic photos of himself over the Internet to an undercover police officer posing as a 14-year-old girl, according to media reports. Michael P. Latham, 45, faces…
Baptist youth minister charged with sexual assault
By Bob Allen A Texas Baptist youth minister was arrested March 19 on charges of aggravated sexual assault of a child. Gary Welch Gary Welch, 42, minister of students at Northside Baptist Church in Corsicana, Texas, was arraigned and held…
Seminarian expelled after arrest on sex charge
By Bob Allen A Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary student arrested March 17 and charged with sexual assault has been expelled and removed from student housing, officials of the school in Wake Forest, N.C., said March 21. A special chapel service…
Seminary student charged with sexual assault
By Bob Allen A student at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary was arrested Saturday, March 17, and charged with second-degree sexual offense against another male student in a campus apartment. William Birch William Watson “Billy” Birch, 43, was arrested after admitting…
Former teacher, youth pastor indicted on sex charges
By Bob Allen An Alabama grand jury indicted a former teacher and Southern Baptist youth minister March 6 on eight counts of sexual abuse 20 years after he avoided firing from his school-teacher job for similar allegations. Daniel Acker, who…
Pastor found guilty of abuse
By Bob Allen A Southern Baptist pastor was sentenced to five years in prison Feb. 28 after a jury in Texarkana, Ark., found him guilty of sexually assaulting a 3-year-old girl inside his church last April. South Texarkana Baptist Church…