This story was updated Feb. 19 to include a clarification on staff compensation at the SBC Executive Committee. The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee cannot meet its financial obligations this year and needs $3 million in “priority funding” from…
Texas Supreme Court says Patterson may be held liable for defamation
Paige Patterson may be held liable for defamatory actions taken by others on his behalf, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Feb. 14. That’s bad news for Patterson, former president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and his former chief of staff,…
When a church’s sexual abuse is so pernicious the church should close
“The nation of Israel was born because Joseph went to prison,” former IHOPKC pastor Mike Bickle told the congregation in what would become his final sermon in October 2023. “He’s thrown in prison because of the betrayal of his brothers.”…
Tennessee appeals court rules against SBC in anonymous accusation of sexual abuse
First, the Southern Baptist Convention got in trouble for not sharing information about known clergy sexual abusers in its congregations; now it is on trial for spreading undocumented allegations against a Tennessee minister. On Jan. 8, the Tennessee Court of…
SBC can’t admit its problem with sexual abuse, Boz Tchividjian says
The only solution for the Southern Baptist Convention to solve its sexual abuse problem is to dismantle the denomination entirely, according to Boz Tchividjian, one of the nation’s best-known attorneys representing abuse survivors. “They tried to put some Band-Aids on…
Archbishop of Canterbury waffles, bringing more pain for survivors
In his first public speech since announcing his resignation, the archbishop of Canterbury struck a “frivolous tone” that left childhood abuse victims “dismayed” and “disgusted.” “Whether one is personally responsible or not,” a head had to roll, said the archbishop,…
Two lawsuits allege unreported abuse at Immanuel Little Rock
Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark., and its present and former leaders are named defendants in two lawsuits filed in Pulaski County Circuit Court Dec. 3. The Southern Baptist church has made headlines for more than a year now,…
Hegseth’s nomination fits the TheoBro pattern creating abuse culture
Given the state of their churches, it makes total sense that conservative evangelicals would elect a president who has a history of bragging about sexual assault. And it also makes sense that this sexually abusive president would nominate five people…
How the election split the survivor sphere
The echo chamber got me. I am a survivor of child abuse and an advocate for victims of domestic violence; the related social spheres are the ones I frequent online. All I had seen for weeks was joy over Harris/Walz…
Matt Gaetz: Another Southern Baptist impunity story
Lo and behold, Matt Gaetz is a Southern Baptist. So too is Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, who is trying to deep-six the House Ethics Committee report on Gaetz — a report that is said to include evidence about Gaetz’s sexual abuse of a 17-year-old…
Archbishop of Canterbury sets an example of accountability
In the wake of a scathing report about an abuse coverup, the archbishop of Canterbury has announced his resignation. “It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility,” said the archbishop, Justin Welby, in a Nov. 12…
Sexually harassing a nation
I have been watching social media as people are responding to the recent uptick of violent sexual rhetoric targeting women (and everyone, really) from former President Donald Trump and those from his inner circle. This aspect of the Trump campaign…