Southern Baptist Convention Quashed Sex Abuse Claims

The news clip doesn't say much more than my title. Apparently the SBC stonewalled sex abuse victims and kept it secret. What a sad, sad day. How shameful. And we wonder why so many no longer trust the church.



https://www.lex18.com/news/national...xES5enTruwlRDyjxBkJeQCe4UkkKZFwYZr3JhZvMUTIls

I can only speak for my local SBC church. Any one involved in a sexual abuse situation, will be removed from the membership rolls, and turned over to law enforcement for prosecution.

We also do background checks on all church leaders.

These types of coverups are always under the guise of forgiveness, love does not keep track of wrongdoings, etc.

Just how guilty are we Protestants of the same sexual abuses that we like to point our finger at the Catholics. Maybe we need to take a close look in the mirror and see the 'LOG' in our own eye!!!!!!!!

How Common Is Sexual Abuse in the Protestant Church?

A recent study sponsored by LifeWay Christian Resources reveals that 10% of Protestants under the age of 35 have left the church previously because they felt that sexual abuse and misconduct were not taken seriously by the church. This is is twice any many people as the 5% of churchgoers from any religion who have walked away due to the mishandling of sexual abuse. Among younger people, 9% stated that they were no longer attending their former church because they did not feel protected from sexual misconduct.

Churchgoers between the ages of 18 to 34 are more likely than older churchgoers to report sexual abuse or harassment at church. Twenty-three percent of parishioners also know more people in their congregation who are victims.

More on Sexual Abuse in Protestant Churches

More than 375 leaders and volunteers in the Southern Baptist church have been charged with some form of sexual misconduct over the past 12 years. Over 200 of these volunteers and leaders pled guilty or were convicted for their crimes. However, the Southern Baptist Convention will not take significant steps to stop abuse in churches, claiming that each church should act independently to tend to this matter. As a result, several pastors and leaders who are registered sex offenders or accused of sexual misconduct are permitted to maintain their position in the church.

Several victims were pressured by their church leaders not to report sexual abuse. In some cases, victims were told that they brought on the abuse because of their sinful nature.

For sure we don't like to hear these things about ourselves, but they are true. It is easy to research Protestant sexual abuse cases on line, but we prefer not to. Hear no evil/See no evil........Out of Sight and out of mind. But, but, but God sees what's going on.

I did not start this thread to point fingers, to say one is better or has more sin than the other. So please stop. It grieves the heart of God no matter which denomination or church it is. Please do not take this thread down that road.

Read where an 11 year old boy is accused of sex abuse for using the wrong pronoun at school.
Let me see the details before I judge.

FYI. The SBC is a collection of like-minded churches working in cooperation with one another to impact the whole world with the Good News of Jesus Christ. SBC churches are independent churches governed by the church congregation.

https://www.sbc.net/about/

The SBC resolution on Sexual Integrity of ministers can be found at

https://www.sbc.net/resource-library/resolutions/on-the-sexual-integrity-of-ministers/

If you are aware of any sexual abuse happening in any SBC or any other church, please don't hesitate to report it to the police. It has no place in our churches.

Christians are usually held to a higher standard and I believe that's how it should be. But not everyone who attends a Christian Church or works for a Christian organization is Christian nor do those who are Christians always act like Christians, so non Christian behavior is an unfortunate side effect of the imperfect human condition.

The pastor totally played the victim.I bet he only confessed because the victim threaten to come out before hand.

Woah woah woah....
First thing is that you really don't understand the SBC.

It's a convention and not an association.
Meaning that there is NO leadership. Period....it doesn't exist.

The "president " has one job. And it ends every so often. The job is to bang a gavel to call the convention to order. That's it....that's the end of his authority and power.

The other "positions" still do not have any authority or power. Only the convention as a whole has any decision making power. Each individual church has power solely over itself. That's how a convention works.

Each member church has one vote. That's it.

So to say that they worked collectively together to keep a secret is impossible. Three can keep a secret so long as two are deceased.

What the article is proposing can't happen. The SBC doesn't work that way. Any church can propose anything at each convention meeting. It only requires that someone second the motion (according to Robert's Rules of Order) and that can be any one of the thousands of member churches.

Any and every subject can be discussed...and has. It's somewhat chaotic at times.

On a different subject but related....

Most SBC churches report any and every instance of impropriety. Any suggested impropriety is usually sufficient for someone to lose whatever position they once held in the church.
And if criminal charges are warranted ....Woe to the perpetrator....the police will have more mercy than any church members would consider. (Baptists can get quite vengeful)

Now I didn't write the article. I'm not sure how this all came out, and what will come out in the wash. I'm sure there is a better article about the issue.

Every so often someone will try to paint the SBC as doing something...or discussing the latest president...and I find it extremely amusing.

The SBC really doesn't change at all. The editors of the Sunday School literature have more decision making power than the President or chairman of the International Missions Board (who is a glorified accountant...not a decision maker...he literally just reads the report)

So...trying to accuse the SBC of anything is like trying to use a pneumatic nail gun on jello. It just doesn't work.

This is sad. I think it wasn't handled well as well. Its traumatizing for children in the crowd to watch their pastor make such a confession, then to watch one of his victims further explain the situation. Whatever children were present there im certain now need counseling.

No surprises here. Then they wonder why we call out the cult of protestantism for what it is and attack us for it. Forsake their churches, don't forsake God. You don't need their brothel-like churches to read the Bible and believe in the God described on its pages.

One of the single greatest posts I have seen written.