NASHVILLE (BP) – The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee has been informed that the United States Department of Justice has initiated an investigation into the SBC that will include “multiple SBC entities,” according to an Aug. 12 statement from all SBC entity leaders and SBC President Bart Barber. “Individually and collectively, each SBC entity is resolved to fully and completely cooperate with the investigation,” the statement said. The announcement comes two months … [Read more...]
SBC president names MBC’s Nelson as member of new sexual abuse task force
NASHVILLE (BP) – Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber has announced the members and leaders of those making up the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force (ARITF). Included as a task force member is Missouri Baptist Convention President Jon Nelson, lead pastor of Soma Community Church, Jefferson City, Mo. Messengers to the annual meeting in Anaheim tasked Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church in Farmersville, Texas, with the responsibility as part of the approved … [Read more...]
SBC’s EC: ‘Crickets’ on hiring pro-LGBTQ firms
For those familiar with a rural lifestyle, the night time sound of crickets scraping two textured body parts together can be a soothing respite from the clamor of a busy day. The insects develop quickly when warm weather arrives and adults appear and begin “singing” and mating in late spring, continuing until June or early July when they finish laying eggs or die off. “Crickets” has also become a term to describe peoples’ silence, usually when caught unexpectedly, following a grievous … [Read more...]
Blalock, Keahbone to head Abuse Response Implementation Task Force
NASHVILLE (BP) – Two Southern Baptist pastors with recent leadership experience in addressing sexual abuse in the SBC will fill similar roles with the Abuse Response Implementation Task Force (ARITF). Marshall Blalock, pastor of First Baptist Church in Charleston, S.C., will be chair while Mike Keahbone, pastor of First Baptist Church in Lawton, Okla., will serve as vice chair, SBC President Bart Barber announced today. “Both of these pastors are well-respected by Southern Baptists, … [Read more...]
Send Relief establishes fund to support survivors of sexual abuse
ALPHARETTA, Ga. – Following the recent report that addressed how Southern Baptists have handled sexual abuse allegations in the past, Send Relief is seeking to be a part of the solution by establishing a survivor care fund. Send Relief, the compassion ministry arm of the Southern Baptist Convention of churches, committed $3 million in funding to the SBC’s Executive Committee ahead of the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting to be put toward the cost of implementing recommendations approved by … [Read more...]
Motions at annual meeting range from addressing sexual abuse reforms to entity responsibilities
ANAHEIM (BP) – Several motions presented at the annual meeting related to sexual abuse care and prevention in addition to other subjects of interest to Southern Baptists. One required extended discussion by messengers. That motion, brought by Joshua Scruggs of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Jacksonville, N.C., to abolish the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, was defeated by a sizable margin. The Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force, yet to be formed by new SBC President Bart … [Read more...]
SATF shares expectations for implementation task force
NASHVILLE (BP) — The work of a yet-to-be-appointed Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force (ARITF) is likely to take years, with an initial report ordered to be given at the 2023 Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in New Orleans next June. Marshall Blalock, vice chairman of the Sex Abuse Task Force (SATF) that recommended the new group, said guidelines are in place to allow as long as three years for some of the work. “We anticipated it would take the implementation task force … [Read more...]
SBC resolutions affirm rural missions, denounce prosperity gospel, address sexual abuse
ANAHEIM, Calif. (BP) – Resolutions affirming the mission field in rural America, denouncing the preaching of the prosperity gospel, calling for an end to the war in Ukraine, and addressing sexual abuse were among those adopted by messengers to the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, Calif., June 14-15. Messengers approved language noting that Jesus “regularly identified Himself with rural and small places like Nazareth,” more than 75 percent of all towns and cities in the United States are … [Read more...]
Southern Baptist messengers approve Sexual Abuse Task Force recommendations
ANAHEIM (BP) – Southern Baptists responded with an overwhelming majority in favor of adopting the two recommendations presented by the Sexual Abuse Task Force presented June 14 at the 2022 SBC Annual Meeting. Task Force chair Bruce Frank didn’t mince words with messengers, calling it a “Kairos moment” for the Convention. After a lot of talk, actions were about to speak loudest. “Today we will choose between humility or hubris,” he said. “We will choose between genuine repentance or … [Read more...]
PERSPECTIVE: ‘Southern Baptists shouldn’t write blank checks for SBC leaders on sexual abuse’
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Attorneys Jonathan Whitehead and Joshua Abbotoy released an article on The Federalist, June 13, advising caution as Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) messengers here consider recommendations from the SBC’s Sexual Abuse Task Force (SATF) during their annual meeting this week. The Federalist article responds to a previous article by Matthew T. Martens, an attorney and member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C., who urged Southern Baptists to accept the SATF’s … [Read more...]
Sexual Abuse Task Force modifies recommendations in advance of the annual meeting
NASHVILLE (BP) – Changes to the recommendations that Sexual Abuse Task Force members will present to messengers at next week’s SBC annual meeting will address the nature of third-party investigations at the church level, including funding and action toward churches that refuse to respond to an accusation. The changes came after hearing from Southern Baptists in the days following the initial presentation of the recommendations, said SATF Chair Bruce Frank in a video on June 8. “We are … [Read more...]
Send Relief offers $4 million to fund EC sexual abuse response, survivor care fund
ALPHARETTA, Ga. (BP) – Send Relief announced its intent June 8 to give $3 million to fund the proposed Sexual Abuse Task Force (SATF) recommendations for sexual abuse reform, and an additional $1 million to establish a survivor care fund to provide trauma care for survivors and trauma training for pastors. The $1 million would be allocated from Send Relief funds designated for its ongoing mission to protect children and families, according to a joint statement from Send Relief President … [Read more...]