Updated May 22 6:30 p.m. | The Southern Baptist Convention’s Sexual Abuse Task Force has released the findings from a report conducted over the past eight months of research and interviews. The report contains the unedited, unredacted results of Guidepost Solutions’ independent investigation into the SBC Executive Committee’s handling of sexual abuse cases for 2000 to mid-2021.
To access the full report and the task force’s recommendations, click here.
The 288-page report includes extensive reporting on interviews saying that members of the Executive Committee leadership knew about abuse claims in SBC churches and did not reveal them, and that past heads of the EC kept a database of pastors named in abuse reports, while at the same time saying publicly that such a database was not possible because of SBC polity.
Another accusation has resulted in the resignation of NAMB Vice President Johnny Hunt. The former Georgia pastor and one-tine SBC President is accused of assaulting the wife of another pastor. Hunt denied the charge on Sunday, but resigned from the North American Mission Board on May 13, ahead of the submission of the investigation report by Guidepost Solutions to the Executive Committee. In a statement Sunday afternoon, NAMB President Kevin Ezell said he knew nothing about the claims against Hunt until the report was released publicly today.
Also released along with the report are recommendations from the task force. Among the task force’s recommendations are:
– The next SBC president appoint an Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force to “assist with the implementation of reform initiatives in our convention for a period of three years.” That task force would work with the Executive Committee to “create and maintain a process that will work within our Baptist polity for alerting the community to the presence and activity of credibly accused offenders, including the establishment of a ‘ministry check’ website.”
– The Executive Committee hire a subject matter expert to receive calls and provide guidance for reports of sexual abuse. The expert would also work with state conventions to provide “training and educational opportunities.”
– All entity boards and committees receive training regrading sexual abuse prevention and survivor care, plus background checks.
– The IMB, NAMB and the six SBC seminaries require their workers and students receive formal preparation regarding “prevention, training, and survivor care.”
– The Credentials Committee would be better resourced and have a full-time staff staff member with a budget hired to help it better perform its tasks.
Specific motions related to the recommendations will go to messengers attending the SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, June 14–15 and are expected to be released publicly before the end of May.
Per instructions from the motion passed by messengers to the 2021 SBC Annual Meeting in Nashville, the Sexual Abuse Task Force was to receive the report from Guidepost no later than 30 days prior to the SBC Annual Meeting (which happened May 15) and then release it to the public within seven days (which happened May 22).
The Illinois Baptist will be providing additional coverage related to the report’s findings.
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