The Southern Baptist Convention covered up sexual abuse and protected abusers for years. In 2019, an investigation by the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express revealed around 380 Southern Baptist pastors and church leaders had been accused of sexual abuse and misconduct involving hundreds of survivors. In most cases, the religious leaders continue in their vocation and the victims were blamed.
In 2021, Phillip Bethancourt, a Texas pastor, posted audio clips of internal meetings, audio that backed up his claim and the claim of survivors of abuse that the Executive Committee tried to block the creation of sexual abuse policies that would obligate them to protect survivors more than pastors.
Many of the SBC directors defended their failing to protect survivors by pointing out that congregations are autonomous and that Baptists do not have a hierarchy that dictates policy. However, that structure has not stopped them from expelling churches that hire a woman as pastor or allow gay members or gay marriage.
New leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention have published a database of more than 400 offenders and are pledged to do better, though how much they stick to the pledge remains to be seen. So far, they have expelled two churches for mishandling sex abuse. They have also published a database of alleged abusers.
In February 2023, they expelled five churches for hiring a woman as pastor.
- Houston Chronicle: Abuse of Faith – Six Part Investigation & Database
- My San Antonio: Abuse of Faith: Investigation reveals 700 victims of Southern Baptist sexual abuse over 20 years
- Washington Post: Southern Baptist leaders covered up sex abuse, kept secret database, report says
- Alabama.com: Southern Baptist Convention secret recordings reveal dispute over handling of sex abuse
- New York Times: Southern Baptists Expel 2 Churches Over Sex Abuse and 2 for L.G.B.T.Q. Inclusion
- New York Times: Southern Baptist Convention Says It Faces Federal Investigation for Sexual Abuse
- NPR: What’s next for the Southern Baptist Convention after it ousted 5 woman-led churches?
- Southern Baptist Convention: A statement on the release of a list of alleged abusers
Indianapolis, Indiana · Tuesday, May 24, 2022