Southern Baptist Convention Leaders Covered up Sex Abuse and Lied to Members, Report Reveals
PATTERN OF ABUSE
A nearly 300-page report published Sunday revealed that leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, ignored and “even vilified” reports of sexual abuse for decades. Guidepost Solutions conducted the investigation after some Southern Baptists requested such an inquiry at last year’s annual SBC meeting; it includes details about specific cases and illuminates how denominational leaders pushed back against calls for reform. The investigation found that reports of abuse made to SBC’s administrative arm were met “time and time again, with resistance, stonewalling, and even outright hostility” by institutional leaders. It also found that some senior SBC leaders, including three past presidents, “protected” or “supported” alleged abusers. Many Southern Baptists have long asked leadership to compile a database of offenders in order to prevent further abuse, and Guidepost Solutions’ investigation found that leaders lied to SBC members, saying that they were unable to maintain a database while secretly keeping a private list of known offenders. The report, which is already sparking outrage, will likely reverberate throughout the conservative Christian community.