Monday, June 10, 2019

Southern Baptist Report on Abuse Says SBC Lax; Fails to Protect Churchgoers in Hundreds of Cases

A new Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) report on sex abuse acknowledges numerous ways the denomination has failed to protect members of its churches, the Religion News website reports today (June 10, 2019).

The "Caring Well" report also summarizes a range of next steps to address the issue, including educating congregations about abuse, preparing them to help survivors, and fostering abuse prevention.

"It should now be obvious that the problem has been and still is more widespread than anyone has realized," the SBC report said, "affecting our congregations all over the country, from the smallest church pastored by a bivocational minister to the megachurch with hundreds on staff."

The report -- to be presented during the Southern Baptists' annual meeting this week -- is the result of almost a year's work by a sexual abuse advisory group commissioned by SBC President J.D. Greear. It is based on an inquiry involving hundreds of sex abuse survivors, church leaders, and national experts.

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