The allegations against the Southern Baptist Convention’s handling of the denomination’s history of sex abuse and cover ups have been confirmed. This newly released third party report (linked below) details the crimes, the conspiracy, the co-conspirators and their history of coverups as orchestrated from the highest seats held in the denomination.
Those who waited on this report knew this to be the case. Yet this report confirms to the skeptics that the victims stories were true. Still for those who were victims of these pastoral abuse, church related crimes, the news comes with a new level of grief and trauma.
Some would ask why I share this tragic news as it seems I take pleasure in exposing the Christian church when caught in deception, sin, cover-up and gaslighting. That may seem the case since I am passionate about Jesus, my faith and long for others to fully know Him as He fully knows them. Yet I have another reason that speaking up is my only option and here’s my answer.
When sin is kept in darkness it will fester and multiply. Much like a staff infection that is allowed to fester under a healing burn, it will thrive and wreak havoc in the body and eventually cause death. Unless it is exposed, cleaned out and treated, the infection will destroy it’s host.
The third party report on the SBC sex abuse and cover-up allegations reveals what the symptoms have indicated. The denomination is sick. Regardless of what good the Church (the “body of Christ” believers as Paul wrote about in 1 Corinthians 12) is able to accomplish, the church (the religious institution created by man) will be what defines those of us who unabashedly and passionately follow Jesus. And what the world sees and many women within the SBC have experienced, there’s a festering infection that needed to be exposed and cleaned out. So people can heal. So Jesus can be seen and not the sinful ways of the church.
So, I’m encouraged that there are many like me who are grieved by this news. And like me, they’re not only grieved for the implications it has for the organized church but first and foremost for the harm caused to even one soul who trusted their pastor only to be used and abused by them.
This report is the stain that grieves God’s heart and I pray it would grieve yours too.
Today I embrace that the scab that hid the festering SBC wounds has been removed and that it’s victims will finally heal. Today I pray for repentance to come from this exposure, not only for the SBC but for every denomination that calls themselves Christian. We are all the SBC today.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/22028383-guidepost-investigation-of-the-southern-baptist-convention