Southern Baptist leaders say they will release a secret list of hundreds of pastors and church-affiliated staff members accused of sexual abuse.
A cross and Bible sculpture stand outside the Southern Baptist Convention headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. On Tuesday, top administrative leaders for the SBC, the largest Protestant denomination in America, said that they will release a secret list of hundreds of pastors and other church-affiliated personnel accused of sexual abuse.
“Despite collecting these reports for more than 10 years, there is no indication that or anyone else, took any action to ensure that the accused ministers were no longer in positions of power at SBC churches,” the report said. Gene Besen, the committee’s interim counsel, said during Tuesday’s virtual meeting that releasing the list is an important step toward transparency. The names of survivors, confidential witnesses and any uncorroborated allegations of sexual abuse will be redacted from the list that will be made public, he said.
After the report’s release, more sexual abuse survivors have been contacting the Executive Committee to tell their stories, Besen said. He said he has asked Guidepost to open up a hotline so survivors who reach out “are directed to the proper place and receive the proper care.”
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