Southern Baptist Executive Group Cautions Against Sex Abuse Investigations

[MineralMan]

https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/southern-baptist-executive-group-urges-caution-investigating-church-abuse

Taking a cue from the Vatican, perhaps, leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention are calling for restraint in investigating churches accused of sexual abuse claims, including child sexual abuse. Apparently no investigations should take place unless there is a conviction for such abuse in criminal court. I have to wonder what triggered this step back against airing offenses and beginning investigations that might prevent further abuse.

Below, the emphasis is mine:

Southern Baptist executive group urges caution before investigating church abuse

A Southern Baptist working group urged a cautious approach in investigating churches linked to allegations of sex abuse but has agreed that three of 10 churches named by Southern Baptist Convention President J.D. Greear in a report about sex abuse last week should be investigated.

{snip}

The working group said the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention, in general, “should not disrupt the ministries of its churches by launching an inquiry until it has received credible information that the church has knowingly acted wrongfully” in specific ways.

Those ways, that Executive Committee work group announced over the weekend (Feb. 23), include employing a convicted sex offender, permitting such an offender to do volunteer work with minors, employing someone who illegally concealed from law enforcement sex abuse by a church employee or volunteer, and “willfully disregarding compliance with mandatory child abuse reporting laws.”

{snip}

But the work group took a different tack. It encouraged all Southern Baptists to “avoid publicly calling the names of churches without having documentation of criminal convictions and giving prior notice to the church.”

More at link...

Note: The SBC is the largest Protestant denomination of Christianity in the United States. Only the Roman Catholic Church is larger among all Christian denominations.