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Todd Benkert

Trauma-Informed Ministry: A breakout session at the SBC Annual Meeting

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? Tuesday night at the SBC Annual Meeting, SBCvoices sponsored a breakout session introducing trauma-informed care and how it can be used in local church ministry. The session is divided into three sections: Rachael Denhollander began with an overview of what trauma is and how it affects a person mentally, physically, and physiologically. Todd Benkert tackled the question "Is Trauma-informed care biblical?" and encouraged the audience to learn about trauma and its effects, and use the whole counsel of God when addressing trauma so that we have the biblical vocabulary to address the … [Read more...] about Trauma-Informed Ministry: A breakout session at the SBC Annual Meeting

Debbie Vasquez wants to talk with you at our #StandWithSurvivors Booth

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Our booth at the #SBCPC began not as some grand plan, but with a simple promise. Debbie Vasquez was making a great effort to come to the annual meeting, so she could talk to messengers, pass out the material she prepared, and do everything she can to keep other children from going through the horror she did. Of course, security is tight, getting in the building requires you to be a registered guest and passing out literature that hasn’t been approved is restricted, and she wasn’t sure she would even be able to talk to messengers even if she could somehow get to Anaheim. As Debbie shared her … [Read more...] about Debbie Vasquez wants to talk with you at our #StandWithSurvivors Booth

Sexual Abuse Reform Resource List for Anaheim

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The following is a list of suggested resources in preparation for the SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim. This page will be updated as we become aware of additional helpful material. *** A Video Message from SBC Abuse Survivors *** https://sbcvoices.com/a-video-message-from-sbc-abuse-survivors/   Core Documents The Gaines Motion to form the SATF and investigation https://sbcvoices.com/motion-to-investigate-the-sbc-executive-committee-full-text/ The Guidepost Report https://www.sataskforce.net/s/Guidepost-Solutions-Independent-Investigation-Report___.pdf The … [Read more...] about Sexual Abuse Reform Resource List for Anaheim

SBC Voices’ #StandWithSurvivors project in Anaheim

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SBC Voices* will be active this June at the SBC Annual Meeting in Anaheim to give a voice to SBC abuse survivors, educate messengers about the need to support structural reforms on the denominational level, and help SBC churches minister well to survivors of abuse. We’ll be hosting a booth at the Pastors’ Conference and a breakout session on Tuesday night. The first objective of this project is to give SBC abuse survivors the opportunity to speak directly to Southern Baptist messengers about abuse. At the same time, we want to introduce SBC pastors and messengers to resources to help … [Read more...] about SBC Voices’ #StandWithSurvivors project in Anaheim

Debbie Vasquez and the fallacy of the “angry survivor”

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Debbie Vasquez, now in her mid-sixties, was molested by a minister in her church beginning when she was 14 years old and was later impregnated by him.  The perpetrator went on to pastor for decades, most recently at an SBC church that withdrew from the Convention when the credentials committee began an inquiry. If you don’t know her story, you can read about it here, and here, but I warn you, it’s a horrific story. Debbie has given me permission to share part of her story and our interaction with each other in this essay. I met Debbie Vasquez in 2019 at the close of the ERLC’s Caring Well … [Read more...] about Debbie Vasquez and the fallacy of the “angry survivor”

Interview with Daniel Dickard: Candidate for SBC Pastors’ Conference President

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Up until a few weeks ago, I had personally never heard of Daniel Dickard. When he was announced as a candidate for SBC PC president, I reached out to him. His heart for ministry, for the SBC, and his passion for ministry exuded from him and I was greatly encouraged by our conversation. I asked if I could interview him for SBC Voices and introduce him to our readers here. _________ Daniel, you were telling me a little about how your family legacy is a key part of your story, can you share that with our readers? It is difficult to share my story without giving the broader story of God’s … [Read more...] about Interview with Daniel Dickard: Candidate for SBC Pastors’ Conference President

A tale of two motions: How the messengers and two entities respond to the call for independent investigations

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With all the Convention focused on the Executive Committee and the Gaines/Parrott motion that formed an independent task force, I think it might be helpful to highlight a similar motion and its disposition by the messengers and the body to which it was referred. The motion I am referring to is the one made by former Baptist, and then Founders leader, Jared Longshore. The motion, it seems, was meant to be a parallel opposing motion to the one made by Grant Gaines and adopted similar language as that motion. The motion was as follows:   Jared Longshore (FL) Motion: That the … [Read more...] about A tale of two motions: How the messengers and two entities respond to the call for independent investigations

A Call to Prayer for the SBC

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Over the next week, the Sex Abuse Task Force will meet with officers of the SBC Executive Committee officers to come to an agreement on waiving attorney-client privilege as directed by the messengers of the 2021 SBC meeting. The authors of the original motion, Ronnie Parrot and Grant Gaines are entering into 7 days of prayer and fasting for these meetings and are asking others to join them. … [Read more...] about A Call to Prayer for the SBC