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Survivors & Abuse Response

Remembering with Joy: A Tribute to Jennifer Lyell

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I have hesitated to write my own tribute to Jennifer Lyell, and instead have found comfort in reposting the writings of others who were close to her. Though I call Jennifer my friend, and she was, we didn’t share the kind of friendship marked by intimate times of fellowship and joyful shared experiences. In fact, all of our interactions over the past few years have been through online messages or by phone. We never met in person again after she disclosed her abuse—the timing was never right—and I didn’t want to impose on her and add weight to an already heavy load. It was enough for me to care … [Read more...] about Remembering with Joy: A Tribute to Jennifer Lyell

The Speech I Planned to Give in Support of the Motion to Censure (by Louis Cook)

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I am Louis Cook. I am a messenger sent by Oak City Baptist Church in Oak City, North Carolina. Brothers and sisters in Christ, this motion might sound unusual to many of you. Let me make clear that the purpose is not to attack or disparage. It simply calls on you, as messengers, to approve a motion of censure of these leaders who serve our Convention. Censure does not fire nor suspend someone. What it does is express our strong disapproval of a specific action. I believe that most messengers and the churches that sent us remain unaware of what was done in our name in 2022 and has remained … [Read more...] about The Speech I Planned to Give in Support of the Motion to Censure (by Louis Cook)

Understanding Adult Sexual Abuse: A breakout session at the #SBC23 Annual Meeting (Video)

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On Tuesday night during the SBC Annual Meeting, a breakout session sponsored by SBC Voices took place, focusing on the dynamics of adult sexual abuse. Dr. Heather Evans, an expert in the subject matter, joined forces with Chellee Taylor, a survivor of clergy abuse, and pastor and SBC Voices member, Dr. Todd Benkert, to lead the session. As part of the program, Chellee and her husband Peter were interviewed and shared their own experience of the impact of adult clergy sexual abuse. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each of our speakers for their valuable contributions. We would also like … [Read more...] about Understanding Adult Sexual Abuse: A breakout session at the #SBC23 Annual Meeting (Video)

A Helpful EC Meeting “Explainer” for the events of Feb 20-21, 2023

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What follows has been assembled by some folks “in the know,” regarding the events that took place at the EC meeting dated February 20-21, 2023. The attempt here is to share pertinent facts related to procedural issues, primarily. There is a bit of commentary in this explainer but for the most part, the material here is simply presented to posit factual and procedural elements to help answer a number of questions which have been offered in the intervening time. I was at the meeting in Nashville, and I find this material particularly helpful and wanted to share it with you. This article is … [Read more...] about A Helpful EC Meeting “Explainer” for the events of Feb 20-21, 2023

The Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon, Volume VII

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I have been following The Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon since the release of Volume I in early 2017. The ambitious project promised 12 volumes based on handwritten notes Spurgeon produced in his first few years of ministry. The first few volumes contained full-color scans of each notebook, a fully-formatted transcription, and copious footnotes regarding everything from stains and misspellings to excerpts from Spurgeon’s sources, explanations of historical or cultural references, quotes from Spurgeon’s later writings, and definitions of unfamiliar words. Around the time Volume III appeared, … [Read more...] about The Lost Sermons of C. H. Spurgeon, Volume VII

The Chair’s Opening Message to This Year’s Committee on Nominations is Encouraging

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I was recently sent a copy of an email which was written by this year's Chair of the SBC Committee on Nominations, Michael Criner, and sent to his full Committee. As a member of last year's NomCom this is of great interest to me. To my knowledge, I have not yet met Michael but I deeply appreciate the direction he is moving and I see this as a faithful forward movement/extension in the same direction that Leah Finn led our team last year. I appreciate Michael's faithful effort in following the lead of the Convention especially now in light of the SATF report. He is taking this task seriously … [Read more...] about The Chair’s Opening Message to This Year’s Committee on Nominations is Encouraging

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

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

A Devastatingly Deficient Defense: The Sad Response to my “Conflict of Interest” Motion From the Executive Committee

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In just a few days the Executive Committee (EC) will present their annual report to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and at least a portion of that report will be embarrassing for them. The official EC response to my motion regarding a possible conflict of interest related to the previous SBC law firm has been published… and it is utterly laughable. The Background I offered the first motion to be brought to the floor of the SBC last year in Nashville regarding what I, and some others, believed to be an apparent conflict of interest concerning our convention’s legal counsel. … [Read more...] about A Devastatingly Deficient Defense: The Sad Response to my “Conflict of Interest” Motion From the Executive Committee