[[Marshall has agreed to allow SBC Voices to repost his Twitter thread regarding his thoughts on the SBC SATF and the recent controversy regarding GuidePost Solutions.]] If anyone was looking for an excuse not to deal with sexual abuse and mistreatment of survivors within the SBC, Guidepost Solutions provided the perfect cover yesterday with their “pride” month tweet. I was both disappointed and stunned. A couple of thoughts about this: Guidepost is a multinational secular company that specializes in corporate investigations. They are not a Christian company although they routinely work … [Read more...] about Thoughts about Guidepost and the SBC SATF [Guest Author: Marshall Blalock]
Survivors & Abuse Response
How would you handle a sexual misconduct investigation?
Most people — including pastors and church leaders — have little experience conducting investigations into sexual harassment complaints or other allegations of misconduct. In my HR career, I have conducted or advised on many. One of the most egregious ways of mishandling an investigation is to fail to start one. The Guidepost report brings to light many of these failures. One that every SBC church leader could learn from is the failure of the Counseling Pastor (CP) at FBC Woodstock to take appropriate action in 2010 when he first learned that Dr. Hunt had engaged in sexual misconduct. You … [Read more...] about How would you handle a sexual misconduct investigation?
What about a “Pastors in Good Standing” Plan? (Guest Post by Field Thigpen)
A day of reckoning has dawned in the SBC with the release of the SATF report last weekend. Many steps of action must be taken. It is my aim to introduce to you an idea for discussion which may be developed into one such step of action. The following plan would not resolve the issue of sexual abuse in the SBC, but it could serve as a safeguard for churches against wolves who stealthily seek to flock-hop from one congregation to the next. The preliminary working title for this step is the “Pastors in Good Standing” plan. Local churches often acknowledge God’s calling on a servant and … [Read more...] about What about a “Pastors in Good Standing” Plan? (Guest Post by Field Thigpen)
Response to the Sexual Abuse Task Force Report [Guest Author: Bart Barber]
We, the SBC Voices Editorial Team, repost here for your consideration Dr. Bart Barber's response to the report of the SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force. For the original source, click here. For the SBC SATF documents, click here. Bart Barber May 25, 2022 For Immediate Release I have now read the complete text and the appendices of the May 15, 2022, document from Guidepost Solutions entitled, “Report of the Independent Investigation: The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee’s Response to Sexual Abuse Allegations and an Audit of the Procedures and Actions of the Credentials … [Read more...] about Response to the Sexual Abuse Task Force Report [Guest Author: Bart Barber]
My Statement Regarding the SBC/EC Investigation Report by Tiffany Thigpen
If Southern Baptists are to have any pure witness, the best way forward is to not only state their belief in scriptures, but to show it in action. These action steps could not only become a way forward, but also could allow a model for other denominations and organizations to follow. The SBC wants to be known as a Missions Organization and prides itself as a missionary sending powerhouse, though it seems it is often forgotten that the mission field includes its local congregations, and its own members. If you aren’t protecting those in your own backyard mission field isn’t it … [Read more...] about My Statement Regarding the SBC/EC Investigation Report by Tiffany Thigpen
Rachael Denhollander Statement on SBC SATF/Guidepost Report
I watched the movie “Spotlight” the night I testified against Larry. It was the first time I’d been able to bring myself to see it. To this day, I can’t describe the emotions that flooded me watching that story unfold. The survivors who spoke up at so great a cost – I remembered watching their stories unfold in real life during the Catholic abuse crisis and deepening my understanding of what it would take to stop Larry, and how to do it. The scene where the newspapers are flying off the press and remembering the day it was my face on the front page instead. Watching legal counsel for the … [Read more...] about Rachael Denhollander Statement on SBC SATF/Guidepost Report
SBC Voices’ #StandWithSurvivors project in Anaheim
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”
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”
Christians and the Public School (by Dale Huntington)
Growing up in a family of mostly secular humanist educators, I never once questioned if I should be going to public school. My father was the elementary school principal my friends referred to as Dr. Huntington and my mom was a school teacher and a college counselor for most of my life. So, when private Christian school and homeschooling were mentioned to me, I had no point of reference for it. And to be honest, the homeschooled kids I met seemed like they were from a different planet. It was in public high school where I was exposed to Christian teaching about the wrath of God and the saving … [Read more...] about Christians and the Public School (by Dale Huntington)
An Open Letter to the Messengers of the 2021 MBC Annual Meeting & All Missouri Baptists
Hello, Missouri Baptist Convention Family! I am Scott Gordon, Pastor of Claycomo Baptist Church in Kansas City. I was also a messenger at our recent MBC Annual Meeting in Branson. Prior to our time there, I had the privilege of working with my friend and fellow MBC Pastor, Mike Leake, and other fellow MBC Pastors on a motion to have appointed an MBC task force regarding the issue of sexual abuse. For those who were not able to be in Branson, you can find the full text of the motion at this link [MBC Tuesday Afternoon Business Update]. Sadly, this motion was rejected by the majority of … [Read more...] about An Open Letter to the Messengers of the 2021 MBC Annual Meeting & All Missouri Baptists