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The story of the Southern Baptist Conference’s intercourse abuse disaster is just not going away.
No less than not anytime quickly.
Southern Baptists delegates overwhelmingly adopted abuse reforms this previous summer season, however some inside the nation’s largest evangelical denomination stay oblivious.
Working example: Faith Information Service’s Bob Smietana broke this information:
Disgraced former Southern Baptist Conference President Johnny Hunt plans a return to ministry after finishing a restoration course of overseen by 4 pastors, based on a video launched final week.
That information, simply seven months after the allegations in opposition to Hunt had been made public, prompted Bart Barber, the present SBC president, to release a lengthy statement via Twitter. Barber declared:
I’d completely “defrock” Johnny Hunt if I had the authority to take action. In a fellowship of autonomous church buildings, I don’t have the authority to take action. But it have to be stated that neither do these 4 pastors have the authority to declare Johnny Hunt to be “restored.”
At The Tennessean, Liam Adams studies:
The information of Hunt’s return to ministry is the most recent high-profile instance of a problem the Nashville-based SBC is wrestling with: if and the way pastors accused of abuse can return to the pulpit.
In his personal follow-up report, Smietana delves into the outcry over the Hunt information:
Tiffany Thigpen, an abuse survivor and longtime advocate of abuse victims, stated Hunt’s return to ministry is an indication that the legislated reforms have but to vary Southern Baptist tradition.
“We’re at all times going to have this community of highly effective males who can do no matter they need and assume they will get away with it,” she stated. “And they’re proper.”
Thigpen stated Hunt, like anybody, may be forgiven by God. However that doesn’t imply he ought to be given energy and a platform within the church. She stated pastors like those who endorsed Hunt dole out low cost grace with a view to defend their mates.
“They don’t care,” she stated.
As famous by the Washington Instances’ Mark A. Kellner, two of the 4 pastors concerned in Hunt’s “restoration” serve church buildings affiliated with the SBC.
Most pastors imagine clergy concerned in sexual misconduct ought to withdraw from public ministry completely, based on a 2021 Lifeway Analysis research.
In reviewing protection of the most recent SBC information, I found that Robert Downen — the lead reporter on the 2019 “Abuse of Religion” collection that detailed a whole bunch of circumstances of sexual abuse inside the denomination — has left the Houston Chronicle. In some way I missed this earlier.
Downen moved to the Texas Tribune this fall to deal with the democracy beat, however that doesn’t imply he’s left faith tales behind totally. The headline on his newest story, revealed this week: Jewish Texans see surge in antisemitism as a precursor to fascism. Congrats to Robert on his new gig, which he describes as a dream job!
Again to the SBC: The Hunt information isn’t the one current improvement within the abuse disaster.
Regardless of admitting sexual misconduct, a former seminary professor has sued SBC leaders and entities, claiming they conspired with an abuse survivor to break his fame, as reported this week by each Adams and Smietana.
In the meantime, Adams particulars 21 SBC state conventions addressing abuse at their current conferences. For extra on these actions, see protection by The Oklahoman’s Carla Hinton and the Birmingham Information’ Greg Garrison.
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