The largest Protestant denomination in the United States has announced that an investigation into sexual abuse by its clergy has begun.
Lawyers for the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) stated that they will “fully and totally” cooperate with the probe.
According to a May study, the SBC concealed the abuse and maligned survivors.
The SBC’s 13 million adherents are largely centered in the southern United States.
The department of justice has sent subpoenas to the executive committee of the Church, according to its attorneys.
SBC leaders stated that the probe centered on the systemic sexual abuse issues outlined in May’s report – a result of an investigation conducted by an outside firm on behalf of SBC.
“Every SBC company has agreed to cooperate fully and completely with the investigation,” they stated in a statement.
While we continue to sorrow and regret past errors connected to sexual abuse, current leaders throughout the SBC have exhibited a strong commitment to addressing these concerns and are implementing measures to guarantee they are never repeated.
In response to a 2019 report by the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News that detailed hundreds of suspected cases of sexual abuse within the church, the Southern Baptist Convention initiated its inquiry.
The 288-page investigation identified a few senior leaders on the Church’s executive committee who had control over the Church’s response to the claims of abuse and were “exclusively focused on avoiding liability for the SBC.”
According to the investigation, these officials “protected or even backed accused abusers.”
Due to how the church operates, calls and emails from survivors or other concerned Southern Baptists would be “ignored, disbelieved, or faced with the persistent refrain that the SBC could take no action,” according to the report.
It provided several recommendations, such as establishing an independent commission to supervise reforms in the handling of sexual misconduct and limiting the accused’s use of nondisclosure agreements and civil settlements.
