Commonwealth Policy Center

An independent report of sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention over the past two decades has hit like a bombshell. The 288 page report compiled by Guidestone Solutions found that an SBC attorney secretly kept a list of alleged and convicted abusers within the SBC. As of August 2018, there were 585. Many are still involved with SBC churches. SBC Executive Committee Interim CEO Willie McLaurin formally apologized to abuse survivors on behalf of the entire EC. “We’ll never know the full extent of the pain and the hurt that was caused for survivors. Care for the vulnerable should be our most important concern when dealing with sexual abuse,” McLaurin said. “And so today, on behalf of all Southern Baptists, I want to issue a formal apology and say that we are sorry to the survivors for all that we’ve done to cause hurt, pain and frustration. We’re committed today to Gospel reconciliation that will lead toward peace.” The apology notwithstanding, the fallout is sure to continue. And it true reconciliation and healing is a process that will take time.