Several churches affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) are being investigated by the United States Department of Justice due to their multiple problems related to sexual abuse.
“This is an ongoing investigation and we will not be commenting on our discussions with the Justice Department,” CBS officials said.
A statement from SBC leaders, including Executive Committee members, seminary presidents and heads of mission organizations, gave few details about the investigation but said it was about widespread sexual abuse issues that have rocked the organization. largest Protestant denomination in the United States.
“Individually and collectively, each CBS entity is resolved to fully and completely cooperate with the investigation,” the statement said. “While we continue to mourn and mourn the mistakes of the past related to sexual abuse, CBS’s current leadership has demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing those issues and is putting measures in place to ensure they are not repeated in the future.”
Earlier this year a CBS sexual assault task force released a 288-page report by an outside consultant, Guidepost Solutions. The seven-month independent investigation found disturbing details about how denominational leaders mishandled allegations of sexual abuse and mistreated victims.
The report specifically focused on how the SBC Executive Committee responded to cases of abuse, revealing that it had kept a secret list of reverends and other church members accused of abuse.
Following the publication of the Guidepost report, the CBS voted during its annual meeting in June to create a way to track pastors and other church workers accused of sexual abuse and to launch a new task force to oversee further reforms.
Earlier this week, SBC President Bart Barber announced the names of the Southern Baptist pastors and church members who will serve on the task force.
Southern Baptist sexual abuse survivor Christa Brown, who has long called for CBS to do more to address sexual abuse in its churches, welcomed the news of the Justice Department investigation. “Hallelujah. It’s about time,” Brown said in a Friday post on Twitter.
Associated Press/OnCuba.
