Unveiling Abuse in the SBC

What do we do with a report like this?

Background — In a denomination that includes almost 14 million members and 47,000 congregations, the report released last week reveals that systemic abuse and cover up of abuse was being coordinated in the denomination, while victims (and their families) were being gaslit and harassed. Lists were kept of abusers and victims. Not included in this report were open cases and cases that were never shared beyond their local context.

In 2019, a report done by “The Houston Chronicle and The San Antonio Express-News revealed that nearly 400 Southern Baptist leaders, from youth pastors to top ministers, had pleaded guilty or been convicted of sex crimes against more than 700 victims since 1998.” (NY Times)

From the Baptist Standard, “The 205-page list includes details about 700 cases of abuse by pastors, Sunday school teachers, camp counselors, music ministers, bus drivers and missionaries, with about 400 tied to SBC churches from Alaska to Alabama. In almost all of the cases, the abuse had led to arrests and jail time.” (baptiststandard.com)

The SBC has been split in their response. Ultraconservatives, shockingly, aren’t saying much at all. The denomination is currently looking for new leadership and is struggling to find the right “balance” in their response.

So how do we respond to a report like this?
I mean, I’ve been thinking about it all week and I don’t have anything brilliant or succinct to say. And in reality, there’s nothing anyone can say that will fix being abused and harassed. My heart breaks for everyone that has suffered. I’m angry at an abusive system that perpetuates this dehumanizing and degenerate behavior.

There should never be this kind of suffering and abuse in a church setting.

Church is a place that many of us were born into. It’s a place where we’re supposed to be taken care of and loved. It’s a place where we learn about a loving creator, where we’re taught about a world that is given meaning from the beginning of time, and it’s a place that’s held up to be safe. The problem is, we’re seeing that this isn’t true.

People of all walks of life are abused in churches. What’s particularly heartbreaking to me is sexual abuse against young girls because not only do they carry the abuse but they’re often told they have failed to maintain their purity. When we teach women and girls a culture that purity is all their responsibility, they bear the weight of abuse and are programmed to interpret it as their failure. It’s really convenient for the abuser, as it also works as a shame and silence mechanism. What girl will want to admit that they are sexually impure? Abuse + Purity Culture is a great way for an abuser to hide in plain sight.

This is something I’ve seen firsthand when I was a part of evangelical culture. I met a young teenage woman who wanted a purity ring. I happened to wear a lot of sterling silver and had some rings that could serve that purpose. I pulled some in different sizes and let her choose what she wanted.

As she chose, her father said, “You can’t have that, you’re not pure.” She had been sexually assaulted as a child. Appalled, we defended her and pointed out that the abuse was not her fault and that she wasn’t responsible. However, it showed us how deeply intertwined purity culture and abuse are. One of her own caregivers bought into the lie and continued to perpetuate the lie that she was at fault. How can this happen in the church?!

Unfortunately, abusive people sneak into these spaces specifically to abuse others. And, in systems where many of those people have authority, regular attenders are taught and pass along, without question, what they’ve learned. Whether it’s the narcissistic, manipulative Sunday School teacher that mentally and emotionally abused generations of kids in the church I grew up in or the youth pastor that can’t keep his hands to himself, people — often girls and women — are being abused in churches. And, more times than not, someone knows about the abuse and does nothing.

I’ve burned with anger as my heart broke sitting next to the family of a young woman who was groomed and abused by her youth pastor. I agonized with them as we sat in court waiting for an arraignment. All the while we knew his father, the senior pastor, had minimized the behavior. This should never be acceptable.

This all makes me angry. I hope it makes you angry. Abuse should not be happening at the hands of the church. Part of what’s infuriating to me is that the system seems set up for this. The church growth movement created an environment where narcissistic behavior was normalized as a mechanism for growing the church. The best and fastest growing churches are more about personality and popularity rather than creating community and shared values. When we’re groomed to buy into some toxic behavior, it starts to feel normal. As we’ve seen in the stories of Hillsong and other larger collapses, when we lose the ability to discern healthy and unhealthy behavior, the environment can fuel abuse.

We have to learn to identify and report abusive behavior. While children may not be able to protect themselves, the teens and adults around them can. We’ll talk about some of the ways to see and name abuse in our deep dive.

I want to give Jason a chance to speak here. Following our reflections, we’ll include information to submit your own report to the SBC and resources if you have experienced sexual abuse. You are not alone.

Jason
There’s not much for me to add here. Not because I don’t have anything to say, but more because it’s people who look like me who often perpetrate these crimes. And, it’s people who look like me who don’t often listen to those who are hurting, who have been abused, and who have been denied the space to hear the truth of their story.

I’d love to be the one who changes that, and I’m sure there are others like me who want to listen and experience the healing that comes in justice and the restoration to community.

I am proud and in awe of the strength of the women who’ve stood up to the patriarchy and misogyny in the Southern Baptist Church. I would hope that I could stand with them if called to.

I am appalled at what passes for theology, responsibility, and accountability for the men of the Southern Baptist Convention. The pain they’ve wrought throughout the years in the service of maintaining power and control over women is inexcusable and irredeemable. That’s right, irredeemable.

There is no theology or sacred text that could ever condone this behavior and its intentional coverup. They are wrong and are only owning up to it (sort of, but not yet, and not in a systemic way) because they got caught. The only thing they’ve gotten right is the fear they’re experiencing as this spirals out into the world.

I hope this has long legs and bright lights that reach into every dark corner of the SBC.

I hope this sparks a realization of the harm they’ve caused with their theologies, preaching, teaching, cultures, and interpretations of the sacred stories in the Christian tradition.

I hope they’re all looking over their shoulder and experiencing the powerful voices of women in their midst who aren’t going to take it anymore.

I hope churches close and people are indicted and held accountable and responsible.

I hope, but I won’t hold my breath. Not until the people start to wake up and see and speak and change.

Resources for Reporting and Getting Help After Sexual Abuse

If you are a victim of abuse in the SBC, you can still report your abuse. You can report abuse by a member of the SBC to the independent firm that conducted the report at 202–864–5578 or SBChotline@guidepostsolutions.com.

If you have experienced sexual assault and need help you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline: a service of RAINN (Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network). You can reach them in: Online chat hotline and Spanish online chat hotline. You can also call them at 800–656-HOPE (4673).

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