DOJ launches investigation into Southern Baptist Convention

Chandler Inions, The Lebanon Democrat, Tenn.
·3 min read
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Aug. 16—According to a statement from the Southern Baptist Convention's executive committee, the Department of Justice has officially opened up an investigation into the religious organization.

The investigation stems from a bombshell report released earlier this year implicating several high-ranking members of the SBC Executive Committee in a scandal dating back decades. That report revealed hundreds of instances of abuse that were swept under the rug.

In a Friday release, a spokesperson for the convention's executive committee indicated that the organization "recently became aware that the Department of Justice has initiated an investigation into the SBC, and that the investigation will include multiple SBC entities."

The statement was not attributed to one person but instead to 14 members of the executive committee, including the newest SBC president, Bart Barber, as well as president Ben Mandrell of Lifeway Christian Resources and Willie D. McLaurin, the interim president of the SBC executive committee.

According to the statement, "Each SBC entity is resolved to fully and completely cooperate with the investigation whether individually or collectively."

Southern Baptist churches' participation in the SBC is strictly voluntary, and the organization maintains that each church is independent.

Jon Ferguson, the senior pastor at Hillcrest Baptist Church in Lebanon, mentioned on Monday that he approved of the steps undertaken in the investigation.

"An ytime that it is a legal matter, it should go to the justice system," Ferguson said. "These things should be reported to them. If a young lady came in here and told me that somebody had sexually abused her, and it proved to be true, we would contact law enforcement and have it taken care of that way. If they are following the letter of the law, then, I have no problem with it. I think anybody that defiles the name of Christ in such a way should be prosecuted."

The fallout from the investigation has the congregation at Hillcrest Baptist Church weighing its affiliation with the SBC.

"Our congregation is really praying about the SBC and the direction they are heading in and whether we stick around in it, to be honest," Ferguson said.

For their part, the SBC Executive Committee indicated that it continues to "grieve and lament past mistakes related to sexual abuse."

The committee added that current leaders across the SBC have "demonstrated a firm conviction to address those issues of the past and are implementing measures to ensure they are never repeated in the future."

The statement, which 14 faith leaders signed, added that "reform efforts are not finished."

Some of those reform efforts include the establishment of an Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force, which begins its work as private entities also strengthen their efforts to protect against abuse.

The statement indicated that the committee's interest to "cooperate with the Department of Justice," which it stated, "is born from our demonstrated commitment to transparently address the scourge of sexual abuse."

The religious organization asked that members pray in the weeks ahead.

"While so many things in the world are uncertain, we can be certain that we serve a mighty God," the statement said. "Nothing, including this investigation, takes Him by surprise. We take comfort in that and humbly ask you to be in prayer in the days and weeks ahead. Specifically, we ask God to grant wisdom and discernment to each person dealing with the investigation."