Sexual abuse reform lauded by Oklahoma Southern Baptist trio, though delays trigger anger

The Southern Baptist Convention's historic approval of sexual abuse reforms was somewhat bittersweet for one Oklahoma preacher.

The Rev. Mike Keahbone, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Lawton, said he was confident that Baptist delegates, called messengers, would embrace two important reform measures considered on Tuesday at the denomination's annual meeting in Anaheim, California.

However, Keahbone said he was disheartened about the messengers' lengthy debate on the issue, and he became angry when the conversation grew contentious — a turn of events he deemed unnecessary.

More: Southern Baptists' list of alleged abusers contains at least 20 people with Oklahoma ties

"I knew it was going to pass because I think Southern Baptists all stand in solidarity that sexual abuse is wrong. So I wasn't worried about that," Keahbone said during an interview.

"What I was worried about was what exactly happened — we debated for an hour. It should not take that long to do the right thing."

The reform measures approved Tuesday afternoon came as Southern Baptists continue to grapple with a sexual abuse crisis that has been building momentum since the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News published the report "Abuse of Faith" in 2019.

The faith group became embroiled in controversy, so much so, that messengers in 2021 asked for a third-party investigation on leaders' response to sexual abuse allegations. That blistering independent report, released in May, exposed how some of the denomination's leaders, from 2000-2020, maligned and discredited sexual abuse victims, while bungling or covering up abuse allegations made against individuals tied to the denomination.   

Almost 8,000 messengers this week elected a new president, the Rev. Bart Barber, pastor of First Baptist Church of Farmersville, Texas, but his election came after they approved two recommendations from the denomination's Sexual Abuse Task Force.

The Rev. Bruce Frank, of North Carolina, the task force's chairman, said it was a "seminal moment" for the nation's largest Protestant group and second-largest faith group.

"Today, we will choose between humility or hubris," Frank said in his address to messengers.

"We will choose between genuine repentance or continually being passive in our approach to sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention. We will choose between doing the best for the glory of God and for the good of people. Or we will choose again business as usual."

Messengers also voted to create an Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force. 

And the group gave its approval for the creation of a denomination-wide "Ministry Check" website that will include information about accused and convicted sexual predators. This reform measure was viewed as a significant step because some Baptists, most notably Enid preacher Wade Burleson, had been requesting such a database since 2007 to keep predators from hopping from church to church. The idea was quashed more than once on the grounds that it would be too difficult.

The site would be established and maintained by an independent firm selected by the denomination's credentials committee in consultation with the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force. The site would also be funded by a $3 million sexual abuse reforms allocation from the faith group's Send Relief collaboration between the denomination's domestic and international mission affiliates. Send Relief leaders announced the $3 million allocation for reforms in the days leading up to the annual meeting.

Abuse survivors called 'heroes'

Keahbone and two other Oklahoma members of the Southern Baptist Convention's Executive Committee — Micah Nix, of Skiatook, and LaTricia Watson, of Tulsa — shared their thoughts about the faith group's approval of reform measures during breaks in the annual gathering that was to conclude on Wednesday. The executive committee is the denomination's top administrative body that acts on the faith group's behalf between annual meetings.

Keahbone has emerged as one of the Executive Committee's more outspoken members regarding the sexual abuse scandal.

He said it was fitting that the gathering was attended by sexual abuse survivors who have been longtime advocates for reform within the denomination. He said he had conversations with two of them, Jules Woodson and Tiffany Thigpen, through social media but had an opportunity to meet them in person at the Anaheim gathering.

"People don't understand the incredible amount of courage that it takes for them to be there because being around all of these Baptist leaders is triggering for them," he said. "You know, they're having to relive their abuse all over again because some of the leaders that added to their trauma were there."

For his part, task force Chairman Frank thanked all of the survivors for attending the event.

"Both the survivors listed in the report, as well as the countless anonymous ones that are sitting here in this convention center, thank you for your patience, for your persistence, for your grace and for your resolve," Frank said. ... "I hope I echo what everybody in this hall says that you are the heroes in this hall."

The debate about the reform measures included dissension from some messengers who expressed outreach about Guidepost Solutions, the firm that the denomination paid to investigate the faith group's handling of sexual abuse allegations. The firm's public promotion of Pride Month on Twitter was met with anger by some messengers who said Pride Month, a celebration of the LGBTQ community, is in direct opposition to the denomination's stance against homosexuality.

Another messenger said he thought the ratio of accused and convicted abusers included in a once "secret" database kept by a denomination leader was relatively low as compared to the majority of Southern Baptists who would never condone sexual abuse. He likened the furor over the third-party sexual abuse report to the "stain" on America from the New York Times' "The 1619 Project." Among the project's conclusions was the assertions that the legacy of slavery is the persistent anti-Black racism found throughout America's societal institutions.    

Frank lost no time in countering the preacher's statements.

He said if the denomination refused to address the sexual abuse crisis with reform measures, "we are opening the door for people to hurt our people."

Keahbone said he grew so irate that he felt he had to confess his anger to the Lord and the crowd before he led messengers in prayer later in the day.

"I understand healthy discussion, but what I don't understand amongst believers is attacking one another or just speaking to be heard," he said. "There were just some things that were happening in the room that were just not God-honoring, not OK."

The Lawton minister said he ultimately came away from the incident grateful that his fellow Baptists realized it was time to move forward with reforms. He said he, along with Frank, did not agree with Guidepost's Pride Month promotion but to use that as a reason to reject much-needed reforms would have been out of place. 

"That moment was to show survivors that we were serious about taking action," Keahbone said.

Protecting the vulnerable

Meanwhile, Nix, a deacon at First Baptist Church of Skiatook, said he was grieved about the findings of the third-party sexual abuse report but "hopes this is a first step in being able to protect the vulnerable in our convention from sexual abuse and show how meaningful about repentance over these matters."

Nix said he fully expected debate over the reform measures.

"There is concern among some about our convention polity and the possibility of accusations that lack credibility," he said. "However, these concerns have been used in the past to cover up and ignore the issue of sexual abuse over the last 20 years at least."

Nix said the Sexual Abuse Task Force's recommendations were reviewed at length by the denomination's entity heads and others familiar with such matters, and they found no reason to be concerned about those issues.

"That gives me confidence that the recommendations won't negatively affect our convention. However, I believe we should be more concerned with the care and protection of sexual abuse survivors in our convention at this time."

More: Oklahoma Baptists speak out on establishment of Southern Baptist sexual abuse hotline

This week's annual meeting was Watson's first such gathering as an Executive Committee member. Watson, wife of the Rev. Tiller Watson, senior pastor of Tulsa's Turn Church, said she thought the Sexual Abuse Task Force did a "wonderful" job coming up with the recommendations for messengers to consider.

She said she wasn't too surprised by the debate but knew that the majority of Baptists would ultimately approve the reforms.

"It's what they wanted," she said. "They wanted the investigation, they wanted the task force to be formed. And it's what they got."

Watson said the denomination will now be able to put a halt to "wolves" — abusers — going from church to church preying on people.

She said there will always be sin in the world but the sin of sexual abuse is being addressed by Baptists with the good "first step" measures that will soon be   implemented.  

"How about that," she said. "The light has been turned on this darkness and I think it's great." 

More on 'Ministry Check' website

A key part of the debate about the creation of a database of abusers has typically been focused on who will be placed in the database and under what circumstances.

The Sexual Abuse Task Force said names submitted to the database will include pastors, denominational workers or ministry employees or volunteers who have been associated with Southern Baptist church or entity in fellowship with the denomination, who:

•Have been convicted or had a civil judgement against them for sexual abuse.

•Have been the subject of a qualified independent firm that has performed an inquiry into allegations and determined that the individual has been credibly accused by a "preponderance" of evidence. The inquiries will be initiated by the relevant local church or other Baptist entity.

Once an individual's name and allegation has been submitted to the Ministry Check administrator, the administrator will review the supporting documentation to ensure that the standard of "credibly accused" has been met according to the database requirements for inclusion.

In cases where a person has not been convicted, or a civil judgement made against them or third-party inquiry, the administrator will route the allegation to the relevant church or Baptist entity for inquiry. If the church or Baptist entity doesn't have the resources for such an inquiry, they may apply for a grant to cover such costs.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Southern Baptists applaud planned sexual abuse reforms