The newly elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, Florida Pastor Willy Rice, has denied that there was ever a ‘systematic’ cover-up of sexual abuse by top denomination officials. Rice told reporters that people with political agendas had used the issue to attack the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.
Abuse Allegations and Response
Critics, including abuse survivors, have accused the 12.3 million-member church of failing to properly safeguard its children and of breaking its promises to fix the system. Rice said that the topic of sexual abuse ‘absolutely was weaponized, just like the #MeToo movement in the secular culture was weaponized.’ He also stated that ‘there really wasn’t cover-up at the highest levels’ and that the denomination’s response was flawed but not malign.
Rice advised pastors to ‘call the police’ when credible accusations of abuse arise and emphasized the importance of informing church members about the accusation. He also expressed a willingness to work with survivors and victim advocates in the future, stating that ‘if the aim is to stop predators, protect children, equip our churches, they’ll have a friend in me.’
Background and Controversy
The Southern Baptist Convention has faced criticism and controversy over its handling of sexual abuse allegations in the past. In 2022, the convention’s executive committee released a report that found a few senior leaders had been ‘singularly focused on avoiding liability’ and that those reporting abuse were ‘ignored, disbelieved, or met with the constant refrain that the SBC could take no action due to its polity regarding church autonomy.’
Rice’s statements have been met with criticism from some abuse survivors and advocates, who feel that the denomination is not taking sufficient action to address the issue. Christa Brown, a retired attorney and abuse survivor, stated that the Southern Baptist Convention has ‘reversed course’ since the annual meeting in Anaheim, California, four years ago and is ‘not moving forward’ on abuse reform.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
