The veteran pastor maintained strong eye contact and smiled widely the entire time I shared with the group of ministers gathered for their monthly meeting.
His response encouraged me, and I looked forward to chatting with him after the meeting.
In our conversation, I learned that while he spent the 30 minutes of my presentation choosing to be a supportive face in the crowd, he couldn’t understand most of what I was saying.
“I couldn’t hear as fast as you were talking,” he told me with a laugh and then continued complimenting the work we do through our publishing ministry.
He wasn’t complaining but he did in his own gentle way alert me to an area that needed work.
Since then, I’ve focused on slowing my speech to a more appropriate pace during public presentations and providing information with more clarity and precision.
The attention to these details also has helped me notice nuances from others and, particularly, what is not said during a presentation or when a question is answered.
Investigation update
For instance, you’ll read about the Department of Justice wrapping up its nearly 18-month investigation into the SBC Executive Committee.
The investigation was launched following the release of the Guidepost Solutions report in May 2022.
What hasn’t been reported, however, is exactly what (or who) was investigated by the DOJ, what other SBC entities might have been contacted and whether any are dealing with an investigation themselves. There also seems to be confusion about the exact status of the overall investigation (read more here).
The Baptist Paper has confirmed the following were not part of the investigation and have not been contacted by the DOJ (Office of the U.S. Attorneys) related to the SBC investigation — International Mission Board, North American Mission Board, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Lifeway Christian Resources, GuideStone Financial Resources and national Woman’s Missionary Union.
At press time, The Baptist Paper had heard back from two of the six seminaries. A spokesperson for Southeastern Seminary said they had no official information. A spokesperson for New Orleans Seminary said, “To our knowledge, [NOBTS] has not been the target of any investigation. We responded to a request for documents more than a year ago and have had no contact with the DOJ since.”
[Updated information added March 8 at 4:30 p.m.] … Gateway Seminary was the third seminary to respond. President Jeff Iorg provided this statement to The Alabama Baptist and The Baptist Paper earlier today: “Gateway, in response to a request from the SBC legal team, provided information to assist with their response to the DOJ investigation. Other than that, Gateway has had no other involvement in the investigation and no direct contact with the DOJ.” [End update]
Southern (see latest update below), Southwestern and Midwestern seminaries had not responded as of end of day March 8, but it is anticipated information will be provided. [Update: Still no responses from these three seminaries as of end of day March 11.]
[Updated information added March 20 at 11:45 a.m.] … a spokesperson from Southern Seminary responded to the request for information but declined to comment. Still no response from Southwestern nor Midwestern.
‘We have a responsibility’
And while many are celebrating the assumed conclusion of the investigation for the SBC EC, especially related to the relief from that set of legal fees, voices across the convention continue to echo the need for changes as well as concern about how past incidents were handled.
Southeastern Seminary president Danny Akin posted on X: “Thankful. But, pursuing sexual abuse reform must continue with passion and resolve.”
Brent Leatherwood shared with The Baptist Paper: “We have a responsibility to combat abuse by ensuring predators do not have the ability to prey on our churches, and equipping pastors with the tools to do so. The gospel demands it and messengers have consistently called for such action. Carrying out that objective in a cooperative way remains the goal.”
Rachael Denhollander, an advocate for sexual abuse survivors in the SBC, posted on X:
“Not everything that is evil sees earthly justice in the courts. That’s one of the reasons Scripture commands … repeatedly to speak. To tell the truth. To bring darkness into light. We are responsible for that. No matter what.”
From abuse reform task force
The Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force also released the following statement following the news about the investigation:
“Southern Baptists initiated the work of sexual abuse reform not in response to criminal inquiries or threats of lawsuits but due to an increasing burden and awareness that vulnerable people were suffering harm in many of our churches and institutions, which were vastly underresourced to care for and protect them. In fact, Southern Baptists have recognized this need for significant and effective abuse reform as early as the 2018 SBC Annual Meeting, more than four years before the Department of Justice mounted its inquiry into the SBC’s handling of sexual abuse. For nearly two years, the ARITF has carried forward the work of abuse reform in the SBC driven by the urgent need to ensure churches have the help and resources required to prevent and respond to sexual abuse.
Irrespective of any actions the Department of Justice may or may not take, the goal of abuse reform is to ensure SBC churches and entities are consistently able to protect and care for the vulnerable with the love and compassion of Jesus Christ. That is not only a worthy goal, but a gospel imperative. The ARITF is unwavering in our commitment to fulfill the task given to us by the messengers. We look forward to bringing an update to them on the progress of abuse reform at the annual meeting in June.”
