Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • Request a free trial
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • Request a free trial

Funding, polity revisions made to Sexual Abuse Task Force recommendations

  • June 8, 2022
  • Jennifer Davis Rash
  • Featured, Latest News, SBC, Sexual Abuse Investigation Archive
Bruce Frank, chair of the SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force, shares about the revised recommendations during a video announcement June 8.
(Screenshot)

Funding, polity revisions made to Sexual Abuse Task Force recommendations

Funding and polity revisions have been made to the two recommendations coming from the SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force, according to a video announcement June 8. These recommendations will be proposed to messengers during the June 14–15 annual meeting in Anaheim.

“[We have a] new funding mechanism through Send Relief that will fund the reforms entirely the first year without use of Cooperative Program dollars,” said task force chair Bruce Frank, pastor of Biltmore Baptist Church in Arden, North Carolina. “[The revisions also provide] a more bottom-up approach to the third party investigations of alleged abusers and give greater definition to Credentials Committee standards on sexual abuse.

“We’ve listened to the questions and concerns of Southern Baptists (since the original wording of the recommendations was released),” he said. “Your task force has been hard at work to take that feedback and use it to strengthen our recommendations.

“We hope these will address concerns our Southern Baptist family have with regard to funding and polity,” Frank said. “The goal of all recommendations is to help churches and entities make wise decisions for the glory of God and the good of people.”

Specifics to the recommendations

Task force vice chair Marshall Blalock and member Andrew Hebert described in detail to The Baptist Paper how all three of these new aspects will work. See the June 8 TAB Media Special Report interview above or click here.

With relation to the funding, Blalock noted how the entity leaders came together to find a way to “do this for the good of the kingdom, to serve Southern Baptists well and make sure we are not out of order when it comes to Cooperative Program dollars.”

‘Part of the solutions’

Send Relief leaders Paul Chitwood (International Mission Board), Kevin Ezell (North American Mission Board) and Bryant Wright (Send Relief) explained in a letter released June 8 how they decided to provide the funding. It says in part:

“Southern Baptists are grieving for survivors of abuse and are seeking ways to better safeguard children and families. Send Relief wants to be part of the solutions. … To this end, Send Relief commits the $3 million in one-time funds the SBC Executive Committee estimates it needs to carry out reforms.

“This $3 million would come from Send Relief undesignated funds, not from Cooperative Program donations or gifts to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering,” the joint letter explains. “Send Relief’s contribution will allow Southern Baptists’ generous Cooperative Program giving to continue to serve and support SBC missionaries, church planters and seminary students.

“In addition, consistent with its mission to protect children and families, Send Relief will provide seed funding of $1 million for a survivor-care fund, providing trauma counseling for survivors of sexual abuse in the SBC, as well as for trauma-informed training for SBC pastors, churches, local associations and state conventions.

“Following the SBC annual meeting, Send Relief will offer online-giving opportunities for any entity, state convention, local association, church or individual to contribute to the survivor-care fund.

“Our prayer — like those of all Southern Baptists — is for unity, healing and courage as we collectively advance the hope of the gospel amidst a broken world.”

Budget tweaks

The EC will not need to propose a revised budget for messengers to consider now that funding has been secured for the first year. An initial revision was made June 2 to two budget proposals in order to plan for funding the task force recommendations. The EC Committee on Convention Finance and Stewardship Development met via Zoom on June 8 to rescind the revisions and will put the decision before the full board of trustees when it meets Monday, June 13, in Anaheim, prior to the annual meeting.

What happens beyond the first year is yet to be determined, Blalock noted. The EC will work on determining future funding needs after the annual meeting.

To read the revised set of “strengthened recommendations” in full, visit sataskforce.net.

 

Share with others:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • Longtime NOBTS registrar Paul Gregoire dies
    Longtime NOBTS registrar Paul Gregoire dies
    March 23, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Endangered youth: When parents fail their children
    Endangered youth: When parents fail their children
    March 23, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Former SWBTS professor of missions Samuel Shahid dies at 87
    Former SWBTS professor of missions Samuel Shahid dies at 87
    March 22, 2023/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Longtime NOBTS registrar Paul Gregoire dies

Paul Gregoire, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary registrar for 29 years, passed away March 21 after a brief battle with cancer. “Paul Gregoire was a

boy leaning on black wall

Endangered youth: When parents fail their children

Researchers today consider bad parenting one of the most important public health issues facing our society. Uninvolved, abusive, irresponsible, absent or immature parents are endangering

Former SWBTS professor of missions Samuel Shahid dies at 87

Samuel Shahid, professor of missions in the Islamic Studies program at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary from 1998–2013, died March 2. He was 87 years old.

a stack of money sitting on top of a laptop computer

Churches more financially equipped to weather hardships, study shows

After enduring difficult economic seasons recently, churches are better prepared for financial rainy days than they were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. A Lifeway Research study

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2023 TAB Media Group
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ

Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org

  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel