Johnny Hunt, the former president of the Southern Baptist Convention who was named in a report on sexual abuse in the SBC, is one of three featured speakers at a leadership conference scheduled for Sept. 14 at New Season Church in Hiram, Georgia.
The conference, announced via email and on his website, marks another step in Hunt’s return to ministry after an investigation by Guidepost Solutions alleged he sexually assaulted another pastor’s wife in 2010. The two other speakers include Steve Flockhart, pastor of New Season Church, and Steven Kyle, pastor of Hiland Park Baptist Church, Panama City, Florida.
Hunt resigned from his post as senior vice president of evangelism and leadership at the North American Mission Board shortly before the Guidepost report was released in May 2022. Six months later, a group of four pastors — which included Kyle — announced Hunt had completed a restoration process overseen by them.
SBC President Bart Barber responded to the announcement at the time, stating the four pastors “do not speak for the Southern Baptist Convention.” The voice of the SBC, he added, is best found in resolutions adopted by the SBC in response to the abuse crisis, including a 2021 measure that states “any person who has committed sexual abuse is permanently disqualified from holding the office of pastor.”
Earlier this year, The Tennessean reported that New Season Church and Hiland Park Baptist Church were under inquiry by the SBC Credentials Committee for their support of Hunt’s return to ministry. In March, Hunt held a men’s conference at New Season Church.
Hunt’s lawsuit against SBC ongoing
Also in March, Hunt filed suit against the SBC, Guidepost, and the SBC Executive Committee, claiming defamation and invasion of privacy.
The suit acknowledges Hunt’s “brief, inappropriate, extramarital encounter with a married woman,” and calls the contact between them consensual.
Hunt’s lawsuit also claims the SBC, its leadership, and Guidepost used him as a scapegoat in the crisis over sexual abuse.
Reports indicate the trial date has been set for Nov. 12, 2024, and the parties have agreed on a protective order, so some documents will be sealed from the public.
In May, attorneys for the Executive Committee and Guidepost filed a motion to dismiss the suit. A time for when the motion will be ruled on was not available.
