SBC abuse survivors to rally online today

Clergy sexual abuse survivors will hold a virtual rally on Tuesday, the same day that leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention are expected to provide updates on the denomination’s efforts to combat predatory preachers.

The rally marks the third in as many years for organizers with

“For Such a Time as This,” a network of abuse survivors who’ve called on SBC leaders to do more to weed out sexual abusers and better care for their victims.

Those calls grew at last year’s annual meeting of the SBC, at which sex abuse took a top priority in the wake of an ongoing Houston Chronicle investigation that detailed widespread abuses in the nation’s second-largest faith group.

The series, Abuse of Faith, found that hundreds of Southern Baptist church leaders and volunteers had been credibly accused of abuses. They left behind more than 700 victims, nearly all of them children.

In response to the series, the SBC advanced two reforms that allow churches to be ousted from the faith group if they’re found to have disregarded or mishandled abuse allegations, or retained pastors who’ve been credibly accused of misconduct.

Earlier this year, a church in Midland, that was pastored by a man who was convicted of sexually abusing two preteen girls became the first congregation to face an ouster under the new rules.

This year’s annual meeting would likely have included a few votes on whether to expel other churches. The event was, however, canceled because of COVID-19.

Rally organizers said they hope to continue sustained conversations on abuse even though the SBC is not meeting this year.

“We’ve decided that a little, ol’ pandemic will not keep us from having our voices heard while the spotlight is on the SBC,” the group wrote.