Southern Baptist chief apologizes

Officials outline steps to combat abuse crisis

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Sharing a stage with tearful survivors of sex abuse, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention apologized Wednesday for the abuse crisis besetting his denomination and outlined steps to address it.

“We are brokenhearted and angry,” said the Rev. J.D. Greear as the largest U.S. protestant denomination neared the end of its two-day national meeting. “Give us the courage to make the changes that genuine repentance requires.”

In an impassioned speech, preceded by prayers of lamentation, Greear blamed the crisis on years of cover-ups. He praised a new anti-abuse curriculum that is being offered to all SBC churches and seminaries, and he said the SBC must do better in screening potential pastors.

“Father, forgive us,” he prayed after calling out a list of sins.

The Rev. Russell Moore, head of the SBC’S public policy arm, said the abuse crisis is a result of satanic forces at work in the church.

“The vital question is what we will do next,” Moore said during an address.

Moments earlier, dozens of abuse victims and supporters stood during a prayer for survivors of sexual misconduct. Some wept openly.

Abuse survivor Stephanie Davis stood onstage and received a standing ovation after a video presentation in which she recounted her experience. Davis said she was abused as a teen by a music minister who went on to seminary and kept working in churches until last year. “No one ever told me it wasn’t my fault,” she said.

“We have to get this right,” she said in the video, urging the church to stand with victims and to hold abusers accountable.

On Tuesday, the opening day of the meeting, delegates approved the SBC’S first measures aimed at combating sex abuse committed by clergy and staff. One provision establishes a permanent committee to review allegations of abuse at member churches and recommend action if warranted. Two other proposals, if ratified again next year, would specify that churches could be expelled from the denomination for mishandling cases of sexual abuse or racial discrimination.

The committee assigned to review abuse cases will have four women among its nine members.

Jon Shapley The Associated Press From left, the Rev. J.D. Greear, president of the Southern Baptist Convention, and SBC officials Ronnie Floyd and Mike Stone pray during a Monday meeting at the Southern Baptist Convention in Birmingham, Ala.