Southern Baptists vote on sex abuse proposals, debate women pastors

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

ANAHEIM, Calif. — More than 8,000 members of the Southern Baptist Convention met in Anaheim, Calif., on Tuesday and responded to the shocking findings of an independent investigation into the handling of sex abuse cases by passing a recommendation to create a database to track sex abusers and a formal group to handle sex abuse accusations going forward. Members of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination are also planning to elect the next president of the convention.

In May, Southern Baptist leaders published a report detailing a years-long coverup of sex abuse within their denomination. For 15 years, the report alleged, leaders said they were not able to compile a database of sex abuse offenders — while they were secretly keeping a list of their own. The same week they released their report, they also released the list, which consisted of hundreds of names of alleged abusers, including many convicted of sex abuse crimes.

Before they discussed sex abuse proposals, however, a debate erupted over the role of women pastors, a topic that has caused some on the far right to fear a leftward drift. Like other conservative evangelical groups across the country, Southern Baptists have been divided in recent years over issues such as racial justice, abortion and the idea of liberalism overtaking the denomination. Earlier in the day, Southern Baptists also released a list of nine resolutions, including two on sexual abuse and one on the topic of abortion, which will be considered and voted on Wednesday.

The SBC’s sexual abuse task force also contacted about a dozen sex abuse survivors who were mentioned in the report and asked them if they could be apologized to by name from the stage. The denomination’s relief arm, Send Relief, announced it would designate $4 million in existing funding to back the recommendations, including $1 million in survivor care. “Make no mistake, we’re in a Kairos moment, a seminal moment right now. Today we’ll choose between humility and hubris,” Bruce Frank, the pastor who has chaired the abuse task force, said as he opened the session on proposals before a rapt room of thousands.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2022/06/14/southern-baptists-sex-abuse-reform-vote/

[Autumn]

1. I saw the headline. My immediate thought was Yes on sex abuse... No on women pastors.

[BrightKnight]

4. We have women clergy in the Episcopal Church and I think it helps with this issue.

Last edited Tue Jun 14, 2022, 11:30 PM - Edit history (1)

I know that there are several actual mothers/ Mothers approving and overseeing anyone the works with children in the Church.

I doubt the Baptist Church would do that.
I am a little surprised that they don’t deal with sexual abuse very firmly.

[RevBrotherThomas]

11. It's mind-boggling

that the SBC would choose secrecy after the horrific example set by the Roman Catholic church; it don't work, folks!

[multigraincracker]

2. Big drop in membership.

Got do something. I suggest they follow the words in red and not the words of Paul.

[EYESORE 9001]

8. I once suggested to a Southern Baptist that he was not a Christian but rather a Paulinist

It didn’t go over well. I suggested he hit the Roman Road.

[Karadeniz]

3. Scripture should be prioritized. For me, Paul doesn't carry as much weight as the Synoptics. Also,

lots of Paul is known to be written later and should be tossed or so labeled as anonymous. I don't disregard Paul entirely. For example, his acknowledgements show that women could be recognized as prophets and highly regarded. A favorite gospel quote of mine is, "Don't hide your light under a basket." That pretty well eliminates physical considerations as being important and points to the soul as the human element of value. So, any church that makes gender a disqualification with regard to church participation ignores Paul and the gospels.

[BrightKnight]

5. The one line that is quoted doesn't really fit with

Other things he said. It kind of sounds like a margin note that got copied in after the Chuch was maturing. It might have been inspired by the Spirit but I’m not sure it makes since to read it out of context now. When women had huge families and no appliances etc. then allowing them to focus on other things made more sense. Also, In the early Church they were telling both men and women not to get married and living a spiritual life. That focus probably help to start the Chuch but we don’t say that now.

I take scripture seriously but I don’t check my heart or mind at the door when I read it.

[Karadeniz]

6. I think there's SO much we don't know, especially about Paul.

[lastlib]

7. Are they for it or against it?

[JanMichael]

10. Ha! "sex abuse proposals" can you imagine the separate ideas?? Then they debated women pastors.

I wonder who won the debate? The people that proposed sexually abusing a certain population or the women pastors? Or did the women pastors propose their own sex abuse plan for consideration?

I am confused.

[LudwigPastorius]

9. I've got a feeling that, given the choice of allowing the infestation of sexual abusers, or...

accepting a tiny bit of liberal thought into their cult, they're going to go with the kid diddlers every time.

[mpcamb]

12. I suspect ALL of the sexual abusers are men, but they'll debate women's place till hell freezes.