NASHVILLE (TN)
Baptist Press
November 13, 2017
By Diana Chandler
NASHVILLE (BP) — While a growing international storm of sexual abuse allegations and revelations has swirled for more than a month, the Southern Baptist Convention has long encouraged churches to be proactive in preventing abuse, SBC resources show.
Spiritual leaders, churches and seminaries should model, exhort and teach the highest standards of moral and ministerial integrity, and churches should use legal resources and avenues to exclude sexual predators from leadership and influential positions including pastors and counselors, the SBC said as early as 2002.
“We call on our churches to discipline those guilty of any sexual abuse in obedience to Matthew 18:6-17 as well as to cooperate with civil authorities in the prosecution of those cases,” the SBC said in its resolution that year On the Sexual Integrity of Ministers . “We pray for those who have been harmed as a result of sexual abuse and urge our churches to offer support, compassion, and biblical counseling to them and their families.”
A Hollywood sexual abuse scandal that began in early October with accusations against movie mogul Harvey Weinstein revived a “Me Too” campaign birthed 10 years ago by activist Tarana Burke, according to Ebony.com, “to unify those who’ve been victimized by sexual violence.” The revived campaign, widely attributed to Alyssa Milano and identified in social media as #MeToo, drew support from scores, some of whom alleged sexual abuse in church settings.
Living Proof Ministries Founder Beth Moore and Saddleback Church Cofounder Kay Warren are among Southern Baptists sharing personal stories at #MeToo.
Apart from the #MeToo campaign, a civil lawsuit alleging sexual abuse-related offenses against First Baptist Church of Columbia, S.C., was filed Oct. 10 in Richland County, S.C., Fifth Judicial Circuit Court, according to online court documents.
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