Columbia’s First Baptist Church apologizes, settles child sex-abuse lawsuit

COLUMBIA (SC)
The State

February 1, 2018

By John Monk

Columbia’s First Baptist Church and its longtime minister, Wendell Estep, are apologizing to a child who was sexually abused by a former church volunteer and have agreed to settle a lawsuit brought by the youth and his parents for $300,000.

The apology and $300,000 payout are laid out in an eight-page settlement agreement. In the settlement, the landmark downtown church accepts responsibility for the abuse and pledges to reform its child-safety practices.

“We want to offer an apology for the inappropriate and unacceptable conduct this young man endured and express regret for what we failed to do to prevent it,” says part of a statement, which will be read to the congregation after a Sunday church service.

“We are sorry that this young man was wronged and that our policies and procedures, as well as our enforcement of those policies and procedures, were insufficient to protect him,” the statement says. “No student should have to experience what this young man endured.”

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