WASHINGTON (DC)
Wartburg Watch [Raleigh NC]
August 28, 2026
I have found it advisable not to give too much heed to what people say when I am trying to accomplish something of consequence. Invariably they proclaim it can’t be done.” ― Calvin Coolidge.
What is Protestant Accountability?
A new website launched with names and information for more than 2,700 clergy in 100+ denominations, along with their photos and the churches where they were thought to have served. Protestant Accountability operates under the umbrella of Protestant churches of all denominations, nondenominational, and mainline denominations. Here is what they say about their tracking database.
Protestant Accountability functions as an interactive computer service that distributes content created or provided by other users & content providers.
“We document allegations of abuse, as well as individuals in a position of leadership who allegedly mishandled allegations of abuse within their organization.
“This site relies on public news stories and publicly available information for its content. If any incorrect information is found, please contact us and we will gladly correct it. Nothing in this post should be construed as an accusation of guilt. Those accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty.
“Abuse and institutional failures are often hidden from public view. Our organization exists to bring these matters into the light by collecting and organizing publicly available information concerning sexual abuse & misconduct in religious settings. We document allegations, investigations, legal proceedings, convictions, and documented efforts to conceal, enable, minimize or disregard abuse. By preserving these records, we seek to promote transparency, accountability, and the protection of those at risk.
The Roy’s Report posted: List of Protestant leaders accused of abuse goes online.
Chellee Taylor, who leads the new nonprofit, said a site like this might have saved her from sexual assault. She could have known not to trust the campus pastor of a Florida megachurch. She could have better evaluated whether Journey Church was a safe place to work.
Taylor sued the Southern Baptist multisite with locations in Daytona, Deltona, Deland and Orange City in 2022, accusing senior leaders of mishandling her allegations of abuse. She told Roys Report (RR) that the senior pastor tried to convince her not to go to the police. The church settled with Taylor for an undisclosed sum.
Taylor said on Wednesday that she later learned of other, older allegations that church leaders had covered up.
If she had known, she said she would not have been so vulnerable. She wants others to have the information she lacked.
…The founders said four volunteers are expanding the database, and they expect more names, photos and accusations to be posted every day.
Do they have attorneys?
The “bare bones” of the website cost about $700 per year, according to Taylor. Paying for insurance and keeping attorneys on retainer to defend against threats of lawsuit are much more expensive.
Why this might work
If you look at the comments on the Roy’s Report post above, you will see comments saying the website might accuse an innocent person.
I wish that a thoughtful commenter might say something like this. “I know lots of children have been harmed, but we need to protect the pastor from false allegations.” Unfortunately, many folks want to ‘protect’ the pastor more than they want to protect the abuse victim.
Here is an entry on a pastor I wrote about. Joe Campbell allegedly molested some young girls as a pastor in the Assemblies of God about 40 years ago. I got Mike Hixenborough of NBC News interested in their stories. I know the victims’ stories, and they were credible. Because of NBC’s efforts and the Attorney General of Oklahoma, a long-old law was found and is still on the books. They applied it to Campbell, and they arrested him.
Here is the documentation under his name.
Campbell will be tried soon. Do I think he’s guilty? You bet I do, and I have a right to believe that. But he hasn’t been tried; merely arrested. The intelligent people behind this website understand the defamation laws. If something has been published in the public media, you can quote and use it. Defamation often applies to the first source to publish, post, talk, etc about the situation.
Why this is desperately needed: the problem of pastor fanboys
When I started writing 17 years ago, I had no idea of the pervasiveness of sexual abuse in the Protestant church. It is becoming obvious that pedophilia, child sexual abuse material, coercive adult sexual abuse material, and coercive adult sexual abuse are far more widespread than I ever thought. Child sexual abuse has lifelong implications for the health of the abuse victims. In the seventeen years I have been writing, I can only think of one situation that I misread. Thankfully, I corrected it immediately. Since then, I have developed a positive relationship I hadn’t expected. The rest I have written about have proven out over time.
I remember when I wrote the story of Robert Morris’s abuse. I was astonished by the number of people who claimed to ‘know’ Robert Morris and “knew” he could not have done something like abuse a 12-year-old girl. Even if he did, it was long ago, and it’s all over now. They “know” their pastor-the guy they see on a stage. Many people don’t know the people in their home.
As I looked at the comment on The Roy’s Report, I saw a familiar refrain. “You could accuse an innocent man.” Not one of these pastor fanboys started their comments with concern about the overwhelming number of sexual abuse allegations present in today’s Protestant church, like the Southern Baptist Convention. Men have been protected against sexual abuse allegations throughout time. It is only recently that we have begun to deal with that “shrouded evil” known as sexual abuse. For those pastor fanboys out there, become child fanboys as well and learn the stats. (PS: You don’t really know your pastor. I write about that constantly on my blog.)
Thank you to the brave souls for attempting this project. I pray for God’s peace and strength as they carry on. Please join me in praying for them.
I assume there will be lots of debate. While you think about this, watch the video explaining their project.