Southern Baptist Convention Lawsuit | Sexual Abuse Claims

The Southern Baptist Convention is facing lawsuits that allege the organization did not adequately respond to confirmed sex abuse and sexual misconduct allegations by certain SBC members, and knowingly concealed the truth to avoid liability.

Outside investigation revealed that SBC leaders were aware of reported abuse and complaints against several church leaders but failed to take any action.

In multiple instances, accused and convicted were allowed to keep their positions of power even after being convicted of crimes related to sexual abuse.

This culture of silence and inaction has led to a years-long cycle of abuse that has left countless victims in its wake.

It is time for the Southern Baptist Convention and Southern Baptist Churches across the country to be held accountable for its failure to protect its members from sexual predators.

The only way to ensure that something like this never happens again is to make sure that those responsible are brought to justice.

The SBC is looking to avoid legal ramifications for sex violence in its member churches.

The victims’ lawyers will attempt to demonstrate the SBC was obligated by law to act in connection with allegations of sexual misconduct, and they will demand the SBC provide financial recovery for victims.

Can I File a Southern Baptist Convention Sexual Abuse Lawsuit?

If you or a loved one were sexually abused or assaulted by a member of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) or one of its member churches, you may be eligible to file a claim.

We understand how hard it may be for sexual abuse survivors to reach out for advice on filing a lawsuit.

If you contact our law firm about sexual abuse claims, we promise to keep your information and conversations confidential and secure.

We are here to help sex abuse survivors seek justice for the traumatic events they’ve suffered from and hold the Southern Baptist Convention accountable for their hand in concealing abuse allegations and allowing registered sex offenders to continue avoiding liability and be engaged with the SBC churches.

Why Should I Contact a Law Firm?

The civil lawsuit process can be a long and difficult one, especially for victims of sexual assault who are still dealing with the trauma of the attack.

Having an experienced sexual abuse lawyer by your side, who understands the importance of the attorney client relationship, can make a world of difference not only in the outcome of your case, but also in your ability to cope with the legal proceedings.

Your lawyer will help you to gather any evidence that supports your claim and will be there to answer any questions you may have about the process.

In addition, your lawyer will work with you to ensure that your rights are protected throughout the lawsuit.

With the help of a skilled and compassionate sexual assault lawyer, you can increase your chances of achieving a favorable outcome in your civil lawsuit.

Your law firm will also help to assess personal injury damages relevant to your case.

Damages in a sexual assault personal injury lawsuit can include:

• Medical bills
• Emotional damages, pain and suffering
• Economic damages
• Emotional

The Southern Baptist Convention is an evangelical community with over 47,000 Baptist churches totaling 15 million parishioners.

It is the biggest Protestant denomination in the United States.

The issue of slavery played a significant role in the founding of the Southern Baptist Convention.

In 1845, Baptists in the Southern United States split from the northern Baptists (known today as the American Baptist Churches USA) over differing views on slavery.

The split was formalized at a convention held in Augusta, Georgia, and the new denomination took on the name “Southern Baptist Convention.”

While the SBC has since repudiated its historical support for slavery, the organization continues to be shaped by its roots in the American South.

Sexual abuse perpetrated by members of the Southern Baptist Convention has gone on for decades and has continually been covered up by individual churches, church leaders, and even SBC leaders on the Executive Committee (EC).

There have numerous instances of the Southern Baptist Church covering up sex crimes perpetrated by people officially associated with the SBC:

• Intimidating victims;
• Relocating pastors and other church officials with histories of abuse and abuse allegations; and more.

The SBC had a direct hand in keep victims in the dark and ignoring the troubling issues of sexual assaults in their organization.

Investigations Expose Years of Sexual Abuse by Members of the Southern Baptist Church

Senior EC leaders largely controlled the narrative around sexual abuse in the organization until investigative reports were published by news outlets such as the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express News.

Published by the Houston Chronicle, “Abuse of Faith” is an investigative series of articles and a database on rampant sexual misconduct, sexual assault, and sexual abuse in the SBC church organization.

The investigative series compiled over 700 victims of child sexual abuse and other forms of sexual misconduct along with naming nearly 400 church members who allegedly committed these crimes.

Journalists found that numerous church members were convicted of sex crimes and the SBC aided in protecting them.

How the Executive Committee Responded

The investigative report prompted the Executive Committee to finally confront the glaring issues of sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual misconduct, and other sex abuse crimes committed by members of the church.

Prominent SBC leaders spoke out against confronting sexual abuse and sexual assault issues within the organization.

A former SBC president, Ronnie Floyd, resigned from his post during the sexual abuse investigation.

After a shake-up in church leadership, the Southern Baptist Convention EC’s response turned to the establishment of a sort of task force on sexual abuse in the church and the hiring of an outside counsel to complete a thorough investigation of internal SBC communications and documents.

The Guidepost Report

Guidepost Solutions was hired by the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee to perform an investigation on the organization’s response to sexual abuse cases and report how perpetrators were able to skirt responsibility for their actions.

The Guidepost report found that victims of sexual abuse were met with a constant refrain and even outright hostility when bringing up sexual abuse claims against church leaders and church members.

The report found that for almost two decades, sex abuse victims were shunned and ignored by church leadership, and their pleas fell on deaf ears.

The Southern Baptist Convention List of Abusers

Following the release of the Guidepost Solutions investigative report, the Southern Baptist Convention officially released a list of alleged abusers who worked in the Southern Baptist Church.

The previously secret list contained the names of abusers and short descriptions of the allegations against them.

Media across the country has begun to report on the list, publicizing names of local pastors on the list and uncovering the scope of the allegations:

• The Houston Chronicle: “75 Texas ministers named on Southern Baptist’s internal list of offenders”.
• The Miami Times: “45 FL Southern Baptist Pastors ‘Credibly Accused’ Of Sex Abuse”
• Spectrum News (NC): “Southern Baptist Convention sex abuse list includes at least 30 from N.C.”
• Arkansas Democrat Gazette: “At least 15 people with Arkansas ties included on list of Baptist leaders linked to sexual abuse”
• Yahoo News: “Ten Louisiana ministers identified in Southern Baptist Convention’s list of accused abusers”
• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Three former Wisconsin church officials appear on the Southern Baptist Convention list of abusers”
• Daily Voice (MD): “5 Maryland Ministers Accused Of Sex Abuse On Scathing Southern Baptist List”
• NJ.com: “4 N.J. ministers named in list of Southern Baptists accused of sexual abuse”

The rampant amount of pastors, clergy, church leaders, associated church members, and more that have been credibly accused of crimes such as child sexual abuse and sexual abuse is horrifying.

On top of that, the response by church leadership, particularly the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee to reports of sexual abuse paint a clear picture of a culture that has been singularly focused on avoiding liability and silencing victims.

People who were sexually assaulted by a member of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) may be eligible for a lawsuit.

Our law firm is currently investigating how to proceed with legal action against the SBC and seek justice for sex abuse survivors.

Victims of sexual assault, sexual abuse, and sexual misconduct deserve the help of legal advocates willing to fight for their rights.

Contact us or use the chatbot on this page for a free consultation.

Our law firm operates on a contingency fee basis, which means that clients do not have to pay for legal representation unless compensation is won in their favor.