Last Sunday, The Houston Chronicle broke news of credible claims by over 700 victims against more than 250 abuserswithin the Southern Baptist Convention. Horrifying as it is, this story must not be met with shock. We don't have time for shock. In these last few years, wave after unrelenting wave of church abuse cases crashed into us, first by the dozens and then the hundreds. They now number in the thousands, and the count grows every day.
At first, it was seen as a "Catholic problem"—until cases began piling up in evangelical churches as well. After two plus years of #ChurchToo stories, the church can no longer say, "this is not a problem." And yet, the next iteration is already echoing: "This is not our problem."
For years, anti-abuse advocates have made clear that this is an SBC problem. In 2007, SBC abuse victims demanded an SBC sex offender registry. Again in 2018, advocates pressed for a registry in addition to education and training on sexual abuse and violence for SBC leaders. The SBC responded with only a statement condemning abuse but offered no plans for specific reforms. On a practical level, nothing has truly changed.
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