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| Photo Credit: Reuters. |
Several entities of the Southern Baptists Convention are under investigation by U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) over reported cases of clergy sex abuse, Church leaders said Friday.
The SBC’s
Executive Committee said it has received a subpoena, but no individuals have
been subpoenaed at this point, The Associated Press quoted lawyers of the
committee as saying.
“This is an
ongoing investigation and we are not commenting on our discussions with DOJ,”
they said, according to The Associated Press.
How rampant is clergy sex abuse in Southern Baptist Convention?
The
Associated Press reported that the statement from SBC leaders – including Executive
Committee members, seminary presidents and heads of mission organizations did
not reveal details about the investigation but it noted that it deals with
widespread sexual abuse problems that have rocked the largest Protestant denomination
in the U.S.
“Individually
and collectively each SBC entity is resolved to fully and completely cooperate
with the investigation,” according to the statement. “While we continue to
grieve and lament past mistakes related to sexual abuse, current leaders across
the SBC have demonstrated a firm conviction to address those issues of the past
and are implementing measures to ensure they are never repeated in the future.”
Did denomination leaders mishandle clergy sex abuse in Southern Baptist Convention?
The SBC sex
abuse task force released a blistering 288-page report earlier this year from
external consultant Guidepost Solutions. The firm’s seven-month independent investigation
found disturbing details about how denominational leaders mishandled sex abuse
claims and mistreated victims, according to The Associated Press.
The report
accused SBC’s Executive Committee of allegedly maintaining a list of clergy and
other church workers accused of abuse. The committee later bowed to pressure
and released the list containing hundreds of accused workers and tendered an
apology.