Thread by @HoustonChron

1/ In the past 20 years, a disturbing number of Southern Baptists with formal church roles have engaged in sexual misconduct, according to an investigation by @HoustonChron and @ExpressNews: bit.ly/2GtEiRW

@ExpressNews 2/ We analyzed thousands of pages of news reports and court docs to find sexual abuse/misconduct allegations against Southern Baptist church leaders/volunteers. We interviewed hundreds of victims, church leaders, offenders & law enforcement officials.

Here’s what we found:

@ExpressNews 3/ Since 2008, when leaders rejected reforms meant to curb sexual abuse, 250+ people who worked or volunteered in Southern Baptist churches have been charged with sex crimes. Nearly all were convicted, took plea deals or have pending cases. #churchtoo bit.ly/2GzkvR9

4/ Since 1998, ~380 Southern Baptist church leaders or volunteers have faced sexual misconduct allegations. Most were convicted; others were credibly accused or successfully sued, or later confessed/resigned. More worked in Texas than in any other state. #churchtoo #SBCtoo

5/ They left behind more than 700 victims, many of them shunned by their churches. Others said church leaders —including past presidents or prominent leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention — mishandled abuse allegations in their own churches or seminaries. #churchtoo #SBCtoo

6/ The youngest of the 700 victims was 3.

Many more were adolescents who were molested, solicited, exposed to pornography, photographed nude or repeatedly raped by youth pastors.

bit.ly/2GzvTfD

7/ Some died from suicides or drug overdoses that loved ones blame on the trauma

"So many people’s faith is murdered," said one victim. "I mean, their faith is slaughtered by these predators.” #churchtoo #SBCtoo
bit.ly/2GzZe9O

8/ The SBC does not track ordinations or abuse allegations. "It's a perfect profession for a con artist, because all he has to do is talk a good talk and convince people that he’s been called by God, and bingo, he gets to be a minister,” one activist said.

9/ Leaders say they have little oversight over the SBC's 47,000 autonomous and self-governing churches. Yet they've ousted at least four churches for accepting homosexuality, which the SBC opposes.

They've rarely done the same for convicted sex offenders. #churchtoo #SBCtoo

10/ At least 35 pastors, employees or volunteers who exhibited predatory behavior were able to find jobs at churches during the past two decades. Some registered sex offenders returned to the pulpit. Others remain there, including at a Houston church.
bit.ly/2MXhbAs

11/ Current SBC president @jdgreear and others are again trying to address the issue. But Greear said he has little power over SBC churches, and that "change has to begin at the ground level." #churchtoo #SBCtoo
bit.ly/2E2sgNy

12/ Other leaders agreed: "The fact that criminal activity occurs in a church context is always the basis of grief," said Augie Boto, interim head of SBC Exec Comm. "But it’s going to happen. That statement does not mean that we must be resigned to it.”
bit.ly/2Gy31Vk

13/ Read our stories, watch videos with victims and perpetrators, or view our database of the ~220 church leaders/volunteers that were convicted or took plea deals for sex crimes since 1998. #churchtoo #SBCtoo
bit.ly/2GsCMzw

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