Thread by @RobertDownen_

*NEW* Ex-Southern Baptist leader Paige Patterson has for years downplayed his role in a sex scandal that some say is emblematic of the SBCs broader abuse problem #SBCtoo #ChurchToo @_PPatterson_

A newly unearthed trove of videos/letters gives new details:
houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…

@_PPatterson_ Darrell Gilyard was accused of sexual misconduct at churches in Texas, Oklahoma & Florida but was still mentored by Patterson until he confessed/resigned his Southern Baptist church in July 1991.

Gilyard was convicted of sex crimes with children in '08. #SBCtoo #ChurchToo

@_PPatterson_ For decades, Patterson has maintained that he did everything in his power to investigate the myriad claims his protege faced.

But letters + video show that Patterson downplayed many allegations and suggested others remain quiet about them #SBCtoo #ChurchToo

@_PPatterson_ At one Dallas-area church, Gilyard was removed after being reportedly being accused of misconduct by +20 women.

Patterson later suggested that EK Bailey, the congregation's legendary pastor, "forget the past" and refrain from speaking about the allegations. #SBCtoo #ChurchToo

@_PPatterson_ Here's how Patterson described those allegations in a 2008 deposition that was unrelated to Gilyard. #ChurchToo #SBCtoo

@_PPatterson_ Gilyard then moved to a church in Oklahoma, where he was soon accused by more women. #SBCtoo #ChurchToo

The church's lead pastor told me that Patterson recommended Gilyard and said the claims were unsubstantiated.

Patterson denied that in his deposition:

@_PPatterson_ This pattern continued after Gilyard left Oklahoma church and went back to Dallas #SBCtoo #ChurchToo

In June 1991, he was confronted in a five-hour meeting by church members. We obtained video of that meeting, and have provided shortened clips here:

houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…

@_PPatterson_ Here's one clip, in which a social worker from the church describes the trauma of multiple women:

"The women are hurting.... it is eating them alive."

#SBCtoo #ChurchToo #MeToo

@_PPatterson_ One month later, Patterson oversaw Gilyard's resignation and suggested church members not publicly discuss the claims, many of which Patterson said were untrue. Others he called "sins" committed by Gilyard and women who were "not innocent either."

Here's how he spoke of Gilyard:

@_PPatterson_ Months earlier, @ThigpenTiffany says she was "viciously" attacked by Gilyard while at a Southern Baptist megachurch in Florida.

Thigpen says her pastor, ex-SBC President Jerry Vines, shamed her into silence. Gilyard and Vines preached at the SBC's pastors conference weeks later.

@_PPatterson_ @ThigpenTiffany We mentioned this in Feb, prompting new First Baptist Jacksonville pastor @HeathLambert to reach out to Thigpen & Vines

For the first time in decades, Vines will not preach at FBC Jax's massively influential conference he usually headlines #SBCtoo

Here's what Lambert told me:

Patterson also responded to our mention of Gilyard in February, citing film of Gilyard’s discipline #sbctoo

Its unclear if he was referring to the night of Gilyard’s resignation, or the 5-hour meeting that came a month prior

Watch excerpts of both here: houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…

We also spoke to one of the early prosecutors in Gilyard’s 2008 case for sex crimes with children in Florida.

She said she was never made aware of the tapes, which she said could have been valuable in showing a pattern of behavior. #SBCtoo #ChurchToo

And speaking of responses to our initial #AbuseOfFaith investigation...

Left: @drmoore denounces those who use stories such as King David’s for their “perverted” sense of justice

Right: Patterson comparing Gilyard to King David after Gilyard confessed

#SBCtoo #ChurchToo

Patterson dedicated a significant amount of time to King David in the un-edited videos, FWIW

ALSO: After Gilyard was charged in 2008, @ChristaBrown777 & @SNAPNetwork sent a letter to Southwestern Seminary about Patterson.

Patterson then called Brown & other survivors/advocates “evildoers” & “as reprehensible as sex criminals”

#sbctoo #churchtoo
ethicsdaily.com/snap-leaders-a…

And Patterson made those remarks in an email to Debbie Vasquez, a survivor who was advocating for Southern Baptist leaders to adopt reforms to curb abuse #SBCToo #ChurchToo

Our entire #abuseoffaith series began with Debbie’s struggle for justice.

houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…

I also should give a HUGE shout out to @RebeccaSherman, who broke wide open a lot of the Gilyard stuff in 1991 while working for the @dallasnews

When I called her about this story, she had no idea how prominent her work was/is in #SBCtoo #ChurchToo circles.

(Srsly— she spent a day in the Dallas libraries looking for her old clips, and didn’t tell me until she gave up on finding them... she had no idea that @ChristaBrown777 and others had spent YEARS re-upping her work)

https://twitter.com/robdownenchron/status/1164607567307427841?s=21

@_PPatterson_ To clarify: The pastor said that *Patterson said* the claims were unsubstantiated.

Oh noooo I dropped our confidential tip line again! Ughhhh #SBCtoo #churchtoo

google.com/amp/s/www.hous…

https://twitter.com/robdownenchron/status/1164629529828241409?s=21