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May 22 • 13 tweets • 6 min read
#BREAKING An explosive 400pg investigation finds Southern Baptist leaders silenced/disparaged abuse survivors, ignored calls for policies & dismissed reforms that might cost the SBC money in lawsuits. #SBCtoo

Much more to come in thread below:
houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…
The historic report details how a small, insular and influential group of leaders “singularly focused on avoiding liability for the SBC to the exclusion of other" abuse preventions #SBCtoo #churchtoo

Some leaders also kept a private database of offenders
houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…
BIG NEWS: A former president of the Southern Baptist Convention is accused of sexually assaulting a woman, weeks after his tenure as the faith group's leader ended. he allegations are included in a historic review of SBC leaders abuse responses #SBCtoo
houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…
#BREAKING: Ex-Southern Baptist president Johnny Hunt denied sex assault accusations in interviews with investigators, but resigned from the SBC’s North American Mission Board over the weekend, I’m told. #SBCtoo houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…
“Survivors... were ignored, disbelieved, or met with the constant refrain that the SBC could take no action due to its (structure) — even if it meant that convicted molesters continued in ministry with no notice or warning to their current church." #SBCtoo
houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…
The report is by far the SBC’s most consequential response yet to widespread abuses detailed in our 2019 investigation.

We found hundreds of SBC church leaders and volunteers have been criminally charged with sex crimes since 2000 -- and 700+ victims.
houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…
The report exhaustively corroborates what survivors have said for decades: that Southern Baptist leaders downplayed their own abuse crisis and instead prioritized shielding the nation's second-largest denomination from lawsuits. #SBCtoo houstonchronicle.com/news/investiga…
Oh hey look at that, we took down our paywall :)
Also need to note: We covered a lot here, but there is a TON more in the report itself that I'm sure will trickle out in media in the coming days.

Point being, this aint over. #SCtoo
In a statement, former SBC President Johnny Hunt says he hasn't read the sexual assault accusations against him, but "vigorously" denies them.

Hunt also confirms he has resigned from the SBC's North American Mission Board #SBCtoo

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More from @RobDownenChron

Robert Downen Profile picture
May 24
1/ Got thoughts on pirates? Like petty drama and/or care about abuse in the nation’s 2nd-largest Christian denom?

GOOD NEWS: I have an absurdly long and meticulously sourced #thread for you thats crucial to understanding that historic report on Southern Baptist abuse
On Monday, the Conservative Baptist Network Tweeted this statement about the historic report re: 20 years of SBC leaders’ attempts to silence abuse survivors/dismiss prevention reforms, among a litany of other accusations detailed in a ~400 pg. report. Image
CBN is a splinter SBC organization that was formed in 2020 re: what they say is a “liberal drift” in the SBC, one of the most theologically conservative denoms w/ members who still largely/staunchly support the GOP/Trump.
baptistpress.com/resource-libra…
Read 50 tweets
Robert Downen Profile picture
Apr 12
NEW: Texas Supreme Court has sided w/ a man claiming decades of rapes by Southern Baptist & GOP figure Paul Pressler. #SBCtoo

It is "massive and important" because it gives other abuse survivors significantly more rights in Texas, said @R_Denhollander
houstonchronicle.com/home/article/T…
@R_Denhollander 1/ Pressler's accuser Duane Rollins says he used drugs/alcohol to suppress memories. In 2016, a prison psych agreed and said he had PTSD from child trauma. Rollins sued. Three other men filed affidavits alleging similar misconduct. But Rollins' suit was dismissed on SOL grounds.
@R_Denhollander 2/ Rollins sued with a new firm, Houston's powerful Baker Botts. His attys said the psych report + Rollins' "unsound mind" meant it was impossible for Rollins to file his lawsuit inside Texas' window for abuse lawsuits. They said his window shouldve started when he had his outcry
Read 6 tweets
Robert Downen Profile picture
Jun 16, 2021
DEBATE BEGINS. Details in Tweets below #SBC19 #SBC2021 #SBCtoo
Begins with Ronnie Floyd: I hear you. The Executive Comm respects the messengers. We need this deliberative process. We know that this will make our convention stronger. #SBC21 #SBC2021 #SBCtoo #SBC
NOW: Troy Bush, whose church we covered this week, is now speaking. Accuses the executive committee of not even doing the bare minimum when "investigating" a church

"We believe that the executive comm does not have the ability to handle this task force." #SBC21 #SBC2021 @SBCtoo
Read 8 tweets
Robert Downen Profile picture
Jun 16, 2021
NOW: 15K Southern Baptists will debate/vote on a third-party investigation into whether top leaders sought to suppress abuse survivors/stifle reforms/intimidate leaders like Russ Moore. #SBC2021 #SBC21 #SBCtoo

It's prolly more important than you think.

Here's why:
Sex abuse has again dominated discussions here, including in yesterdays presidential election. But that was among a variety of issues at hand.

This tho? It will be a huge indicator of how much Southern Baptists are willing to put on the line re: abuse. #SBC2021 #SBC21 #SBCtoo
Over the last three years, Southern Baptists have shown they're willing to do a lot of things, so long as they are forward-looking. That's great/important.

But true repentance means rectifying wrongs committed, regardless of the toll.

That's how survivors are seeing this vote.
Read 8 tweets
Robert Downen Profile picture
Jun 16, 2021
Wednesday at #SBC21 begins with Grant Gaines speaking to his call for a third party investigation into the Exec committee and abuse.

"These are not allegations we can sweep yunder the rug. These are allegations we must get to the bottom to." #SBCtoo #SBC2021 #SBC
Gaines: "We should be bending over backwards to ensure we do everything we can."

Gaines then directs comments to survivors, tells them they matter and are worth fighting for.

A lot of applause. #SBCtoo #SBC2021 #SBC
Here is Gaines proposing the idea yesterday with @freedomsbride by his side. #SBC21 #SBCtoo #SBC2021 #SBC

Read 5 tweets
Robert Downen Profile picture
Jun 16, 2021
Litton begins w his story of growing up in a broken home and finding God at 7. He then talks about losing his wife in a car accident 14 years ago. He then married his wife Kathy, whose husband - an SBC pastor - also died in a car accident. #SBC21 #SBC2021 #SBC #SBCtoo
Litton: We both have a profound sense of pain and suffering in our live that has changed us, and I think changed us for the better. #SBC21 #SBC2021 #SBC #SBCtoo
Litton: There are 4.5 billion people on this planet who we feel have not heard the good news of Jesus Christ... WE exalt the Gospel above all else... it means we haev to work and iron out our differences. My goal is to build bridges, not walls. #SBC21 #SBC2021 #SBC #SBCtoo
Read 11 tweets

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