Shining light on Baptist clergy sex abuse  
 The voice of SNAP Baptist  | 

 
 
"This little light of mine ...
  I'm gonna let it shine"

This "little light" shines for the many clergy abuse victims whose voices have been silenced. Silenced by shame. Silenced by the false instruction of religious leaders. Silenced by church shunning and bullying. Silenced by church contracts for secrecy. Silenced by suicide. The mission of StopBaptistPredators.org is to break the silence of Baptist clergy sex abuse.

Texas: Southern Baptist youth pastor indicted on

9 counts of sexual assault of a child

He "has retained employment at the church." Members of Second Baptist Church

of Odessa have "pledged to support" the minister.

Read more & more & more

Georgia: Southern Baptist church changes name after pedophile minister convicted. Now it's

Heritage Fellowship.

Former youth minister gets 18 years for molestation of 2 boys.

Read more & more

Guilty! "Murdering minister" gets 65 years

Prosecutors had evidence that Matt Baker sexually abused and assaulted many other women and girls. He moved through churches & organizations affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Why didn't Baptists stop him?

Associated Press here & here & here

CBS News >

KXXV TV with videos > .

Associated Baptist Press >

 

Darrell Gilyard admits fathering child of congregant

Now in prison for child molestation, he had a slew of prior sexual abuse allegations. Former SBC president Paige Patterson knew about a lot of them. Why didn't Baptists stop Gilyard sooner? Read more >

Former president of Arkansas Baptist State Convention urges leniency for minister convicted on child-sex abuse

First Baptist of Benton's music minister "led a secret life" for 2 decades. "Comprehension of his crimes... has only come grudgingly, if at all." Read more >

See also Former music minister sentenced for sexual abuse and Pierce victim speaks out.

Read earlier news: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette >

"Christa Brown's saga resonates... "

"Book says SBC lacks system

of preventing sexual abuse"

This Little Light:

Beyond a Baptist Preacher Predator and His Gang >

 

TIME ranks Southern Baptists' rejection of sex-offender database as a top "underreported" news story of 2008

"The lack of hierarchical structure and systematized record-keeping... makes it harder... to track allegations of abuse."

TIME's top 10 story >

Associated Baptist Press >

Southern Baptists reject sex-abuse database

"Under pressure to fight child sex abuse, the SBC's executive committee said…the denomination should not create its own database to help churches identity predators or establish an office to field abuse claims.”  Associated Press >

"Instead of protecting its followers from sexual predators, Nashville's Southern Baptist Convention leaves churches to fend for themselves." Nashville Scene >

"The very fact that Baptist churches are autonomous signals that they need the information that the convention could provide." Tennessean editorial >

"To argue that a list of Southern Baptist ministers who are sexual predators violates the self-government of a local church is illogical." Burleson op-ed >

"Baptists miss an opportunity." Dallas Morning News editorial >

"Holy hypocrisy!" Winson-Salem Journal editorial >

"The SBC prevaricates by saying ...

... that the creation of a Baptist database would just confuse matters."  Marci Hamilton, Princeton law professor

Read more >

 

Convicted, confessed, or credibly accused:
Paul Williams Matt Baker Tommy Gilmore
David Kent Pierce

More ministers of the
Southern Baptist Convention

 

The Brush-Off response of Southern Baptist officials

Child sex abuse by Protestant clergy may exceed abuse by Catholic priests

Insurance data shows 260 abuse reports per year for Protestant clergy compared to 228 annually for Catholic priests. 

Read more >

Associated Press Report >

See also comparison analysis > and data >

 

CALL THE SUICIDE HOT LINE.
If you are having thoughts about suicide,
call 1.800.SUICIDE
1. 800 (784-2433).
Your call will be connected to a certified crisis center nearest your location.

 

Write to the SBC
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Join S.N.A.P

 

A Shining   Light

"The very fact that Baptist churches are autonomous signals that they need the information that the convention could provide."

The Tennessean's editorial >.

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