You did raise an issue that I raised some 4 years ago here in Chicago. There is no doubt in my mind that many people serving in ministry have abused children…sexually and otherwise. BUT NOT everyone accused is guilty or even remotely guilty either.

What happens when someone has been accused, and later found innocent? What about the person whose life has been destroyed—not to mention their family, children, and everything else—just because some child didn’t like something that was said or done?

I have no doubt in my mind that several Catholic priests were guilty of the things with which they were charged–but certainly not all of them.

I often think this “abused by Father so-and-so” has become a cash cow for people who want to make alot of money, and know the Catholic Church will pay up.

I’m not defending predators—not even remotely close to defending them. But I do want someone to defend the honest men and women of God who have been wrongly accused…and unjustly destroyed.

God will defend them. Maybe HIS CHURCH should as well.

I disagree with your thinking about repentance and agree with the BF&M.

Perry,

Thanks for your thoughts. Your ideas make a lot of sense.

However, I believe that a lot could be accomplished by hiring some staff to do the programing and research to simply correlate the lists of public records that are available from every State and the FBI and make it easy to flag registered SBC minsters who have been convicted of these crimes or who is on any national or local registry.

Last, I do not agree with all of the various “releases” that are becoming so popular these days with Churches looking for staff and especially ministerial staff. However, a complete background criminal check should be an absolute requirement and the E.C. could find ways to make it easier for local Churches to do those checks. Local autonomy is a real issue and the fact that so many are so willing to dismiss it as not important reveals how little even our leaders understand the biblical foundations of being a Baptist. Nonetheless, autonomy doesn’t mean that we can’t find ways to make it easier for Churches to protect themselves. For an example, a local association could come together in annual meeting and decide to require of all member churches that a criminal background check be run for all ministerial staff called by the member Churches. If the Churches agreed to this then a policy would be established and the local Churches could choose or not choose to associate with sister churches who were that committed to protecting their children. I am not saying that this is the best option. I am saying that with some creativity and sincere hearts we can find a way to do much more than we are right now. But a registry that allows for the listing of the names of people who have not been convicted or (maybe indicted could be added) is absolutely unacceptable.

Please forgive the length of my comment but that great question you pose encourages study.

Could it be that the SBC Statement of Faith (SOF), could lead a Pastor into doubting his Savior or his salvation… thereby saying “If I can’t do what I have promised to do (abide by legalism of the SBC SOF) then I might as well live it up.”

After you read this check out The SBC Statement of Beliefs: http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp

Reading the section on Salvation carefully, you will notice that there are two errors in the same paragraph, Repentance and Faith. It is one paragraph comprised of two sentences quoted from the Baptist Faith and Message:
The first is: “Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God.”
This is false doctrine. Repentance in salvation is simply a change of mind. When one repents, he changes his mind from his own works, or whatever he may be trusting to save him, to believing that Jesus Christ will save him — and is now his Savior. Repentance for salvation (New Testament) is NOT turning from sin since that would make salvation no longer God’s gift through faith but a reward or wages owed because of one’s works.

Notice the second sentence of this same paragraph on Salvation:
“Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.”
This likewise is false doctrine. If SBC had just stopped with “Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ…”[as Savior] that would be Biblical.. but they had to add a works message of “and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour.” To be saved, one DOES NOT commit his “entire personality to Him as Lord and Savior.” One simply trusts, believes in Christ as his Savior. Period. Commitment may or may not come later for a believer, but whether it does or not cannot alter one’s salvation.

A Pastor who does not fully understand God’s Grace may realize he cannot keep the laws of his SBC church. He may very well fall into despondency and be open for just about any kind of sin.

Thankfully the Lord does not require either of these two SBC rules for salvation. Those rules do not illustrate God’s Grace in salvation.

However, every one who has trusted Christ alone as Savior SHOULD, by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, turn from sin. Every believer SHOULD, by the power of God’s indwelling Holy Spirit, commit his entire personality to Him as Lord and Saviour. But these have nothing to do with accepting God’s free gift of salvation.

However, Kevin, as you implied, this is not just an SBC problem. Any Pastor who forgets, ignores or dosn’t know the Grace of God is susceptible. Never forget God’s Grace.

God’s Grace is absolutely Amazing — and so all-encompassing. What about God’s Grace?

God’s grace that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Titus 2:11

As every believer should know, God gives Grace through which we are saved. “For by grace are ye saved through faith;” Ephesians 2:8

We believers have received grace to enable our obedience to the Lord. “By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith….” Romans 1:5

We have God’s Grace to help our behavior. “…not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation [manner of life] in the world,” 2 Corinthians 1:12b

God’s Grace will help us begin and finish as believers. “Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.” 2 Corinthians 8:6

God’s Grace is something in which we believers should abound and even more, help us to abound to every good work with sufficiency in all things..”….. see that ye abound [have more abundance] in this grace also.” 2 Corinthians 8:7b. And then, “…God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: ” 2 Corinthians 9:8

Believers can gain strength in God’s Grace. “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 2:1

God gives His grace to help believers in time of need.
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”Hebrews 4:16

Believers are justified by God’s Grace. Titus 3:7

We should never be satisfied but “…grow in grace, ….” 2 Peter 3:18

We are save by God’s Grace so let us serve Him, not by legalism or laws but by living in and sharing His powerful enabling Grace.

ExP(Jack)

The only way to deal with them is to treat them as criminals and turn them over to the authorities. They are extremely cunning and manipulative- all too often blaming the victim for enticing them! - and will interpret any sign of compassion as carte blanche to commit more crimes. Believe me- I know, as a police officer, and from bitter personal experience.

About 15 years ago, there was a pastor in Sydney ( Australia). The usual story, molesting kids, then being shunted off from one church to another, rather than the congregations doing the right thing and reporting his deeds as crimes. Well, one father of several youngsters wasn’t going to stand for the strain of wondering if the molester was going to attack his sons- so he made a pre-emptive strike and killed the bloke the minute he entered their community. Result? The court found him not guilty ,and everone was happy.

But why did it have to get to that point in the first place?

Does Christian “mercy” and “forgiveness” mean that inexcusable things can be done to children by other so-called Christians?

Why the reluctance to treat it as a crime?

It is a bit ironic to hear baptist moderates and liberals downgrade local church autonomy, something they have shouted from the rooftops in years past. The SBC didn’t violate any local church’s autonomy by kicking out homosexual approving congregations but they did create SNAP’s most effective point about sexual abuse in the SBC: the SBC is willing to kick out homosexual-approving churches but not pedophile-harboring churches.

SNAP’s plan should be considered, and probably rejected - think about the implications of a permanent database of sexual abuse reports, credible and non-credible, on SBC ministers being maintained by the denomination. A given minister may have one non-credible report, he is in the sexual abuse database. What church would touch him? It is never far from the database containing all reports, credible and non-credible (and that is what is sought) and an authentic 21st century witch hunt.

You cannot overcome the inherent independence of baptist church whatever good cause is behind the effort.

You are right that every church should do thorough background checks. Our church does and it weeded out a lot. But there are some churches who would gladly get rid of “their” problem by sending them to another church. Just look at the famous pastor who was exposed last month of having multiple affairs for 25 years. Now it is coming out that the churches he served at knew it all along.

I don’t know what all of the answers are but as BDW says we need to do something.

There isn’t any way for the SBC to act authoritatively in this matter. But it can be pro-active in encouraging churches to train their staff and their volunteers, and enact policies which prevent situations that can lead to abuse. A high level of supervision and accountability should be the goal of each congregation. Having been involved with churches that have enacted such policies and proceedures in recent years, I’m surprised there are so many that haven’t. If a church isn’t willing to do a criminal background check on a prospective minister, will they be more willing to access an SBC list? And who determines what is a “credible” accusation?