DOJ investigation of the SBC concludes, but questions remain for the nation’s largest Protestant denomination and its response to sexual abuse survivors
The U.S. Department of Justice has officially concluded its investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention’s handling of sexual abuse allegations. The investigation, which began in 2022 after a Guidepost Solutions report revealed mistreatment of abuse survivors, did not lead to any abuse-related charges against SBC leaders.
Matt Queen, a former professor and interim provost at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, was convicted for lying to the FBI during the inquiry, which was the only charge resulting from the investigation. Queen admitted to providing false information to investigators and received a sentence of one year of supervised release and a $2,000 fine.
On March 12, Southwestern released a statement acknowledging the conclusion of the DOJ investigation: “For over two years, Southwestern fully cooperated with the DOJ throughout the investigation and is pleased that no findings of wrongdoing were made against the institution or its current employees,” the statement read. “We remain committed to ensuring the safety of everyone within the seminary community.”
The investigation cost the SBC millions of dollars in legal fees, depleting the SBC Executive Committee’s financial reserves. Abuse survivors and advocates are disappointed, fearing this outcome could hinder ongoing reform efforts. Critics of the reforms may use the investigation's conclusion to oppose further changes.
The closing of the investigation into the SBC coincides with the Justice Department’s significant shift in enforcement priorities. For Megan Lively of North Carolina, who is a lifelong Southern Baptist, and advocate for sexual assault survivors, the decision highlights what she called an apparent decline in denominational leadership's commitment to ambitious reforms.
“I’ve witnessed some positive progress and met leaders who genuinely care,” Lively said. “But now I’m disheartened because it feels like, ‘We’ll put effort into this for a few years, and then just abandon it,’” Lively told the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press.
Reforms initiated after the Guidepost report, such as abuse prevention training and a proposed database of abusive pastors, have largely stalled. Abuse advocates worry that the SBC is losing momentum in addressing abuse within the denomination.
Last month the Dallas Morning News published an editorial critical of the SBC’s efforts in its sexual abuse investigation and for its continued inaction to establish a promised abuse database of convicted perpetrators.
“Any good Baptist preacher will tell you that repentance means more than just feeling sorry for one’s shortcomings. It means doing something about them — turning away from evil and heading in the other direction. But the Southern Baptist Convention seems to be having trouble practicing what it preaches,” wrote the newspaper’s editorial board.
“Half measures won’t do. SBC leaders should be pushing as hard as possible to stand with victims and prevent more mistreatment. The press, both religious and secular, should be writing stories about the dangers of overcorrecting, about the herculean efforts of church leaders to turn the ship. But they are not because there has been no such effort.”
In 2022, the SBC released a 205-page document containing the names of hundreds of Baptist leaders and members accused or found guilty of sexual abuse of children. The list spanned cases from 2000 to 2019 and includes 700 entries. The release followed a third-party investigation by Guidepost Solutions hired by the SBC revealing serious mishandling of sexual abuse cases by the SBC’s Executive Committee.
The same year the report was issued Guidepost Solutions caused an uproar after it posted a “pride” statement about LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) community on its Twitter/X account.
Department to Focus on Sexual Abuse Response
In January, Jeff Dalrymple, former executive director of the Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention and a Southern Baptist, was appointed by the SBC Executive Committee to lead the convention’s new department focused on combatting and preventing sexual abuse within the denomination. The department will be funded initially with $1.8 million remaining from the $3 million gift by the North American Mission Board’s Send Relief fund in June 2022 toward the SBC’s sexual abuse response.
For the SBC moving forward, the end of the investigation leaves unresolved questions about its commitment to reform. While leaders express a desire to put this catastrophic episode behind them, challenges remain in rebuilding trust, implementing reforms, and addressing the systemic issues that allowed abuse to occur in the first place. The denomination’s ability to confront these challenges will significantly shape its future.
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