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Abstract: 

The Roman Catholic Church is not the only religious body that has been plagued by acts of sexual abuse perpetrated by its clergy. In 2019, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) was rocked by allegations that over 700 church members were sexually violated by nearly 400 clergy persons or others in positions of authority in the church. Echoing what was done by members of the Catholic hierarchy, responsible parties within the SBC ignored or downplayed earlier victim reports, leading to a cascade of cases that finally burst into the public eye via a series of newspaper stories. Written by an author with expertise on sexual abuse within faith communities, this article reveals the findings and recommendations published in the SBC’s Caring Well report, which was prepared by persons affiliated with the SBC. It also describes the more incisive contents of the Guidepost Report, which were based on the findings of an independent investigative body.

Keywords: Southern Baptist Convention; “Caring Well” Report; “Guidepost” Report

Affiliations:  1: Zero Abuse Project.