FBFI Resolution on Abuse Group

SPECIAL RESOLUTION ON ABUSE AMONG FUNDAMENTALISTS
While we recognize that an allegation is unrelated to actual guilt, we are tremendously concerned by the number of people coming forward with personal stories of abuse by men and women who label themselves independent, fundamentalist, and Baptist. We find it inconceivable that the size and scope of such dissent would gain traction without some merit being found in the charges against ourselves and our churches. There should be no question that the Fundamental Baptist Fellowship International condemns in the strongest possible terms abuse that has become undeniably and widely known in our own midst. Sadly, we acknowledge that our recent posture toward various allegations has indeed rendered our positions questionable. Though potentially costly to our positions and reputations, we reiterate the terms of a resolution formulated in prior years by this body: “We express outrage at any official hindrance to prosecution and hesitancy to dismiss from leadership not only those who are guilty of these sins and crimes, but also those who harbor them.”[1] With sorrow, we acknowledge that we have been slow to act in the spirit of our 1988 Resolution on Moral Fidelity in the Ministry:

We candidly admit, however, that the "sins of the flesh" so prevalent in society today, are beginning to affect the framework even of biblical Fundamentalist ranks, taking an increasing spiritual toll even among some of our own beloved brethren, and we express our grave concern over such defections, as well as deep disappointment with those brethren who have been unfaithful to their biblical vows concerning moral purity.

WHEREAS it is an incontrovertible fact that individuals abused as children face a tremendous risk of addictive or self-destructive behaviors, and that physical and mental health are severely affected by the experience of abuse; and WHEREAS Jesus warned that any person whose involvement with children is a causative factor in their sin (Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2); and WHEREAS there is a preponderance of resources to prevent, treat, report, and punish abuse in our modern society; and WHEREAS we acknowledge that it is statistically probable such abuse will occur among our churches and schools, and that we must be prepared to act with unquestionable clarity when it does; WE THEREFORE commit ourselves to heed these warnings and take every effort to protect children in our midst through the following means:

1. We will adhere to the spirit and the letter of state and federal laws regarding the protection of minors, and insist that those ministering in our local bodies remain strictly compliant with such laws. We will seek out third parties who have expertise in such laws, and will invest our time and funds into such education.
2. We will furthermore avail ourselves of education regarding the pathology of abusers and sexual predators, the impact of abuse on the lives of children, and the means by which clergy and ministry organizations can take the role of an advocate against abuses against vulnerable populations in our midst.
3. We will give a sympathetic hearing to the accounts of abuse victims, considering what our own outcomes might have been had we experienced these same events. In addition to an internal sympathy, we will openly express this sympathy among our peers, acknowledging that such a public position may well lead to a loss of respect among men.
4. We will never retaliate against the victim, and will protect alleged victims from gossip, whispering campaigns, alienation, separation, and other tactics used to discredit people who are potentially damaging to our personal or institutional reputations. Recognizing that the trauma of abuse contributes to social maladjustment, we will extend extraordinary grace in response to methods or words that do not meet our personal standards.