I read the following in an article by Bob Simenta entitled "Southern Baptists Face Key Questions After First Day of Annual Meeting."
This section of the article I'm going to share has to do with the SBC's new website that is designed to help track abusive pastors so churches can be aware of a ministry candidate's past when making hiring decisions. What are your thoughts on the website? Do you think it should or should not also i nclude those who have been credibly accused? Here's the quote:
"The task force is expected to unveil a new Ministry Check website, which will help churches track abusive pastors. The new website will include the names of pastors in three categories: those convicted of abuse, those who have confessed to abuse and those who have had a legal judgment against them for abuse.
Last year, messengers approved a fourth category — those credibly accused of abuse. According to an update to that category from the abuse implementation task force, “an independent third party hired by any church or other Baptist body, may determine, by preponderance of the evidence following an inquiry, that a pastor, denominational worker, or ministry employee or volunteer is credibly accused.”
Because abuse is not always reported to authorities, that fourth category is “crucially important to the efforts to protect the vulnerable and make our churches safe from sexual abuse,” according to the task force.
However, the task force decided to hold off on the fourth category — in response to pushback from critics of the process, who worry that pastors will be falsely accused of abuse."
What are your thoughts?
