The Sexual Abuse Scandal That’s Engulfed the Evangelical Movement

And while nondenominational churches are revealing the harms perpetrated by a lack of oversight, the crisis of abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention, or SBC, shows that there is a cultural rot in the heart of American evangelism. The SBC is known as a “low touch” denomination, meaning that it’s not particularly hierarchically rigid. But these churches still have some organizational structures in place. And time and time again, SBC-affiliated organizations have shown that their priority is protecting the institution rather than victims—hence a a recent checkered history of sins getting swept under the rug.

In 2022, an external report exposed the extent of sexual abuse in the SBC’s ranks. It found that between 2000 and 2019, some 380 SBC clergy, lay leaders, and volunteers faced allegations of sexual misconduct from more than 700 victims. Too often, when senior leaders were made aware of allegations, they chose to hush them up. The report also found that survivors faced “resistance, stonewalling, and even outright hostility” from some members of the Convention’s executive committee.

The report is the kind of thing that the SBC might reasonably want to address during its annual gathering. It’s proven to be deft at avoiding the issue roiling its ranks. Earlier this summer, the SBC chose to issue resolutions condemning in vitro fertilization and supporting Israel at its annual conference, prioritizing culture-war issues over proposed reforms to the way the denomination deals with sexual abuse. (The 2023 gathering issued decrees on gender transitioning and artificial intelligence, but nothing about abuse.)