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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 23 May 2022
Report: Top Southern Baptists stonewalled sex abuse victims

By DEEPA BHARATH, HOLLY Offender Information Sys-
MEYER and DAVID CRARY tem to alert the community
Associated Press to known offenders.
Leaders of the Southern — Provide a comprehen-
Baptist Convention, Ameri- sive Resource Toolbox in-
ca’s largest Protestant de- cluding protocols, training,
nomination, stonewalled education, and practical
and denigrated survivors information.
of clergy sex abuse over —Restrict the use of non-
almost two decades while disclosure agreements and
seeking to protect their own civil settlements which bind
reputations, according to survivors to confidentiality in
a scathing 288-page inves- sexual abuse matters, un-
tigative report issued Sun- less requested by the survi-
day. These survivors, and vor. The sex abuse scandal
other concerned Southern was thrust into the spotlight
Baptists, repeatedly shared in 2019 by a landmark report
allegations with the SBC’s from the Houston Chronicle
Executive Committee, and San Antonio Express-
“only to be met, time and News documenting hun-
time again, with resistance, dreds of cases in Southern
stonewalling, and even Baptist churches, including
outright hostility from some several in which alleged
within the EC,” said the re- This Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011 file photo shows the headquarters of the Southern Baptist Convention perpetrators remained in
port. in Nashville, Tenn. Associated Press ministry.
The seven-month investi- Last year, thousands of del-
gation was conducted by ly focused on avoiding lia- the report added. address these failures and egates at the national SBC
Guidepost Solutions, an in- bility for the SBC,” the report SBC President Ed Litton, in chart a new course when gathering sent the mes-
dependent firm contracted said. “In service of this goal, a statement Sunday, said we meet together in Ana- sage that they did not want
by the Executive Commit- survivors and others who he is “grieved to my core” heim,” Litton said the Executive Committee
tee after delegates to last reported abuse were ig- for the victims and thanked Among the key recommen- to oversee an investigation
year’s national meeting nored, disbelieved, or met God for their work propel- dations in the report: of its own actions. Instead
pressed for an indepen- with the constant refrain ling the SBC to this moment. — Form an independent they voted overwhelming-
dent probe. that the SBC could take no He called on Southern Bap- commission and later es- ly to create the task force
“Our investigation revealed action due to its polity re- tists to lament and prepare tablish a permanent admin- charged with providing
that, for many years, a few garding church autonomy to change the denomina- istrative entity to oversee oversight of the third-party
senior EC leaders, along – even if it meant that con- tion’s culture and imple- comprehensive long-term review. SBC President Ed
with outside counsel, large- victed molesters continued ment reforms. reforms concerning sexual Litton, pastor of Redemp-
ly controlled the EC’s re- in ministry with no notice “I pray Southern Baptists will abuse and related miscon- tion Church in Saraland,
sponse to these reports of or warning to their current begin preparing today to duct within the SBC. Alabama, appointed the
abuse ... and were singular- church or congregation,” take deliberate action to —Create and maintain an panel. q

2 dead; northern Michigan town cleans

up from rare tornado

day after a tornado with tional Weather Service on hit, Carroll said.
140 mph winds pummeled a scale of 0-5. Video posted online
Gaylord, killing two people, “There have been trailers showed a dark funnel cloud
injuring more than 40 and picked up and turned over approaching as anxious
shocking residents who are on top of each other. Just a drivers looked on or slowly
more familiar with snow- very large debris field,” said drove away on area roads.
storms than spring wind- Chris Martin, Otsego Coun- “Everyone in Michigan is
storms. ty fire chief. Martin said going to wrap our arms
A utility reported much crews used heavy equip- around those families and
progress in restoring elec- ment to conduct a sec- everyone who is working
tricity, though thousands ondary search of the area. together to recover here,”
Resident Stephanie Kerwin, center, holds her baby Octavius in
one arm and dog Pixie in the other as she and her family carry still lacked power. Some He said there’s “probably Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin
what they could salvage from her home in Nottingham Forest roads remained clogged 95% destruction in there.” Gilchrist said during a visit.
Mobile Home Park, Saturday, May 21, 2022, in Gaylord, Mich., with downed poles and Gaylord, about 230 miles Betty Wisniewski, 87, avoid-
following a tornado the day before. “This morning is when it other wreckage. (370 kilometers) northwest ed injury even though the
first hit me...I could have lost people that I really love. I am so “We have a lot of debris to of Detroit, is a popular tornado significantly dam-
grateful,” Kerwin said. clear,” said state police Lt. destination for skiers and aged her house, said son
Associated Press
Derrick Carroll. snowmobilers in the winter Steve Wisniewski, who lives
By ED WHITE uncommon in northern Two people in their 70s who and golfers in the summer. next door.
Associated Press Michigan that Gaylord lived at the Nottingham It doesn’t have tornado si- “Luckily she was OK — ro-
Roofs and walls on a busy doesn’t have a siren system Forest mobile home park rens, though anyone with a sary in hand,” he said from
business stretch were to warn people about haz- died, state police said. It mobile phone got a “code a ladder while attach-
turned to tangled rubble. ardous weather. was among the first sites hit red” warning from the ing plastic to his windows.
Mobile homes were de- The town of 4,200 turned by the tornado, which was weather service about 10 “She was praying. Pretty
stroyed. Tornadoes are so to cleanup Saturday, a rated an EF3 by the Na- minutes before the tornado amazing.”q