https://sbcvoices.com/autonomy-is-still ... tist-life/
Current SBC President JD Greear got some kudos from some quarters for using his "bully pulpit" to take at least some action against some of the churches mentioned in the Houston Chronicle report on multiple SBC clergy involved in sexual abuse. He also got some criticism.
As this blog post from William Thornton indicates, the SBC really has no way to take action against individual abusers with regard to their ministerial credentials. The authority for local church ordination rests with the local church in Baptist polity and there is no way to change that. The only way I can see for the SBC to have any influence over this issue is to use the threat of disfellowshipping congregations if they don't revoke ordinations or enable the abusers to move on elsewhere. Even if there was a strong desire within the convention to give it enough authority to deal with this problem, it couldn't be done. To say that it's complicated is an understatement.
Reading some of the Chronicle information, one of the things that stands out is the connections many of these individuals had that enabled them to get their position in the first place and then enabled them to move on because they dropped some names, or someone they knew helped them. It seems improbable that a system where information is readily passed along through the grapevine when it comes to "who's who" and who's "up and coming" and who has their wagon hitched to what prominent SBC self-appointed leader does not also carry information about situations where these individuals have been involved in abuse. It's almost as if some of them had a prominent friend call the prospective church and tell them that the candidate "was unjustly accused by a vengeful church member." The current majority Baptist view of women in the church contributes to discounting a woman's accusation without questioning it or asking for evidence. And that's where the current elected leadership of the SBC can make a difference. Use the bully pulpit, because people are listening. And get away from the inner circle of inner circle kingmakers and influencers when it comes to picking committee members and trustees. Pick people because they are genuinely qualified, not connected to denominational politicians and who genuinely listen to the Holy Spirit.