CBF minister arrested

[Dave Roberts]

My greatest problem with our Baptist handling of sexual predators has always been and still is that we as churches focus on the "damage to the church if this sort of thing is revealed," as expressed a few years ago by an SBC pres. The swift dismissal of staff who are told to leave and all will be covered has been wrong. Now the greatest reputational damage to the church is coming because when laws governing sexual behavior have been violated, churches have become complicit in hiding the crime. I'm a bit hard-nosed on this, but whether it's in Baptist churches, Methodist, Presbyterian, independent, or the RCC, immediate prosecution should be the norm, not the exception. Even for ministers, if you commit the crime, you should do the time. The legal system is better equipped to deal with sex offenders than are most churches. I think it's the only way to recover our reputations. By the way, I have encountered parents who no longer allow their children to attend church youth groups after almost every headline of this type comes out. The stories recently from the "Houston Chronicle" exposed the real extent of this among Baptists in the South. The only disciple available for CBF or the SBC, given our current polity, is simply to decline to receive contributions from churches, not exactly a powerful carrot or stick.

[JE Pettibone]

Dave Roberts wrote "Even for ministers, if you commit the crime, you should do the time. The legal system is better equipped to deal with sex offenders than are most churches."

Ed: Dave, I agree that "if you commit the crime, you should do the time", but tell me just how the legal system is better equipped to deal with sex offenders than are most churches. Yes I do note you said "most churches" but does that not suggest that their are Churches at leas equally as well equipped ? My studied opinion is that while the legal system overall is reasonably good at catching prosecuting and punishing offenders yet fail miserably at rehabilitation and changing behavior. Some Churches are better than others at being instruments of change than are others. In part I believe this is because most church leadership wants to avoid responsibility.

I think participants on this board could seek out a few churches and church based organizatios such as the OATS Institute that work at positve change in their commmunites and get some hints on what the churches many of us attend could do. Churches that say we are too small have a god that is too small and unrelated to the creator.

[KeithE]

I can understand where Dave is coming from. The legal system has dealt with many more sexual harassment/abuse/rape cases than has the typical church or denomination (with possible exception of the RCC , but that is not what we are talking about here). They are better equipped to deal with investigations, charging, judicial due process, and penalties.

BUT

Perhaps Ed has these statistics (or more likely his own life learning experiences) in mind.


Source and more info/statistical methods :
Perpetrators of sexual violence are less likely to go to jail or prison than other criminals.
4.6 incarcerations out of 1000 rapists go free
20 incarcerations out of 1000 robbers go free
33 incarcerations out of 1000 assault/battery perps go free

I’m sure that there are false cases of rape reported; but I’m also sure many of the guilty walk free.

With such a record, why should we rely on the police/legal system? Can churches do it better?

This is a close call but I guess I would say:

Churches should suspend any staff member who has a credible case levied against him/her and then hand the case over to the police/legal system to see what will happen there. But the church has to make the decision to suspend (and may have denominational guidance to assist in those decisions). And the church / denomination has to make the decision to reinstate the accused if the legal system does not incarceration. I not sure know “damage to the church's” reputation can be muted in these decisions.

I any case I would hope the church would play a redemptive role to both the accuser and accused.

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Ed, I do not see where the (not OATS) in Louisville has any special advice for the issue here (minister’s sexual misconduct) among the 100’s of webinars, videos, books or resources that they offer.

[JE Pettibone]

[Dave Roberts]

My point in this was to stress the failure of churches to deal with accusations of sexual misconduct by staff members and pastors by allowing them to get quickly out of town promising that if they do, nothing will ever be said to another church or group that might affect their future employment. The cover ups have been far too visible among Baptists in the past.

As to rehab, I have worked directly in two different churches to make the accommodations and execute protections in order for registered sex offenders to attend and participate in some church activities. These, at least under Virginia law, require working with both the probation officer, if the person is on probation, and with the counselor, if one is still being provided under the terms of release. I am convinced we have a duty to do restorative work, but not foolishly trusting people to work these things out without supervision.

[JE Pettibone]

[Dave Roberts]

[Sandy]

[William Thornton]

[William Thornton]

I don't think the CBF has a more positive record in this than the SBC. It's a complicated business as a result of polity.

The CBF and partner entities like BNG have done much more in reporting the problem than the SBC, although less so now than in earlier years.

[Dave Roberts]