In the News
Thanks to the joint efforts of activist Christa Brown and SNAP, there was a lot in the news about the problems of clergy sexual abuse, especially of minors, in the days surrounding the 2007 Southern Baptist Convention. At the convention, a motion was passed to look into developing a database of clergy who have been convicted, have confessed, or have been credibly accused of abuse.
To find out more, start with this set of articles from Associated Baptist Press
also from The Courier-Journal, Louisville, KY
also from The Houston Chronicle
Just as I’ve already indicated many times, I do not consider this dramatic action as more than a news item to watch with interest. With this denomination, with it’s move further and further away from the mainstream of theological thought and closer and closer toward the right-winged political agenda, even with the President of the United States lending his presence at this year’s Convention, I will be very surprised to see any action that would do anything to jeopardize the continuance of male power and privilege that is embodied in Southern Baptist ministers now, just as much as it has been historically.
What is needed most, as I was quoted by Greg Warner as saying, is “a change of heart.” That would mean a heart that does a confession and total about-face. From where I currently stand, that appears to be something that can exist only in fantasy.
I fear that anyone hoping to see it or to see a positive outcome from this feasibility study is headed for a great fall. Certainly, I hope that I am wrong in my prediction.
Meanwhile, I intend to offer survivors a place of solace and comfort.
Dee Ann Miller