The SBC Executive Committee has received a subpoena, but no individuals have been subpoenaed at this point, according to the committee’s lawyers. “This is an ongoing investigation and we do not comment on our discussions with the Department of Justice,” they said. The statement from SBC leaders – including members of the Executive Committee, seminary presidents and heads of mission organizations – gave few details about the investigation, but said it was about widespread sexual abuse problems that have rocked the largest Protestant denomination in the US “Individually and collectively each SBC entity is determined to fully and fully cooperate with the investigation,” the statement said. “While we continue to lament and lament past mistakes related to sexual abuse, current leaders throughout the SBC have demonstrated a firm conviction to address these issues of the past and are implementing measures to ensure they never happen again in the future ». There was no immediate comment from the Justice Department on the investigation. Earlier this year, an SBC task force on sexual abuse released a shocking 288-page report by outside consultant Guidepost Solutions. The firm’s seven-month independent investigation found disturbing details about how denominational leaders mishandled allegations of sexual abuse and mistreated victims. The report specifically focused on how the SBC Executive Committee responded to abuse cases, revealing that it had secretly kept a list of clergy and other church workers accused of abuse. The commission later apologized and released the list, which included hundreds of accused workers. A spokesman for Guidepost declined to comment on news of the DOJ investigation. After the Guidepost report was published, the SBC voted during its annual meeting in June to create a way to track pastors and other church workers who are credibly accused of sexual abuse and to launch a new task force to oversee further reforms. Earlier this week, SBC President Bart Barber, who also signed Friday’s statement, announced the names of Southern Baptist pastors and church members who will serve on the task force. Southern Baptist sexual abuse survivor Christa Brown, who has long called for the SBC to do more to address sexual abuse in its congregations, celebrated the news of the DOJ investigation. “Hallelujah. It’s about time,” Brown said in a Friday post on Twitter. “This is what it takes.” Another survivor, Jules Woodson, went public with her story of abuse in 2018 and has since been pushing for reforms at the SBC. On Friday, he reacted to news of the investigation by tweeting, “May justice be served!!!” Oklahoma Pastor Mike Keahbone, who serves on the Executive Committee and is the vice chair of the new abuse task force, said on Twitter that the investigation “is not something to be afraid of… If there is more work, we will do it.” The Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
