Man can hardly even recognize the devils of his own creation. Albert Schweitzer
Members of a child abuse victim support group gathered outside a mega church in Houston today to highlight recent abuse cases involving ministers. The group urges victims of sexual abuse at churches to come forward.
“Second Baptist Church would not comment.” How could they not even offer a statement of compassion for the victims? http://t.co/GMc9G4gy5p
— Amy Smith (@watchkeep) January 10, 2014
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Stop Baptists Predators updated: Will changing of the guard bring any change on clergy sex abuse?
Update 1/10/2014: Now we have yet another indication of how unlikely it is that Moore’s leadership will bring any positive change in the SBC’s denominational do-nothingness on clergy sex abuse. The ERLC has announced the formation of a “Leadership Network” to join with the ERLC in applying “the gospel of the kingdom to the major cultural issues of our day.” Named to the “Leadership Council” for this new network is pastor Greg Belser of Morrison Heights Baptist Church — a pastor who has been widely reported as having a role in one of the SBC’s biggest clergy sex abuse cover-up scandals to date. In Belser’s short bio on the ERLC’s “Leadership Council” site, he talks about how the ERLC helps him in “resourcing our church for speaking courageously in the culture.” In my opinion, Belser could show himself to be a great deal more courageous if he would submit hisown conduct to the review of an independent organization such as GRACE and let that organization speak to the truth of what happened in the Prestonwood/Morrison Heights scandal. In any event, Belser’s appointment to the ERLC’s “Leadership Council” doesn’t bode well for anticipating any improvement in the SBC’s blind-eyed nonresponsiveness on clergy sex abuse.
Newly Formed SBC Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission Initiative Is ‘About Ministering in the Midst of a Devil-Haunted Universe’
“As we come alongside one another, we’ll talk about crucial ethical issues confronting churches and how we can engage the culture with a Gospel-focus. We’ll think through issues that aren’t yet confronting churches, but will, and how we can best go through the difficulties of life and local church ministry with a joyful warrior kingdom expectancy-marching toward Zion on the triumphant side of history.”
How about start with the crucial issues already confronting churches? What about the “devil-haunted universe” of child sex crimes committed by their own Baptist ministers? Or are we really looking at a case of the ERLC picking and choosing “crucial ethical issues” based on selective moral outrage? I can’t think of any issue more pressing and damaging to churches and kids within churches today than the ravaging of souls by child sex offenders.
Startling Statistics: Child sexual abuse and what the church can begin doing about it
SNAP urges Baptists to speak out on abuse
.@gbelser Yet you have refused to be a strong voice for child sex abuse victims by one of your own ministers #Langworthy.
— Amy Smith (@watchkeep) January 10, 2014
.@gbelser When will you publicly plea for anyone else harmed by Langworthy to come forward to police immediately? There are more victims.
— Amy Smith (@watchkeep) January 10, 2014
John Langworthy’s public confession at Morrison Heights Baptist Church
Eddie Struble served at Bellevue Baptist in Memphis, TN and Idlewild Baptist in Tampa, FL for a time in the early '00s. Former Bellevue staff have been quoted as saying they were aware of his "issues" back then, but "no one wanted to report him." Ken Whitten, who has been pastor of Idlewild for many years, was formerly on staff at Bellevue and "senior pastor" at Idlewild during Eddie's tenure there.
Then there's the common thread of Hal Kitchings running through the John Langworthy saga. Kitchings and Langworthy are about the same age and both attended Mississippi College. Kitchings was on staff at Daniel Memorial Baptist in Jackson, MS where Langworthy was hired as a youth pastor. Langworthy moved to Texas and was on staff at Prestonwood Baptist where Jack Graham had recently been hired as "senior pastor." When Langworthy was whisked out of Texas in the middle of the night, who was there to greet him with a staff position but Hal Kitchings, by then the "senior pastor" of Morrison Heights Baptist.
Seems to me someone needs to be asking Ken Whitten and Hal Kitchings some tough questions. We already know Jack Graham and Greg Belser's response to tough questions.