Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In response to the revelations of a sexual abuse crisis in American society and recognizing that such abuse has occurred within our Southern Baptist churches, Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) President J.D. Greear commissioned a Sexual Abuse Advisory Group. He tasked the group with considering how Southern Baptists at every level can take discernable action to respond swiftly and compassionately to incidents of abuse, as well as to foster safe environments within churches and institutions.
This report is the product of that inquiry, in which the Advisory Group listened to and learned from hundreds of survivors of sexual abuse, and church leaders, and national experts in this field. It includes the personal words and testimonies of many of those survivors. Additionally, it aims to begin to educate our churches on the abuse crisis, equip our churches to care well for survivors, and prepare our churches to prevent abuse. The purpose of this Sexual Abuse Advisory Group report is to convey the key findings that have emerged from this effort in a way that reflects on the realities of the past, recognizes the challenges of the present, and resolves to embrace the opportunities of the future.