Los Angeles (AFP) - Members of the Southern Baptist Convention voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to maintain a list of pastors and other church staff credibly accused of sexual abuse, US media reported, addressing a scandal that has rocked the country's largest Protestant denomination.
Thousands of Southern Baptists gathered for their annual meeting in Anaheim, California where they passed a recommendation that creates a database to track sex abusers and sets up a group to formally handle abuse accusations, The Washington Post reported.
Last month in a shocking move, SBC leaders released a 205-page list of hundreds of ministers and other church workers who have been accused of sexual abuse, days after an independent investigation said the church had for years suppressed reports of abuse against priests and other staff.
The scandal is the latest shudder in a church churning with debate over issues including the role of women pastors, racial justice and abortion.
"Make no mistake, we're in...a seminal moment right now," pastor Bruce Frank, who has chaired the abuse task force, said as he opened the session, according to the Post."Today we'll choose between humility and hubris."
On Tuesday, the church's website prominently displayed a message encouraging members to "report an instance of abuse in a Southern Baptist Church or entity," along with a telephone number and email where people can report the wrongdoing.
One pastor who identified himself as a sex abuse survivor, Brad Eubank of Petal First Baptist Church in Mississippi, addressed the meeting Tuesday and urged the gathered faithful to adopt the recommendations.
"The world is watching," he reportedly said."This is not everything that needs to be done, but it is a starting spot.And I plead with you on behalf of survivors that I speak on behalf of, who love our convention and love our churches.Please, let's start the healing process today."
Investigative firm Guidepost's probe, published last month, found that for nearly two decades, survivors and advocates who sounded the alarm over sexual misconduct faced "resistance, stonewalling, and even outright hostility" from members of the church's executive committee.
The SBC said in response that it hoped "that churches will utilize this list proactively to protect and care for the most vulnerable among us."
