In these two verses we see Godly men seeking the Lord, crying out to him, confessing sin to him, and seeking his mercy, grace and forgiveness for corporate sin, for the sins of God’s people.   Even through the individual men were not personally guilty of these sins, they bore the pain and shared the guilt as they identified with the community of God’s covenant people. 

Charles Spurgeon understood this reality as he said, “I firmly believe that, the better a man’s own character becomes, and the more joy in the Lord he has in his own heart, the more capable is he of sympathetic sorrow; and, probably, the more of it he will have. If thou hast room in thy soul for sacred joy, thou hast equal room for holy grief.”

This morning all Southern Baptists should be feeling some measure of holy grief.  Perhaps even more so we at Westwood should feel the weight of holy grief considering Sunday’s sermon from Ephesians 5. 

Yesterday afternoon an extensive and much anticipated report was made public.  The Report of the Independent Investigation  – The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee’s Response to Sexual Abuse Allegations and an Audit of the Procedures and Actions of the Credentials Committee was authorized by the messengers at last year’s SBC meeting in Nashville.  (Four of our Elders were messengers at that meeting)  That action was prompted by numerous allegations from abuse survivors and calls for a comprehensive response from the convention’s leaders. 

The 288 page report, conducted by a third-party investigations firm, Guidepost Solutions reveals a disregard for abuse survivors and a relentless self-serving attitude by some SBC leaders.  The report begins with this scathing statement:   

For almost two decades, survivors of abuse and other concerned Southern Baptists have been contacting the Southern Baptist Convention (“SBC”) Executive Committee (“EC”) to report child molesters and other abusers who were in the pulpit or employed as church staff. They made phone calls, mailed letters, sent emails, appeared at SBC and EC meetings, held rallies, and contacted the press…only to be met, time and time again, with resistance, stonewalling, and even outright hostility from some within the EC.

Our investigation revealed that, for many years, a few senior EC leaders, along with outside counsel, largely controlled the EC’s response to these reports of abuse. They closely guarded information about abuse allegations and lawsuits, which were not shared with EC Trustees, and were singularly focused on avoiding liability for the SBC to the exclusion of other considerations. In service of this goal, survivors and others who reported abuse were ignored, disbelieved, or met with the constant refrain that the SBC could take no action due to its polity regarding church autonomy – even if it meant that convicted molesters continued in ministry with no notice or warning to their current church or congregation.

Our pastors have reviewed the summary of the report but have not yet read it in its entirety.  We will do so within the next day or so.  We did want to make our members aware of the report and encourage you to join your church elders in seeking the Lord during this time. 

This is a critically important issue for us, not primarily because we are a Southern Baptist church, but because we are a New Testament church, a local assembly of the Bride of Christ, a local gathering of Christ’s sheep, over whom he is our Chief Shepherd.  Jesus invited all who are weary and burdened to come to him for health and rest (Matt 11:28-29).  We have a responsibility to shepherd and lovingly care for those for whom our Savior died and rose again to give eternal life, hope, healing, forgiveness and grace.   We have a special responsibility to those who have and are suffering because of sexual abuse. 

We want to encourage you to familiarize yourself with the report.  Do so by reading it yourself instead of relying on random posts, tweets and social media responses.  At least read the first section that summarizes the contents.  As James commands, we should “be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (Ja 1: 19).   This is a volatile and sensitive topic.  Emotions will run high for all involved. 

The issue of sexual abuse prevention and response protocol has been a topic of much discussion within our Elders for the past several months. We require all our leaders and all those who are involved in our children and student ministries to go through specific training regarding sexual abuse prevention, recognition and response.  If you have not done so, please complete your log-in process so you can take the training.  If you’ve begun the training, finish it.  All our members are encouraged to sign up for ministry grid and participate in this training.  This report on the SBC only strengthens our resolve to be well equipped and well trained so we can glorify our Lord as we serve those under our care. 

If national statistics apply in our church (which they certainly do), the probability is very high that there are those in our fellowship who have been wounded and scarred through the sin of sexual abuse.  Please don’t carry that burden alone.  Christ came to change the lives of the captive and oppressed (Lk 4:16-21).  If you are a victim of sexual abuse, please know you will be heard, believed and loved as we seek to minister to you and your family.   

For far too long the cries of the victims were ignored and silenced.  Now they are being heard, and we must be still and listen.  

SBC leaders who were trusted betrayed that trust and now must answer for that. 

The public response to this report will be loud, strong and very critical.  It should be.  There is sin in the SBC camp.  We must own it and address it biblically and faithfully. 

The 2022 meeting of the SBC will be held in June in Anaheim Ca. It will be a difficult and historic meeting.  Please pray for all who will attend and participate in this meeting. 

Pray for God’s mercy and healing as well as his justice and righteousness.