For Such aTime as This blog
June 19, 2019
Cheryl Summers is the founder of For Such A Time As This Rally. Cheryl is a domestic abuse and sexual assault survivor. She has spent most of her life as a Southern Baptist, and while she continues to be a person of deep faith, she left the Southern Baptist Convention five years ago due to concerns about abuse of all types within the denomination. Here are her remarks delivered at the 2019 For Such A Time As This Rally.
It seems like the Southern Baptists may have finally realized that the issue of abuse must be addressed, right? That’s what we’re hearing about what is taking place at the annual meeting. So, why are we out here today? Is this even necessary?
I want to read you a few lines from an SBC annual meeting resolution:
“RESOLVED, That we renounce individuals, churches, or other religious bodies that cover up, ignore, or otherwise contribute to or condone the abuse of children; and be it
“RESOLVED, That we … intercede on behalf of victimized children, asking God to … stop the cycle of abuse from repeating itself in another generation.”
(Full text of the resolution – including the reference to Lifeway training curriculum similar to the new Church Cares curriculum can be read at: http://www.sbc.net/resolutions/search/resolution.asp?ID=1173)
Sounds like those words were probably written recently, right? They weren’t.
These words are part of a resolution on abuse passed at the 2007 Annual Meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention held in San Antonio, TX.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.