Justice Department investigates Southern Baptist Convention for alleged sexual abuse

The Southern Baptist Convention revealed this week that it is under federal investigation over allegations of sexual abuse within its ranks, with the denomination promising full cooperation with federal authorities during the case.

The SBC said in a press release that its Executive Committee has “been informed that the United States Department of Justice has initiated an investigation into the SBC that will include ‘multiple SBC entities’.”

“Individually and collectively, each SBC entity is resolved to fully and completely cooperate with the investigation,” SBC President Bart Barber said in the release.

Earlier in the summer the SBC had passed a resolution at its annual meeting in Anaheim in which it vowed to “hold accountable perpetrators of sexual abuse and those who seek to defend them, and care well for survivors of sexual abuse.”

The group in that resolution apologized for “not heeding [the] collective warnings [of sexual assault victims] and taking swift action to address clergy sexual abuse sooner.”