Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Worse to have a woman

The Georgia Baptist Convention has disfellowshipped the First Baptist Church of Decatur, Georgia.

Why?

Because the church has a woman serving as pastor. Her name is Julie Pennington-Russell. (That's her in the photo.)

Apparently the Southern Baptist principle of local church autonomy just goes out the window when a church indulges the “sin” of having a woman in the pulpit.

It’s only for “lesser sins” . . . like indulging clergy child molesters and cover-uppers . . . that local church autonomy really matters. Then it’s all up to the local church and whatever they do or don’t do is just fine.

Who they “call” as a pastor and who they keep as a pastor is up to the church . . . so long as it’s not a woman.

Heck . . . they can even keep a reported clergy child molester. At least he’s not a woman.

With reported clergy child molesters, the Baptistland view is like the Billie Holliday song: “Ain’t nobody’s business.” It’s solely a matter for the local church, and the denomination simply turns its back.

So here’s the reality of how it works in Baptistland. It’s worse to have a woman than . . .

  • A pastor who kept quiet about a minister’s admission to sexually abusing his young son, and with that sort of pastoral example, at least 10 more church staff people also knew and kept quiet.
  • A former California Southern Baptist Convention president and still-prominent pastor who said he “erred on the side of grace” when he kept quiet about a deacon’s molestation of children in his church.
  • An Illinois Baptist children’s home director who urged no prison time for a Southern Baptist pastor convicted of sexually abusing a teen in the church.
  • A former Arkansas Baptist State Convention president and still-prominent pastor who urged leniency and no prison time for a Southern Baptist minister who sexually abused dozens of adolescent church boys.
  • An Oklahoma Baptist director who did nothing when a former Southern Baptist pastor got a job at an independent Baptist church, despite holding a letter in which the man admitted to sexually abusing a kid.
  • A Texas minister who kept quiet about another minister’s sexual abuse of a kid, while allowing the minister to move on to work in children’s ministry at other churches . . . and he said the minister’s abuse of the kid was “consensual.”

  • A still-in-the-pulpit Texas pastor whose best defense to an accusation of having sexually abused a church girl was to say “I did not have sex with her when she was 16 or under.”

  • Texas church leaders who gathered a $50,000 “love offering” to send their pastor on his way after he admitted that “proper boundaries were not kept” and paid “hush money” to try to silence the report that he had abused a 14-year-old church girl.

  • An Arkansas pastor who, when confronted with accusations about a staff minister’s abuse of a boy, quietly accepted the accused minister’s explanation that “it was a one-time run of bad decision-making.”

  • A former Florida Baptist convention president and still-prominent pastor who harbored a clergy child molester on his staff, apparently without checking with his prior church employer who knew (or else the prior church didn’t tell), and who later “put on trial” a church secretary who reported sexual harassment by church staff.

  • A Texas denominational director who acknowledged keeping a confidential file of ministers reported by churches for sexual abuse, specifically “including child molestation,” but who failed to warn people in the pews.

  • A Florida pastor who, according to news reports and a “smoking-gun” tape-recording, “knew for years” that the church’s founding pastor was a pedophile and participated in covering it up.

  • A Texas Southern Baptist church whose officials “said nothing” when other churches called for references even though their former staff minister had been twice-reported for sexual abuse.

  • A former Southern Baptist president and still-prominent seminary president who, while head of a Baptist college, turned his back on numerous college girls and young women who tried to report the sexual abuse and assaults of a pastor whom the president was mentoring.

In none of these instances was there any sort of denominational rebuke, much less any denominational action.

The reason for denominational do-nothingness? “Local church autonomy.”

But oh gee whiz . . . let a congregation hire a woman pastor, and a shout goes up from the Baptist hordes: “Oust them!”
___________________

For those of you who might be interested, Miguel De La Torre, professor at Iliff Theological Seminary, provided an enlightening history in quotes of the church’s “anti-woman legacy.”

Update 11/20/09: “Does the SBC respect local church autonomy or not?” by Wade Burleson, Associated Baptist Press, 11/20/09.

57 comments:

Joe Blackmon said...

I am 100% in favor of FBC Decatur being disfellowshipped. That being said, in cases where a church has kept on staff a known sex offender or someone who covered for them, the SBC should also bring discipline against that church.

Anonymous said...

Women and children are not respected in the SBC.

The SBC is dead. It is just they have not gotten the memo yet. Notice how pharisetical they are: They strain at gnats and swallow camels. The outside of the cup is clean the inside dirty.

They have the blood of little children on their heads. Millstones for them all who have worked so hard to protect and coddle the sexual perverts that go from SB church to SB church....

..the organization is evil and those who support it with money to perpetuate this evil are assessories to it.

Jim said...

Christa, please send your post to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It was brilliant. Maybe they will use it as a front page news article and not just a religion story below the fold on an inside section of the paper.

Any organization that claims it cannot act to discipline churches who call and maintain child rapists, because of local church autonomy, but can blithely "disfellowship" a church that calls a woman to be its pastor, is exercising a demonic double standard. There is nothing holy or Godly about that kind of reasoning. It can only come from people who are deceived by the very core of evil in the world. I can't find one scripture to support maintaining pedophiles in pulpits while removing courageous Christian servants who happen to be female. Besides, the men who claim females are not qualified to be pastors fail to read the Bible in context...they just spout the old party line based on some verses most often attributed to Paul. Those teachings simply recognized the practices of that era and did not reflect the counter-cultural practices and teaching of Jesus. If we call our selves Christians, lets take our cues from the Christ of the Gospels. 1st and 2nd century prejudice has a long shelf-life.

By the way, Joe, on which Gospel references do you base your "100% in favor" opinion? I really want to see what Jesus (not Paul) said about the issue of women in positions of spiritual leadership...so, lay it on me.

gmommy said...

But they haven't yet,Joe.They have had many opportunities to practice "pure religion" by protecting those who cannot protect themselves.As a whole,the SBC has forgotten the lesson of the good Samaritan and what Jesus taught us in the way he met and loved the woman at the well.
Why do we continue to teach our children those lessons in Sunday School if the leaders of the churches and the denomination don't believe them enough to live them out. It's not near as complicated as it has been made to be. In my opinion, the Bible is very clear on those things. There is not near the support in the Bible for the SBC to continue to exist or for protecting the jobs of ministers....even if it is their own job.
When will "men of God" really trust God to provide for them and have the courage to care for the wounded and hate sin and hypocrisy??
The energy and resources are there to do right by predatory ministers (we love when we don't ignore sin)and to those who have been victimized and lives shattered by "men of God".
How horrible that no time was lost to disfellowship this church with a female minister but ministers who have been credibly accused(or those who have confessed to sexual sin and even others where there is knowledge a minister is preying on the innocent) stay in the pulpit for years and years and leave a trail of victims?? Where is the rush to disfellowship them or those churches???? \
Isn't a minister who is a sexual predator at least equally as sinful and against scripture as a female minister????
We have no choice but to believe that the business of preserving the SBC and it's "top dogs" in the lifestyle they have become accustomed to (once with my tithe dollars helping) is more important to "men of God" than the life of one child or already wounded young person or adult.
Is this the lesson Jesus taught us?

Joe Blackmon said...

What Paul said was as authoritative as what Jesus said, thank you very much. He was "moved by the Holy Spirit [and] spoke from God." II Peter 1:21 Therefore, what He wrote was God's word, not his opinions.

gmommy said...

"Besides, the men who claim females are not qualified to be pastors fail to read the Bible in context...they just spout the old party line..."

And the very ones deciding who is qualified for the ministry are not qualified themselves by their hearts of stone to the "least of these". Where is the love?
All else is noise to God without love for the weak and the wounded.
What is the point in these ministers using tithe/missions dollars to go to some other country and make themselves look noble in the pictures they show when they return? They are blind to the bleeding people in their own churches and other Baptist churches....other than those with female ministers.

Anonymous said...

That's really, really sad. She looks like a fine, humble and trusting servant of God. She seems lovely and these brutes in the SBC disfellow the church like this?! This is so wrong!

Anonymous said...

Joe Blackmon - You strain at gnats and swallow camels.

And you're brutish and arrogant, too.

Anonymous said...

Christa, I agree that your post is right on. It is logical, to the point, clear, and accurate.

Joe, words can not even begin to express what I feel about your comments. The sad thing is you are so blind and so clueless about it.

Jim said...

Joe, thank you for responded as I expected you would. Using your rubric for inspiration, any "man" preaching as they are "moved by the Holy Spirit," could claim their sermons are Holy writ. That has nothing to do with inspiration of scripure, it is usurping the position of Jesus; Paul never claimed that. I believe in the inspiration of scripture, but God forbid that I ever ascribe the same level of value or authority to the words of Paul as to those of Jesus. If you interpret the Bible in light of the life and ministry of Jesus, you strengthen the text. If you interpret Jesus, in light of the biblical texts, you supplant the Word of God (Jesus) with words of God. Big, big difference. When you let that genie out of the bottle, one can use the Bible to justify or rationalize almost anything. When Jesus is the fail-safe, our faith and theology is safe. It will not be conformed to the prejudices of any age or any group...Southern Baptists or otherwise.

Christa Brown said...

Preach it, gmommy! Your words are well-spoken and wise.

"The SBC has forgotten the lesson of the good Samaritan. . . Why do we continue to teach our children those lessons in Sunday School if the leaders of the churches and the denomination don't believe them enough to live them out?"

"And the very ones deciding who is qualified for the ministry are not qualified themselves by their hearts of stone to the 'least of these'. . . They are blind to the bleeding people in their own churches and other Baptist churches....other than those with female ministers."

Christa Brown said...

Jim: Just to let you know . . . I took your advice and sent this post to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a guest column submission. I'm not optimistic that it will actually make print but I decided to send it anyway. Thanks for the nudge.

Unknown said...

Joe
I agree with you 100% in that cases where a church has kept on staff a known sex offender or someone who covered for them, the SBC should also bring discipline against that church.
Do you believe they should disfellowship those churches? I do!

Anonymous 2:47 I agree women and children are not respected in the SBC. I mean, in several individual churches we still are, but in other churches we are not, and by a lot of denominational leadership we are not. And the funny thing is, I can see now that it is possible to be a complimentarian and still respect women and children - I know several men who are complimentarians and do respect women and children - but somehow the SBC has stopped respecting women and children under the name of complimentarianism.

Unknown said...

Christa,

The name on this entry in your blog really made me go "hmmm." Worse to have a woman - you know, that's exactly what some Baptists think. I'm really wondering if I want to stay in the SBC. But I do like my church, my technical ministry, and my son is actually going to church. So I'm really thinking, and wondering...

Christa Brown said...

Elisabeth: In the Miguel De La Torre article that I linked at the bottom of the posting, he asked this question: "Why would a smart, gifted woman be attracted to a Christianity defined by men attempting to preserve and justify their patriarchal authority?"

It's a question that I think everyone has to figure out for themselves, but I certainly think it's good that you're going "hmmmmmm."

gmommy said...

Thy Peace,
Will you please give the link for Wade's most recent post? Thanks:)

Ramesh said...

Grace and Truth to You [Pastor Wade Burleson] > The Dismissal of FBC Decatur: When Does a Convention Become a Cult?.

Joe Blackmon said...

Joe, thank you for responded as I expected you would. Using your rubric for inspiration, any "man" preaching as they are "moved by the Holy Spirit,"

Actually, no one with any sense would claim that. The church has recognized that the canon is closed and sense closing no further scripture has come forth. We have 66 books. That is all. Period.

it is usurping the position of Jesus; Paul never claimed that.

It most certainly is not usurping the position of Jesus and Paul most certainly did put his teaching on par with Jesus. I Corinthians 7:12 is Paul teaching and in saying "I, not the Lord" he meant "Jesus didn't speak to this issue but I speak to it now and because I am an apostle it is authoritative". Sorry that offends your delicate sensiblities. The truth that scripture is inerrant and inspired IN THE WHOLE OF THE TEXT and that some parts are not more inspired than others is a tough pill to swallow when you don't want to submit to the whole of God's revelation. My advice--suck it up and get over it.

You're welcome.

Joe Blackmon said...

Do you believe they should disfellowship those churches? I do!

I wasn't clear. By "discipline" I meant "disfellowship". Sorry.

John said...

Christa,
Thank you for saying so well whaat I have tried for years to express. If it was not such a serious problem the response seen here would be funny. I find it amazing how we will gladly jump up and fight over a first century debatable issue but will refuse to get involved with a twentieth first century undebatable sin in the church.
The actions of so many toward the issue of women pastors reminds me of a group of boys building a tree house and proudly posting the sign "No Girls Allowed" outside the door. It is so easy to argue over what Paul said and ment since he is not hear to answer for his statements. But to refuse to act on a serious vio;atioon of clear Scripture as the one concerning child abuse is hardertto explain. There are a lot of so called Church Leaders who need t climb down from their "tree house" religion and begin to walk the earth and deal with the real issues facing so many.
The church can and will act when they believe there is a problem. The problem as I as I see it is the church just does not believe there is even a problem taking place.
Thanks again for your leadership.

Christa Brown said...

"There are a lot of so called Church Leaders who need to climb down from their 'tree house' religion and begin to walk the earth and deal with the real issues facing so many."

That's sure the truth . . . and I really like that expression -- "tree house religion."

Jim said...

Joe, thanks; I expected that, too. You are so wise, and so well-versed in Biblical interpretation, please explain Galatians 3:28. What does "all one in Christ" mean? Seems to me you believe males possess more "oneness" than do females. Perhaps you would like to give an opinion on Acts 2:17-18? What, exactly, are those "daughters" and "handmaidens" supposed to do. Might it be...,PREACH. Somehow, I thought that was a responsibility of a pastor.

Anonymous said...

Joe - sure wish the church would "discipline" you! We, as the church, could use less to none of you and more truly humble, loving servants of Christ.

Joe Blackmon said...

please explain Galatians 3:28. What does "all one in Christ" mean? Seems to me you believe males possess more "oneness" than do females. Perhaps you would like to give an opinion on Acts 2:17-18?

Sorry, Jim-Bob. You signed away your right to appeal to any scripture outside of words in red in the day you decided "Not everything in the Bible is Scripture and not all Scripture is equal". So, mainstreamer, don't you DARE appeal to something outside of the gospels after making such heretical, non-senseical claims as you have made ni this comment thread. You don't have the right.

Christa Brown said...

Another question from the Miguel De La Torre article:
"How might our faith have developed differently if the church had chosen instead to take St. Paul at his word that in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female?"

That's basically an implied reference to Galatians 3:28.

Joe Blackmon said...

Christa,

That does not mean there are no distinctions but rather that salvation for all is through Jesus Christ regardless of who the person is. The point is not that there is no distinction but that those distinctions do not help or hinder a persons salvation.

Jim said...

Joe, you are really good at repeating that which others DID NOT say in the first place. Show me where I said: "Not everything in the Bible is Scripture and not all Scripture is equal." Didn't happen! That may be what you, in your biblical insecurity think I said, but that is not what I said. I did say Jesus is the "Word of God" but the Bible is "words of God." I did say we "usurp" the authority of Christ when we treat Paul as an equal voice. I gurantee you, you do not believe all the Bible equally. Please do not play fast-and-loose with truth. You even like to "name" folks with whom you disagree...what the heck is a "mainstreamer," anyway? If that is someone who strives, daily, to "love the Lord, thy(my) God with all thy(my) heart, with all thy(my) mind, with all thy(my)soul and with all thy(my) strength, and love thy(my) neighbor as thyself(myself)"...count me guilty. I will gladly bear that name. However, you may be disappointed to know that I am a conservative Baptist...long employed by one of the SBC mission organizations. I just happen to believe God, not men, sends the Holy Spirit upon servants and calls them to ministry...male and female. The Bible supports that: in the life and ministry of Jesus, in Old and New Testament texts, and even in the teachings of Paul. The issue here is why does a denomination claim "local church autonomy" in one arena, but not another. Looks like unbiblical, sexist bigotry to me. We don't need to continue this on Christa's site, out of respect to her readers. However, I would love to continue to dialogue with you via another format.

gmommy said...

Joe,
Sorry you are being "picked on" in this thread. Many who comment on this blog have been deeply wounded by God's Word being twisted to suit their agenda and/or by a twisted person claiming to be God's man.

Do you think what comes across as insensitivity on your part for our core issue here helps or hinders a person's salvation or the cause of Christ?
What scripture teaches concerning women and the ministry is being debated on many blogs.
There is no question that scripture teaches against the sexual abuse of another.
There is no question scripture teaches that sin should be brought out into the open.

The SBC has the power and zeal to kick a church out for having a female minister.This is a "gnat" when compared to the lives of those who are violated by Baptist clergy everyday.
The SBC says they have no power over "autonomous churches" when it comes to kicking clergy sexual predators out of the ministry. That's a camel.
Do you think using autonomy this way helps or hinders the cause of Christ?

FBC Jax Watchdog said...

Great article, Christa!

No matter where one falls on the view of women pastors, they can't get around the absolute hypocrisy in disfellowshipping over a church being led to call a woman pastor, and not taking any action whatsoever against churches will pedophile preachers, or those that harbor them.

Keep beating the drum, Christa!!

Lydia said...

What Paul said was as authoritative as what Jesus said, thank you very much. He was "moved by the Holy Spirit [and] spoke from God." II Peter 1:21 Therefore, what He wrote was God's word, not his opinions.

November 18, 2009 3:16 PM

The problem is that Paul did not say what you think he said. A whole false doctrine has been built around one word: Authenteo. And it does not mean "authority". It means to dominate, murder, kill.

So, the entire Bible from Gen to Rev is translated to fit a wrong premise about women. (such as 'creation order' to prove hierarchy before the fall!)

They even teach that that living out the sin of the fall is virtuous for women! It is downright insidious!

Lydia said...

The point is not that there is no distinction but that those distinctions do not help or hinder a persons salvation.

November 19, 2009 11:07 AM

A pink and blue Christianity. So, the belief is if you stay in your 'role' (which is pretending to be something) then you can be saved. It always turns into a works salvation. The 'roles' are: Men on top, women under them.

Anonymous said...

Joe Blackmon said...

Sorry, Jim-Bob. to appeal to any scripture outside of words in red in the day you decided "Not everything in the Bible is Scripture and not all Scripture is equal". So, mainstreamer, don't you DARE appeal to something outside of the gospels after making such heretical, non-senseical claims as you have made ni this comment thread. You don't have the right.

Joe's comments sure smell like ecclesiastical bullying. I'll ask without the very macho capital letters. Here's the question: Who are you, seriously, to tell someone they have the right or don't have the right to express anything? You're a piece of work, buddy. Sorry, can't really use the expression "brother" here.

Jim said...

Christa, I feel I must apologize to you for initiating an off-trget discussion with Joe. Gmommy, I don't feel like I'm being picked on at all; I've enjoyed the discussion...way too much. In the beginning I actually thought he and I might have a rational, give-and-take conversation that would add something to the topic Christa presented. Sadly, that seems never to be possible with individuals who use hermeneutical gymnastics to confirm their prejudices, or name calling to make themselves feel bigger or better. I will not continue that exchange here...it takes away from the focus of the blog and that is too important to be sidetracked. The issue of women in ministry is a vitally important topic for discussion...just not here. Perhaps Joe and I can continue our conversation in another, more appropriate forum. Anyone got a suggestion? You know, I can't figure out why he insists on calling me Jim-Bob; I almost called him Joe-Blo, but that didn't seem right.

Christa Brown said...

Jim: No apology needed. I get sidetracked myself sometimes.

But one thing for sure . . . when someone starts telling me about the meaning of scripture and its application, I tend to trust a person who carries a measure of doubt more than I trust a person who claims 100% certainty. As gmommy points out, many of us on this blog have been deeply wounded by those who twisted God's word to suit their own agenda or by a twisted person claiming to be God's man. We've already seen how so-called men of God can be capable of using God's word as a weapon and can do so with a voice of certainty, and we've paid a heavy price for that knowledge.

And whatever anyone may think about women pastors, "it is a 'gnat' when compared to the lives of those who are violated by Baptist clergy everyday." Yet, with this huge camel, Baptist leaders claim they are powerless. And their own actions show the absolute hypocrisy of their claimed powerlessness.

Anonymous said...

As a former GA Baptist, the "Good Old Boys" would answer the autonomy question by saying, "The church is autonomous and so is the GA Baptist Convention."

Jim said...

Amen, Sister! You're a Saint. No kidding; you are doing God's work and I am confident God will reward your efforts: Baptist pedophile clergy and church leaders will be identified and children will be protected. I doubt that will happen because of SBC leadership, but in spite of it.

gmommy said...

I'm kinda freaked out by the link you gave, Christa.(De Le Torre).
If God really created us to be like all those "men of God" were quoted as thinking then why didn't He just make us all like Stepford wife robots??
Why waste all those brains if we were really just to be obedient and mindless?? Something is really wrong with men to feel such disrespect for us.
Were all those guys from the South?? :):)

john said...

gmommy,

"were all those guys from the south?"

Now now. I had more difficulty pastoring in the north when it came to women abuse, putdowns, and desiring to keep themtheir place tha I did in the south. I agree with what you said but must challenge your regional bias.

gmommy said...

Hey John,
That's KIND OF a joke with me about the South. But the handful of Northern Christians I know...particularly a Presbyterian minister...aren't a part of the "God made Eve from Adam so women aren't made in the image of God" kind of mentality.It's refreshing!

I'm sure you have a bigger picture of how the Christian society operates. I used to think it was more the old school, uneducated , insecure men who thought women should serve their every desire....but I know now it's bigger than that. I understand why so many people get discouraged and turned off by church people.
I wish the church could be the refuge and sanctuary it should be. Glad you are out there!!!

john said...

gmommy,
I knew you would understand my point. This is a refreshing blog to be a part of. I love everyone who signs on to make a difference. Keep on just a thinking.

Joe Blackmon said...

So, the belief is if you stay in your 'role' (which is pretending to be something) then you can be saved.

No, I don't believe that at all, Lydia. For instance, I believe JPR is wrong in her belief that she can be a pastor. However, I'm not saying she or any woman is not saved for not staying in any role. I do disagree with her, but salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ for men and women, plus nothing/minus nothing. I don't think there is such a thing such as pink or blue Christianity.

Joe Blackmon said...

The problem is that Paul did not say what you think he said.

Now, I can respect this. You know I don't agree with you but what you're saying is a FAR cry from "The words of Paul are not as inspired or authoritative as the words of Christ". We disagree on interpretation, not inspiration and inerrancy. And since, thanks to you, I have had to come to an acknowledgement that egal does NOT equal theological liberal, I can say "I agree to disagree with you". But you're still a hate-monger!!! (Inside joke--she knows I'm not calling her a hate monger)

Joe Blackmon said...

And whatever anyone may think about women pastors, "it is a 'gnat' when compared to the lives of those who are violated by Baptist clergy everyday."

I totally agree.

gmommy said...

Thank you Joe!:)
I'm curious...this isn't one of your "regular blogs". Have you always been concerned about the issues of clergy sexual abuse? Or is this something you've become more aware of recently and want to know more about? Just want to see if Lydia is really a hate monger?? :) (teasing!!!!)

Joe Blackmon said...

gmommy

I just happened to have read about Christa's story and have read a few of the blog posts. I think raising awareness of this sort of thing is important. It just sickens me that someone would do that to another person but it sickens me more that there are folks who let it go unpunished.

gmommy said...

Well then Joe, YOU are definitely not a hate-monger:)
I wish more people would face this ugly elephant. We wish we didn't have to!
It seems like there hasn't been much progress since I was a kid and that is really sad. It was a HUGE blow when I realized I had raised my children in a place where they were not valued or safe.It was a HUGE blow when I realized Christian men would lie and deflect to cover for the wrong they should have been broken hearted and sickened about.
I understand how hard it is to process and grasp this evil. But how many lives will be altered FOREVER before we have the courage to be uncomfortable and hate this sin enough to stop it??

Lydia said...

"Now, I can respect this. You know I don't agree with you but what you're saying is a FAR cry from "The words of Paul are not as inspired or authoritative as the words of Christ". We disagree on interpretation, not inspiration and inerrancy. And since, thanks to you, I have had to come to an acknowledgement that egal does NOT equal theological liberal, I can say "I agree to disagree with you". But you're still a hate-monger!!! (Inside joke--she knows I'm not calling her a hate monger)"


Believe it or not guys, Joe and I are buddies. And, yes, Paul's Words are Inspired!

And thank you Joe, for understanding that a bigger problem is serious sin in the camp with all this sexual perversion in our churches being ignored and even coddled by some of our very own SBC celebrities.

Your fellow hatemonger egal, Lydia

Christa Brown said...

"...but it sickens me more that there are folks who let it go unpunished."

And those "folks" include the Southern Baptist Convention officials in Nashville, the Georgia Baptist Convention, the Florida Baptist Convention, the Baptist General Convention of Texas, the Oklahoma Baptist Convention, the Illinois Baptist State Association, etc. etc. etc. Those "folks" include the highest-level officials at ALL of the statewide Baptist conventions and also at the national convention. And those "folks" not only "let it go unpunished," but they also leave the reported clergy child molesters in positions of trust in the pulpit, without any warning to people in the pews and without even so much as conscientiously looking into abuse reports. They leave the weapon of trust in their hands. Basically... they do nothing.

It's not Christian. It's not compassionate. It's not decent. It's not humane.

But it's Baptistland.

Jim said...

Christa, thanks for the courageous, on-target words in your last post. It occurs to me that the same interpretative methodology used by to teach deference to oppressive government in the 18th century American colonies and prop-up slavery in the mid 19th century, is identical to that used to deny women full participation in the Holy Spirit's call today. When men of ecclesiastical influence use that methodology to "prove" God created women inferior to men and children to be arrows in some self-righteous quiver, women and children should be cautious..., very cautious at church. They will be neither protected from clergy predators nor defended by those who pretend to be shepherds. In the warped minds of these leaders, God does not command it.

An Admirer of Christa's work. said...

Christa~

I am a single woman in my early forties, someone who loves Jesus Christ and I am a great admirer of your work. My heart grieves for what you went through and for countless others that you speak out for. It makes me physically ill.

I enjoy reading your blog. You articulate the truth brilliantly. Do you have ANY IDEA the courage you give countless others to stand up through what you do? I would love to send you a personal email of thanks, but I have not been able to find an email address for you. I'm not comfortable with from public forums, but just want you to know my deep appreciation. The paradoxes that you uncover of the SBC are crystal clear. One of my favorites was the blog you did on the parallels of the Hollywood pedophile director and the SBC.

I believe your work is a mission outreach to the Church ordained by God and I am eternally grateful.

Blessings and gratitude.

Suzanne

John Doe said...

If there is one thing I've learned in my 40 years, it is that often-times women have it together much more than many men.

Most men are about power which often clouds their thinking and results in the wrong decisions being made.

Listen to women more often and I would bet that the world would be a better place..

John Doe

Ramesh said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Christa Brown said...

Suzanne: Thank you for your encouragement. You can email me at this address: christa[at]stopbaptistpredators[dot]org

Anonymous said...

Christa, after reading all this I couldn't help but ponder what Jesus would do if he walked into the churches of today and how the religious leaders would react. I bet a lot of these religious leaders would crucify him all over again because they don't stand for true justice. Anyway, that's my thought.

LUCID TEXAN said...

I love your writing style and are how carefully you lay out valid points.

You cross examine and expose the lies like a female Perry Mason.

As a victim myself that has seen a lot it is amazing to me how some still just don't get it. The reason varies. And some do not want to get it.

You just cut right to the point. Your fierce!

And I agree, this should be in the newspapers!

Oh what the heck......YOU GO GIRL!!!

Jeri said...

I shared this on Facebook

Christa Brown said...

Thanks, Jeri!