A group of Alabama Baptist pastors have decided it is time to speak out on the issue of sexual abuse, assault, harassment and exploitation of women — and they are urging other pastors across the state to join them.
Daniel Atkins, pastor of Taylor Road Baptist Church, Montgomery, said, “We felt the need to speak to what is going on in our culture right now. … Any given Sunday, every single one of us (pastors) have men and women in our congregations who have been victims.
“If we don’t speak to it now, then we lose our credibility to speak to it in the future,” he said. “In this current climate of all these accusations that are flying around, we as the Church must be on top of speaking out to the issues that are relevant in culture.”
While the issue of sexual abuse and assault are not new, it has gained a new level of attention with current conversations taking place across the nation, he noted. “We felt it was necessary to provide a biblical perspective. We felt there needed to be a biblical worldview on what’s going in culture.”
John Brock, pastor of Highland Baptist Church, Florence, is one of the initial signers of the statement.
“I signed it because it is an issue that is very current in our culture,” he said. “It is an issue that demands … that we be salt and light, that we speak the truth of Scripture on the issue. … It is important that the Church let its voice be heard on issues that are going on in the culture right now.”
The statement was posted around 11 p.m. Nov. 15 and already has nearly 50 signatures. To read the full statement, click here.
Editor’s Note — Update on signature count — the number had reached nearly 100 on Nov. 20.
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