Executive Committee decides against abuse database

Recognizing Southern Baptists’ “belief in the autonomy of each local church,” Morris Chapman announced that the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) Executive Committee would not support the creation of a database of sexual offenders in SBC churches.

“Southern Baptists believe that the local church in New Testament times was autonomous, and thus our local churches are autonomous,” the president of the SBC Executive Committee said in his address to messengers at the SBC annual meeting in Indianapolis.

The matter of a sex offender database was referred to the committee at last year’s SBC annual meeting in San Antonio. Oklahoma pastor and former International Mission Board trustee Wade Burleson requested a feasibility study for such a registry “in order to assist in preventing any further sexual abuse or harassment” in Southern Baptist churches, as stated in the motion.

However, in its report to messengers, the Executive Committee noted, “it would be impossible to assure that all convicted sexual predators who ever had a connection with a Baptist church would be discoverable for inclusion on such a list.” The report also stated that a Baptist-only database would likely omit sexual offenders coming to SBC churches from other denominations.

The committee recommended SBC churches access the U.S. Department of Justice’s national sex offender database.

“The convention’s role is to encourage, empower and educate local churches as to how to best do their local work to protect our precious children,” Chapman said.

In other Executive Committee-related business, messengers:

• Presented Billy Kim of Korea with the Distinguished Baptist Statesman Award. Kim is the immediate past president of the Baptist World Alliance. The citation cited Kim’s leadership in world evangelism and encouragement for Baptist bodies around the world.
• Approved the 2008–2009 SBC operating budget, which included a line item for Global Evangelism Relations (GER). When asked about the item from the floor, Bob Rodgers, Executive Committee’s vice president for Cooperative Program (CP) and stewardship, called GER a new initiative born out of the SBC’s withdrawal from the Baptist World Alliance in 2004. Rodgers said the initiative’s goal is “to continue to develop relationships and fellowship with Baptists around the world.”

Chapman later introduced former SBC President Bobby Welch as strategist for GER. Welch called the initiative an “iron-clad demonstration” of the SBC’s obligation to make “global relationships for the future.” He also emphasized that the new program is not intended to interfere with the work of the North American Mission Board or International Mission Board. GER “will always have a view to be a complement and encouragement” to both entities, Welch said.

• Approved a recommendation to encourage all SBC entities, churches and new church plants to involve, engage and create more ministries for people with disabilities.
• Approved a 2008–2009 CP allocation budget of $205,716,834, an increase of more than $5.1 million from the current budget.
• Approved three future convention sites: Nashville in 2013; Baltimore in 2014; and Nashville again in 2019.

Next year’s annual meeting will be June 23–24 in Louisville, Ky. (Editor’s Network)