The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) Credentials Committee has established an online submission portal for reports of a church’s alleged departure from Southern Baptist polity, doctrine or practice.
The new portal is available at SBC.net/credentials. The form may be used to report concerns related to a church’s handling of sexual abuse, racism and various other pertinent issues. However, Credential Committee chair Stacy Bramlett said suspicions of recent or current sexual or other forms of abuse should be reported to law enforcement officials.
“The duty to investigate such crimes falls to law enforcement,” she said. “Our committee has no investigative authority or power.”
Messengers to the 2019 SBC Annual Meeting established the Credentials Committee to receive reports of a church’s suspected departure from Southern Baptist polity, doctrine or practice and to make recommendations to the SBC Executive Committee (EC) regarding the possible disfellowship of churches from the SBC.
Bramlett said the committee’s deliberations will remain strictly confidential. However, recommendations, when needed, will be reported by the Credentials Committee at SBC EC meetings, which are held in February, June and September. The Credentials Committee also will notify churches and submitters of the status of church inquiries throughout the Credentials Committee inquiry process.
For more information about the responsibilities and procedures of the Credentials Committee, go to tabonline.org/credentials-committee. (Baptist Press)
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