A federal investigation will look into the largest Protestant denomination’s response to abuse, following a bombshell report commissioned and released by the Southern Baptist Commission (SBC) in May.
The SBC Executive Committee confirmed on Friday that the Justice Department “has initiated an investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention, and that the investigation will include multiple SBC entities.”
The general counsel for the Executive Committee (EC)—which oversees day-to-day business for the convention and was the subject of the SBC’s own abuse investigation—said the EC has received a subpoena, but no individuals have been subpoenaed at this point.
The SBC and its entities have committed to cooperating with the investigation.
A statement signed by the presidents of each SBC entity and seminary referred to their involvement as part of their ongoing commitment to transparency and abuse reform.
“While we continue to grieve and lament past mistakes related to sexual abuse, current leaders across the SBC have demonstrated a firm conviction to address those issues of the past and are implementing measures to ensure they are never repeated in the future,” it read.
An independent investigation by Guidepost Solutions into the EC, released in May 2022, found that over the past 20 years, its leaders had compiled a secret list of more than 700 abusive pastors, mishandled allegations, and mistreated the victims who asked for help.
The investigation, which cost over $2 million, spanned 330 interviews and five terabytes of documents collected over eight months.
Hours before the EC confirmed the Justice Department …
THIRTEEN LIVES recounts the incredible true story of the tremendous global effort to rescue a Thai soccer team who become trapped in the Tham Luang cave network during an unexpected rainstorm. Faced with insurmountable odds, a team of the world’s most skilled and experienced divers — uniquely able to navigate the maze of flooded, narrow cave tunnels — join with Thai forces and more than 10,000 volunteers to attempt a harrowing rescue of the twelve boys and their coach. With impossibly high stakes and the entire world watching, the group embarks on their most challenging dive yet, showcasing the limitlessness of the human spirit in the process.
Many times when we hear the word “idol” we think about people or tangible things in our lives. Perhaps we’re intentionally or unintentionally “bowing” to the fame, power, or influence of another person. Or, maybe we’ve amassed wealth and fortune like the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:21) and our “stuff” has a grip on our focus and reverence.
What issue(s) do your family and friends know YOU for?
I had a part-time job, along with my full time. I’d worked there for a little over two years when the pandemic began. Like most jobs, my hours were cut and with it already being part-time, you can imagine what it looked like at that point. I stayed until the beginning of this year and decided that I couldn’t make it work. It was costing me more to go to work than I was actually making and I was getting used to working solely from home. 
The Stellar TV launch will be hosted by Marc Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, the nation’s largest historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization. Marc Morial is also a leading advocate for the growth of Black-owned television networks and a leading voice on the national stage in the battle for jobs, education, housing, and voting rights equity. The formal announcement will take place on July 15, during an invitation-only press announcement event during the Stellar Gospel Music Awards weekend of taping in Atlanta, Georgia.
However, we are only seeing what they want us to see. We are seeing a condensed highlight reel (if you will) of their lives that reflects the good moments, the highs, and the mountaintop experiences. Rarely do we see the valley experiences, the lows, or the dry places of a person’s life on social media. Generally, no one wants to talk about that or show that to the world.
