Terry McDowell Listed in Southern Baptist Abuse Report

Was Terry McDowell Named in the SBC List of Abusers?

Terry McDowell, pastor of Gateway Southern Baptist Church in St. Louis, Missouri, was convicted of child molestation of a 3-year-old victim in 2012. According to court and sex offender records, his 10-year sentence was suspended under a probation provision of Missouri law, and he was released after four months in jail and placed on five years probation. In Missouri, he is a registered sex offender.

Southern Baptist Convention Report

According to the Washington Post, a 300-page report was launched on Sunday, May 22, 2022. The report includes horrifying brand-new information concerning specific abuse circumstances and sheds light on how denominational authorities actively fought abuse prevention and reform for years.

Southern Baptist Convention leaders have revealed a comprehensive and independent 3rd party investigation that discovered that abusers were frequently overlooked, forgotten, and even criticized by upper-level congregation officials from within this religious denomination of larger than 16 million members. In addition, it revealed these leaders typically deceived their very own members to avoid them from knowing the unchecked sexual misconduct.

Continue reading more about the Southern Baptist Convention Report

A History of Dismissed Misconduct

Nearly all of these reported events occurred outside of the statute of limitations, making it uncertain how many predators were really charged. According to the report, a secret list of predators was kept.

The report alleges that a senior “SBC” leader was credibly accused of sexual assault merely one month after completing his two-year duration as the convention’s president. Furthermore, Johnny Hunt, a popular Georgia Southern Baptist preacher and senior vice president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s objectives arm, was credibly accused of assaulting a lady at a 2010 vacation in Panama City Beach, FL. The North American Mission Board president declared he was uninformed of the allegations prior to Hunt resigning on May thirteenth. The report additionally names 3 previous presidents of the convention, a former vice president, and the previous head of the SBC’s administrative arm as prominent SBC officials who aided in covering and even encouraged known abusers.

One victim outlined being treated with hostility as she alleged she was sexually abused by a youth pastor. The accused pastor served in several Southern Baptist churches in several states. At a meeting with the SBC leaders in 2007, a member of the Exec Council “turned his back to her during her speech and another chortled.”

Responsibility in the Southern Baptist Church

Russell Moore, the former head of the SBC’s policy branch, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, specified ‘this is not all Southern Baptists, take a look at all the good we do.’ The sensational report demonstrates a pattern of stonewalling, intimidation, coverup, and retaliation.” He desires this report will deliver much-needed change and hold those liable for their horrific actions.

For information about resources available to survivors in Missouri, visit our page: https://abuseguardian.com/sexual-assault-lawyer/missouri/sex-trauma-therapist-mo.