Was Bernard Squires Named in Southern Baptist Abuse Report?
Bernard Squires, pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Columbia City, Indiana, was charged with child pornography distribution. He pleaded guilty to the charge of child pornography distribution and was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison.
Southern Baptist Abuse Database
According to the Washington Post, a 300-page report was released on Sunday, May 22, 2022. The document contains horrifying brand-new information relating to certain abuse circumstances and sheds light on how denominational authorities actively fought abuse prevention and change for many years.
Southern Baptist Convention leaders have actually announced an extensive and independent third-party investigation that revealed that abusers were frequently ignored, forgotten, and even condemned by high-level congregation representatives from within this religious denomination of larger than 16 million members. Furthermore, it revealed these leaders frequently deceived their own members to stop them from knowing the flagrant sexual misbehavior.
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A Story of Ignored Misconduct
The report stated that a key Southern Baptist leader was credibly implicated of sexual abuse merely 1 calendar month after finishing his two-year term as the convention’s president. The report likewise names 3 previous presidents of the SBC, a former vice president, and the previous head of the SBC’s administrative arm as prominent SBC leaders who assisted in covering and even encouraged presumed abusers.
One victim detailed being treated with animosity as she claimed she was sexually abused by a youth pastor. The implicated pastor served in numerous Southern Baptist churches in several states. During 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 SBC
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 Report demonstrates a trend of stonewalling, coverup, retaliation, and intimidation.” He anticipates this report will deliver much-needed reform and hold those liable for their sexual assault.
The report claims that a key Southern Baptist leader was credibly implicated of sexual assault merely one month after finishing his two-year stretch as the convention’s president. The report also names three prior presidents of the convention, a previous vice president, and the former head of the SBC’s administrative division as renoun SBC leaders who aided in covering and actually motivated thought sexual abusers.
For more information about resources available to survivors of sexual abuse in Indiana, visit our page: https://abuseguardian.com/sexual-assault-lawyer/indiana/sex-trauma-therapist-in/
Abuse Guardian for Indiana
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