Was Franklin Leroy Wray Listed in SBC Abuse Investigation Report?
Franklin Leroy Wray was a former music minister at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Texarkana, Texas. He pastored churches in Texarkana, Hooks, Simms, and Atlanta, among other places. Wray pled guilty and was found guilty on all 19 counts of indecency with a child. In 2010, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison. His sentences for 19 felony charges will run concurrently as part of a plea agreement.
Southern Baptist Convention Report
According to the Washington Post, a 300-page report was released on Sunday, May 22, 2022. The report consists of horrible brand-new details regarding certain abuse instances and sheds light on how denominational authorities actively disapproved abuse avoidance and change for decades.
Southern Baptist Convention leaders have revealed a substantial and independent 3rd party examination that discovered that abusers were often ignored, forgotten, and even criticized by upper-level church representatives from within this religious denomination of larger than 16 million individuals. Furthermore, it revealed these leaders typically deceived their very own members to avoid them from being aware of the widespread sexual wrongdoing.
Click to read more on the Southern Baptist Convention Report
A Past of Ignored Abuse
For almost two decades, victims who were sexually abused sought to reach out to the administration of the “SBC” concerning the preachers and congregation staff members. Just about all of these revealed incidents fell beyond the statutes of limitations, making it unclear how many abusers were in fact charged. According to the report, a secret record was kept. Nevertheless, survivors’ shouts for fair treatment went unnoticed as leaders from churches and organizations attempted to secure themselves instead of those who have actually been taken advantage of by sexual abuse.
The report declares that an essential Southern Baptist leader was credibly implicated of sexual assault merely 1 calendar month after completing his two-year term as the convention’s president. The report also names 3 prior presidents of the convention, a former vice president, and the former head of the SBC’s administrative arm as noted SBC leaders who assisted in covering and even encouraged thought abusers.
One victim recounted being treated with hostility as she claimed she was sexually assaulted by a youth pastor. The implicated pastor served in numerous Southern Baptist churches in numerous states. At a conference with the SBC leaders in 2007, a member of the Executive Committee “turned his back to her during her speech and another chortled.”
Responsibility in the Southern Baptist Convention
Russell Moore, the former head of the SBC’s policy branch, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, mentioned ‘this is not all Southern Baptists, take a look at all the good we do.’ The report demonstrates a pattern of stonewalling, coverup, retaliation, and intimidation.” He desires this report will deliver much-needed reform and hold those accountable for their horrific actions.
The report asserts that a principal Southern Baptist official was credibly implicated of sexual assault only one month after completing his two-year spell as the convention’s president. The report also names 3 prior presidents of the convention, a former vice president, and the previous head of the SBC’s administrative branch as notable SBC leaders who aided in protecting and also motivated suspected abusers.
He hopes this report will bring along much-needed change and hold those accountable for their misconduct.
To learn more about resources available for survivors in Texas, visit this page: https://abuseguardian.com/sexual-assault-lawyer/texas/sex-trauma-therapist-tx/
Abuse Guardian for Texas
Comments for this article are closed.