An Epidemic Of Sexual Abuse Within Independent Fundamental Baptist Community In an explosive investigative report, investigators at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram have unearthed hundreds of sexual abuse accusations against church leaders within the independent fundamental Baptist community. For one, they lack a unified presence since individual churches largely operate on their own. one person sharpens another. It was hard to believe that these people actually cared about me. But thats not necessarily what people hear, Bauder acknowledges. The above are Satanic and Criminal. One is left to wonder whether this series is in fact motivated by a desire to profit from the popularity of the #MeToo movement, perhaps for the sake of self-preservation. "It really took me by surprise," said Anne, who thought she was going on vacation. Previously, Kelsey had been a good student, but was sent away because she began "getting involved in the wrong crowd," according to Maddox. Thirdly, I think much of the division among Independent Baptists stems from the way some churches handle sexual improprieties. Off the top of my head, Dr. Cedarholm opposed Gothard among other thingsbecause: Sorry, my chapel notes are buried in thegarage. This episode of Quick to Listen is brought to you in part by Christianbook.com, where youll find great Christmas gifts for everyone on your list. Movement. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? The Texas newspaper reported that at least 45 pastors who faced allegations remain in leadership. Thousands have survived the group that harmed me. "We thought it was a safe place to go and we wouldn't have to worryWe trusted our church.". Now, I think she actually believes it.". Yesterday, at 4 p.m. eastern time, the Southern Baptist Convention released a comprehensive, independent report of its executive committee's response to decades of sex-abuse allegations. The preacher as "man of God" teaching, the emphasis on authority and control, the lack of openness by . We should not be surprised, for instance, if the LDS church is eventually exposed for covering up sexual misconduct among the bishops and elders. Historically it has meant a firm belief in the fundamental doctrines, that is to say, the essential doctrines of the Christian faith and an insistence that you should only extend Christian fellowship to people who profess to believe the gospel. said Kevin Bauder, a research professor of systematic theology at Central Baptist Theological Seminary and the author of a two-part volume on Baptist fundamentalism. You see, legalism adds human rules to divine laws and treats them as divine. To my knowledge Mr Hobby Lobby has never issued a confession or request for forgiveness for being involved with such a Satanic Ministry. Like the millions of others around the country who need to read these stories, they wont be able to unless they subscribe to a newspaper hundreds of miles from where they live. You had to fend for yourself.". ", Tresler died of a drug overdose on March 17, just weeks after this interview. For a sense of what this second-degree or double-separation means, think of Bob Jones dismissive definition of an evangelical: Someone who says to a liberal: Ill call you a Christian if you call me a scholar. But if we address it openly, honestly, and with as much candor as possible, we can turn one of Satans lemons into some purely refreshing lemonade that glorifiesGod. When a spiritual leader or a church refers a fallen pastor to another church, it is fair to blame those who knowingly referred him. I was surprised that out of the thousands of Independent Baptist Churches across America, the Star-Telegram could only identify 187 who were involved in sexual misconduct. Proof in the pudding that these churches spread across the US are still a cult and will repeat history. I gasped and held my breath. However, as I understand it. Independent fundamental Baptist, or IFB, churches have come under harsh criticism in the past for their allegedly authoritarian beliefs and practices. The school was run by Lester Roloff, an independent fundamental Baptist preacher who broke from the Southern Baptist Convention in 1954 and founded a series of reform facilities, known as Roloff Homes, for what he called, "parent-hating, Satan-worshiping, dope-taking immoral boys and girls," according to a 2000 investigative report in Texas Monthly. And this is my objection to the series. If the article is so wrong in some ways why do these Pastors leading these churches still carry a flame for Jack Hyles. "We do not tolerate child abuse of any form," said August Rosado, a spokesman for Roloff Homes. Anne left the school in January, but said the punitive approach left her with no self-worth and anxiety attacks so bad she cannot breathe. I would have guessed more. Our efforts are ongoing.". None of us are really happy with that label these days, because of the connotations it carries now., (Perhaps one way to see it could be as the inverse of historian George Marsdens remark: An evangelical is someone who likes Billy Graham.). O n Sunday, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram published a four-part series on more than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct affiliated with the independent fundamental Baptist movement . At least twice, I have been contacted by pulpit committees who learned that I had information they needed to know. The SBC . Baptist. If a man fouls up morally in independent Baptist circles, he will find it very difficult to get another church.. Although there are different ideas about how it should be structured, every spiritual leader needs genuine opportunities for fellowship, transparency, and accountability.. I Am Jesus Christ Invites Gamers to Play God, Died: George Verwer, Who Asked Christians Are You Ready To Go?, Died: Charles Stanley, In Touch Preacher Who Led with Stubborn Faith, My Church Band Raised a Hallelujah on Netflixs Beef, Complete access to articles on ChristianityToday.com, Over 120 years of magazine archives plus full access to all of CTs online archives. I would be surprised if a few scandals havent been glossed over in the Boys and Girls Clubs. "They told us it was a place that helps girls grow in their Christianity in a new life with Christ," she said. BJU and its Leadership needs to refrain from associating with questionable people like Mr Green and refrain from making any judgements on any non Christians or Christians short of a mass murderer orsomething. Campbell said McNamara was in charge during that period. He said he was familiar with most of the cases discussed in the recent news report. Qualifications schmalifications. Just last year in Hiland Park, Fla., police removed 17 children from Heritage Boys Academy, a military school that taught fundamental Christian doctrine, arresting three, including the pastor, and shut down the facility. Independent. "We've been allegated on like most faith-based places and investigations have had no findings to the allegations," he said. I find this duplicitous. What does this say to the gals BJU has harmed in the past. A gay act is between consenting adults. Way way way off topic; it strikes me that it would be interesting to know a little more about how, why, and when Maranatha decided to part ways with Bill Gothard. The school moved to Missouri in 2007. But the people of our church were not in any way ashamed of our handling of the case, mainly because we handled it. Few of our faith traditions are in the position to cast stones, but all of us need to be aware and take action.. It strikes me, reading Pastor Mallinaks old blog posts and such, that he has indeed separated from some of the things he grew up with. Yet there is also remarkable consistency among independent Baptists. Which means that the church will be turning a blind eye to things like sexual impropriety. ", "Each entry in this list reminds us of the devastation and destruction brought about by sexual abuse," they said. It must never be tolerated or condoned.. I can see a place for both arguments, whichever way theyredescribed. Thank you for taking the time to check out Solid Rock Independent Baptist Church. As for Gothard, Dr. Cedarholm every year brought an anti-Gothard message inChapel. But these folks were seen as a little bit too much by most of the people in the church, whose kids got to choose places like Philadelphia College of the Bible or Northeastern Bible College. There were girls with some major issues who should have been in a place that helped them and giving them tools to have social skills. Ministry-related abuse damages the name of Christ and damages hearts, lives, and spiritual growth of the victims.]. Maybe we are guilty of not doing enough vetting of people who we invite into our churches or institutions or become involved in theirprograms. A list of abusers released by the church included leaders in Independent Fundamental Baptist churches, a loose-knit patchwork of churches within the Baptist faith, like Harvest Baptist,. IFB Doctrine: The Baptist Distinctives IFB Churches: Patriarchy in Church Polity (Part One) IFB Churches: Patriarchy and the Leading Lady (Part Two) IFB Churches: Patriarchy in Marriage (Part Three) IFB Churches: Patriarchy and Keeping at Home (Part Four) IFB Churches: Patriarchy and Sexual Obedience (Part Five) Enter your email address: We hope that you will visit us during one of our regularly scheduled services. Humbleness and no judging anyone. That, in turn, gives Pastor Mallinak the opportunity to say well, heres what we did when we found out about his use of (?) We reported his crime to the authorities and insisted that he fully cooperate with law enforcement. I pity any newspaper reporter, even one who wants to be objective and fair, who tries to understand the difference between a self-identified IFB guy and a GARBC pastor in Iowa. Instead of learning from the Bible through proper exegesis and interpretation, they develop their beliefs and then find scripture to support those beliefs. Welcome to His Majesty's Service, the homepage of Ambassador Baptist Church. We were in that same space somewhere between fundamentalism and CT-style evangelicalism that Jerry Falwell Sr. found himself in. Smith referenced abuse scandals among independent Baptists and others in an article earlier this year, urging leaders to immediately report allegations to authorities and remove the accused from positions of influence while cases undergo investigation. "This has been a living nightmare," Maddox, who subsequently called the attorney general with her consumer complaints about deceptive marketing. I neglected to speak of the many pastors who are unconverted, having prayed the prayer but never repented and thus never experienced true conversion. You can learn more at startchurch.com. Other Christians who were once, or who would once have been, clearly a part of the fundamentalist camp Al Mohler, Ken Ham, David Barton, etc. Hundreds of Sex Abuse Allegations Found in Fundamentalist BaptistChurches, Fea wrote, following the Star-Telegrams report. "I was taught the exact opposite of that in the home. As they described the abuse they suffered and the way the school districts (through UPPAC) shuffled the offenders around to other districts and concealed the cases in their files, I found myself looking around to see if there were any Catholic priests in the room. To the contrary, we must take this seriously. When Hyles was looking for support he offered to buy the school a new Greyhound, Bud turned himdown. BJU has lost their position of moral authority for a time before the non Christian and Christian world. The Duggar family, so much in the news lately, are Independent Fundamental Baptists (IFB), a loosely affiliated, singularly cultish denomination of Christian fundamentalists. When the news media showed up at my door, I answered their questions. Please dont misunderstand me on this point. As for Anne, she said she is now seeing a counselor and said she, too, has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress. Shellnut also draws on Messiah College historian John Feas description of these independent fundamentalist Baptists, so lets turn to that. Dozens of abusive pastors had multiple victimsone raped 11 girls in his congregationand several had abused children as young as 7 years old. In such instances, we are reminded of the need for an awakening of conscience as to how these issues are dealt withboth in the removal of those who no longer meet biblical qualifications for ministry and in the aid, counsel, and comfort of those who have been taken advantage of. Once, she said she was forced to do hundreds of push-ups and failed. These other distinctions, distinctives and emphases all serve, in varying degrees, as proxies for that.). Id say to a pointyes. I agree that the article is somewhat unfairlooking through the listings, about six appear to be things not closely related to the ministry of the churchbut it strikes me that, given that the writer is passionate about these things, it could well be a gift that could result in other journalists coming by and asking questions. A few years ago, I sat in on an Education Committee hearing in the Utah House of Representatives. All that does is hurt BJU and show the non Christian world nothing has changed and supports the news article which is the topic of this thread. This bit from John Fea is particularly helpful: While neo-evangelicals read periodicals likeChristianity Today, fundamentalist Baptists read John R. RicesThe Sword of the Lord. Despite the lack of formal denominational ties or hierarchy, the Star-Telegram described systemic, widespread abuse in independent fundamental Baptist churches, noting Bible college networks and pastor friendships tie leaders together. On IndependentBaptist.com, a site sharing articles from Jack Hyles as well as more contemporary leaders, various posts critique contemporary worship, defend the KJV-only approach, offer strategies for soulwinning, and explain why they dress up for church. After she returned home with her school books, Maddox said only 18 pages had been completed in three months. "She is doing terrible," said her mother. ABC's 20/20 Exposes IFB Abuse, In the News. "We have nothing to hide. The central role of white supremacy explicit and implicit in the independent fundamentalist Baptist movement deserves more study and more insight than I can easily provide. The Star-Telegram claims to have uncovered over 400 cases of sexual misconduct on the part of Independent Baptist Churches. You can contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline online by selecting "chat now" or calling 1-800-799-7233. Those recommendations will then be presented for a vote in Anaheim. Whether we like to admit it or not, a large part of the hyper-separatism among Independent Baptists has stemmed from the fact that some of the biggest names among Independent Baptists have routinely turned a blind eye to the moral failures of other pastors or demanded this for their own indiscretions. Independent fundamental Baptist churches include those loosely affiliated in fellowshipsmore common in the Northas well as those whose pastors may share particular networksmore common in. However, certain characteristics have been known to be promoted by many of these organizations. Troubled teens often don't speak up for themselves, said another activist, Michele Ulriksen Tresler, who wrote a book, Reform at Victory Christian Academy," chronicling her own experience at the IFB school. New Beginnings began as the Rebekah Home for Girls in Corpus Christie, Texas, in 1968, but was shut down by the state in 1985 after numerous investigations of abuse and its refusal to submit to state licensing. Careers Workplace and Religion Columnists, Recreation Outdoors and Religion Columnists, Religious Music and Entertainment Columnists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, special report on sexual abuse and cover-ups in independent fundamental Baptist churches across the country, Hundreds Accuse Independent Baptist Pastors of Abuse, Hundreds of Sex Abuse Allegations Found in Fundamentalist BaptistChurches. "You have to treat them humanely.". "Our task today is to tell people who no longer know what sin isno longer see themselves as sinners, and no longer have room for these categories that Christ died for sins of which they do not think theyre guilty." Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. Gothard is a classic example. Another girls parents stood in front of their Connecticut congregation to acknowledge their daughters sin after she was abused by her youth pastor, beginning at 16. Perhaps the most well-known Independent Fundamentalist Baptists today are the Duggars, the quiverfull family made famous by the reality show 19 Kids and Counting. "They are called liars because they are labeled rebellious teenagers," said Tresler. Just last year in Hiland Park, Fla., police removed 17 children from Heritage Boys Academy, a military school that taught fundamental Christian doctrine, arresting three, including the pastor, and shut down the facility. On Sunday, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram published a four-part series on more than 400 allegations of sexual misconduct affiliated with the independent fundamental Baptist movement. It is everywhere, in every denomination, and its reach has derailed and even destroyed the lives of its believers. Survivors and advocates have long called for a public database of abusers. Catholics and Fundamentalists need to clean their house. "I was so achy it hurt," said Anne. Hunt has disputed the allegation, saying in a statement that he has "never abused anybody.". If you're unfamiliar with the beliefs and practices of the Independent Fundamental Baptists, some of them are: The King James Version is the only true Word of God; all other translations of the Bible are the work of the devil. No one is above falling in sin, but thats no excuse.. Is that too simplistic? "I cannot speak to any of those things -- the truth will be known.". Remove that variable from the equation and youll never arrive at the form or content of IFB fundamentalism as it currently exists. The school's mission also prohibits, "bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. As iron sharpens iron, They attended Bill Gothard seminars and proudly embraced that whole creepy business. (Not the liberal InterVarsity, mind you, Campus Crusade.). At least 45 of the alleged abusers continued in ministry after accusations came to the attention of church authorities or law enforcement. During the movements formation in the 1940s, and its growth in the decades following, voices such as Jack Hyles and Bob Jones contrasted with neo-evangelicals (think Billy Graham) as they remained committed to fundamentalism and separatism, Fea wrote. Fifteen years before, Schaaps predecessor and father-in-law Jack Hyles was sued, along with the church, for failing to protect a woman who alleged she was raped multiple times while attending Sunday school there, CT reported. I saw this firsthand as a teenager and young adult. Maddox, 42, said she was hesitant to believe Kelsey's claims of abuse at the school, but saw testimonies from former students that scared her. Congressman George Miller, D-California, introduced the Stop Child Abuse in Residential Programs for Teens Act of 2009 to establish minimum health and safety standards, but although the bill twice passed the House, both times it failed in the Senate. Having studied this group in particular, he provides some excellent background: The independent fundamentalist Baptist movement emerged sometime in the 1940s as an attempt to continue the legacy of the fundamentalist movement of the 1920s. Elizabeth Vargas' Yearlong Investigation into the Independent Fundamental Baptist Church Airs Friday, April 8 Try to imagine the pain and humiliation of a teenage girl, just 15 years old, who says she was forced to stand in front of a New Hampshire church congregation and confess her "sin" of being pregnant. The Star-Telegram included in its count churches where alleged abusers had served before or after alleged abuse occurred because the allegations could affect the congregants. But, so do evangelicals, wrote the Billy Graham Centers Ed Stetzer and Laurie Nichols in a response to the Star-Telegram report. According to the article How the Star-Telegram Investigated Sex Abuse in Fundamental BaptistChurches,. Mark Chappell did not comment for the Texas papers story. Star-Telegram executive editor Steve Coffman and investigative reporter Sarah Smith discuss the new series, Spirit of Fear, about allegations of sexual abuse in independent fundamental Baptist . She said toilet paper and sanitary pads were rationed, despite Anne's urinary problems after the rape. The series of articles claims to have uncovered hundreds of cases in nearly 200 different churches. Gothard taught they get four chances to repent. The federal government, however, has shown concern about teen residential programs -- not all of them faith based -- and has pushed for more regulation. Fifthly, I marvel that the institution with the most influence over todays youth, our public-school system, has thus far remained relatively untouched by scandal. When in the 1940s and 1950s former fundamentalists such as Billy Graham, Carl F.H. While all IFB churches aren't abusing and covering up abuse, they do nevertheless share a propensity for it. Arent you in the same circles? The answer, of course, is a resounding, NO!!. But what is the independent fundamental Baptist movement? But as to the issue, yes, there has been a serious failure to defend our churches against predator pastors. Until Mr Green makes a very public repentance Martin of his involvement with Bill Gothard and denounces Gothard Mr Green saying anything about abortion and gay marriage in the public forum is a joke. And I doubt that the YMCA is all that clean either. Executive Committee leaders Rolland Slade and Willie McLaurin, in a joint statement, called publishing the list "an initial, but important, step towards addressing the scourge of sexual abuse and implementing reform in the Convention. ", His lawyer Jay M. Kirksey later responded by email, saying the Maddox family were "bias[ed] and lacking credibility.". It is an issue for many religious groups. Way way-way off topic; it strikes me that it would be interesting to know a little more about how, why, and when Maranatha decided to part ways with Bill Gothard. Get your act together, Star-Telegram senior staff. "You can't deprive kids of food and water," one Democratic aide to Miller told ABCNews.com. Campbell had grown up in foster care, but went to live with her sister, who was a recent IFB convert.
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