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Abuse Guardians
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Was Matthew McMurray Named in List of Southern Baptist Convention Abusers?

Matthew Allen McMurray, a counselor at Timberline Baptist Camp in Lindale, TX, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl in 2006, when he was 21.
He was released on parole in 2018 and is a sex offender.

Southern Baptist Convention Sexual Abuse Helpline

SBC Executive Committee Response To Report

According to the Washington Post, a 300-page report was launched on Sunday, May 22, 2022. The document consists of horrible new information concerning particular abuse instances and sheds light on how denominational authorities actively opposed abuse avoidance and reform for several years.

Southern Baptist Convention leaders have actually revealed an extensive and independent 3rd party examination that discovered that abusers were typically ignored, forgotten, or even condemned by high-ranking church representatives from within this religious denomination of larger than 16 million people. Moreover, it exposed these leaders typically deceived their own members to keep them from being aware of the widespread sexual misbehavior.

Click to continue reading about the SBC Executive Committee Response to Report

A Story of Dismissed Misconduct

Practically all of these disclosed incidents fell outside of the statutes of limitations, making it uncertain how many predators were really charged. According to the report, an internal list of abusers was kept.

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

Accountability in the Baptist Convention

Russell Moore, the previous head of the SBC’s policy arm, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, stated ‘this is not all Southern Baptists, take a look at all the good we do.’ The bombshell report demonstrates a pattern of stonewalling, retaliation, coverup, and intimidation.” He hopes this document will bring much-needed change and hold those accountable for their sexual abuse.

The document claims that a key Southern Baptist leader was credibly implicated of sexual abuse merely one month after completing his two-year stretch as the convention’s president. The report likewise names 3 prior presidents of the convention, a former vice president, and the previous head of the SBC’s administrative council as prominent SBC leaders who aided in covering up and also encouraged thought abusers.

He desires this report will bring along much-needed reform 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/

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