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Was Russell Dion Lewis Listed in Southern Baptist List of Abusers?

Russell Dion Lewis, a former worship leader and assistant youth pastor at the Church by the Glades in Coral Springs, Florida, was found guilty of three counts of sexual battery and lewd and lascivious molestation of a child aged 12 to 15. In 2011, he was sentenced to 28 years in prison.

Southern Baptist Convention Sexual Abuse Helpline

Southern Baptist Convention 2022 Report

According to the Washington Post, a 300-page report was launched on Sunday, May 22, 2022. The file consists of terrible new information concerning specific abuse occurrences and clarify how denominational officials actively resisted abuse avoidance and reform for years.

Southern Baptist Convention leaders have announced a substantial and independent 3rd party examination that discovered that abusers were often neglected, forgotten, or even denounced by high-level congregation leaders from within this religious denomination of more than 16 million members. Moreover, it disclosed these leaders frequently deceived their very own members to keep them from knowing the widespread sexual misconduct.

Click to continue reading about the Southern Baptist Convention 2022 Report

A History of Dismissed Church Abuse

For almost twenty years, victims who were sexually assaulted sought to get in touch with the administration of the “SBC” regarding the pastors and church employees. Almost all of these reported events fell outside of the statutes of limitations, making it not clear just how many perpetrators were actually charged. According to the report, a super secret record was kept. Nonetheless, abuse victims’ cries for justice went unconsidered as leaders from companies and churches attempted to secure themselves instead of those who have actually been preyed on by sexual assault.

The report claims that a key Southern Baptist Convention official was credibly accused of sexual assault only one month after completing his two-year stretch as the convention’s president. Furthermore, Johnny Hunt, a widely known Georgia Southern Baptist preacher and senior vice president of the SBC’s missions arm, was credibly accused of abusing a fellow congregant at a 2010 getaway in Panama City Beach, Florida. The North American Mission Board president declared he was uninformed of the allegations prior to Hunt resigning on May 13. The report also names 3 prior presidents of the convention, a previous vice president, and the former head of the SBC’s administrative arm as prominent SBC leaders who assisted in covering and even encouraged known abusers.

Responsibility in the Baptist Church

Russell Moore, the previous head of the SBC’s policy arm, the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, mentioned ‘this is not all Southern Baptists, look at all the good we do.’ The Report shows a trend of stonewalling, retaliation, intimidation, and coverup.” He anticipates this document will bring much-needed reform and hold those accountable for their actions.

The report alleges that a leading Southern Baptist official was credibly implicated of sexual assault only 1 month after completing his two-year spell as the convention’s president. The report likewise names three previous presidents of the convention, a former vice president, and the previous head of the SBC’s administrative arm as renoun SBC leaders who aided in covering up and actually encouraged believed sexual predators.

To learn more about resources available for survivors in Florida, visit this page: https://abuseguardian.com/sexual-assault-lawyer/florida/sex-trauma-therapist-fl/

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