The Southern Baptist Conference Govt Committee has appointed Jeff Dalrymple to steer its lately created division on combatting and stopping sexual abuse inside the denomination.
Dalrymple, the previous government director of the Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention and a Southern Baptist, will start his position as head of the division instantly, in accordance with Baptist Press, the official information organ of the SBC.
SBC EC President Jeff Iorg highlighted Dalrymple’s previous work combatting abuse as a cause for his choice.
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“Jeff has developed a broad understanding of issues related to sexual abuse prevention and response,” said Iorg, as quoted by the Baptist Press.
“Prior to his service at ECAP, he served as a vice president at Southern Seminary for nine years and with the Kentucky Baptist Convention for two years. He understands how to work with and among Southern Baptists — including our polity and denominational structures.”
In response to the information, Dalrymple posted on X that he was “honored to serve Southern Baptists to help protect kids and to respond to abuse rightly.”
In 2022, Guidepost Options launched an intensive investigation report concluding that SBC leaders mishandled sexual abuse allegations in opposition to church buildings, engaged in intimidation of victims and resisted efforts to make church buildings safer largely with a purpose to keep away from authorized legal responsibility.
Later that 12 months, the U.S. Division of Justice opened an investigation into the SBC concerning the allegations, with which the conference vowed to cooperate. The DOJ determined to not file any costs in opposition to SBC officers for lack of proof, The Tennessean reported in March 2024.
Final Could, the DOJ filed a cost in opposition to former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary evangelism professor and provost Matthew Queen, accusing him of falsifying information associated to the investigation of the varsity’s dealing with of abuse allegations.
A civil lawsuit was filed in 2023 in opposition to the Govt Committee and a number of SBC member congregations, accusing them of violating the Racketeers Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed their grievance final Could.
In September, the SBC EC voted to create a division devoted to tackling and stopping sexual abuse inside member congregations. The choice got here in response to a vote on the SBC Annual Assembly in June, which known as for the creation of a everlasting entity for intercourse abuse response and prevention.
“We have had two task forces that have done difficult and hard work,” Iorg informed committee members on the time. “But it’s time to stop talking about what we’re going to do and take an initial, strategic step of action that puts into place an administrative response to this issue.”
“Well bless their hearts.”
