π€·π»ββοΈ Are the feds still investigating Southern Baptist sex abuse? That's a good question π
Conflicting reports emerge about the federal probe
By Bobby Ross Jr.
Good morning, Weekend Plug-in readers!
Since we last convened, we had Super Tuesday (the Biden-Trump rematch is all but set) and the State of the Union speech (abortion, immigration and the Israel-Hamas war were among key topics of interest for religious voters).
In other big news, the U.S. Department of Education fined evangelical Liberty University $14 million over campus safety issues, as noted by The Associated Pressβ Ben Finley, Christianity Todayβs Emily Belz and the Washington Postβs Susan Svrluga.
This is our weekly roundup of the top headlines and best reads in the world of faith. We start with the federal probe β is it over or not? βΒ into Southern Baptistsβ handling of sex abuse allegations.
What to know: The big story
Justice and victims: βFederal investigators closed the books on a year-and-a-half-long investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention's top administrative body that sought to determine whether leaders were criminally responsible for mishandling an abuse crisis in the nationβs largest Protestant denomination.β
That was the lede Wednesday afternoon on a seemingly major scoop by The Tennesseanβs Liam Adams.
The U.S. Department of Justice concluded its probe without charging any SBC leaders, Adams reported, quoting a top denominational official:
βOn February 29, 2024, counsel for the SBC Executive Committee was informed that the US Attorneyβs Office for the Southern District of New York concluded its investigation into the EC (executive committee) with no further action to be taken,β SBC Executive Committee interim president/CEO Jonathan Howe said in statement in response to a request for comment.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.
The SBC Executive Committee, comprised of about 20 staff and an 86-member board of elected representatives, manages denomination business outside of the SBC annual meeting. Howe did not comment on whether other SBC-affiliated agencies, called entities, are still under investigation by the DOJ.
Hours later, Adams updated his story with this note:
Abuse survivors Tiffany Thigpen and Megan Lively disputed Howe's characterization of the latest developments, echoing similar statements by other abuse survivors and allies on social media.
βWhat was reported today is inconsistent with the conversations we have had with the DOJ,β said Lively and Thigpen in a statement. βTodayβs news is another attempt to discredit and silence those that have been silenced in the face of SBC abuse.β
Why the confusion?: In a follow-up story Thursday, Religion News Serviceβs Bob Smietana delved into the differing statements.
Smietanaβs story, too, quoted Thigpen:
βThe lead investigator from the DOJ concerning this investigation was as surprised as we were by these reports. She answered both Megan and I immediately when we called (separately) and said the investigation is very much open and active,β Thigpen told Religion News Service in a text message.
Again, prosecutors declined to comment.
In regard to that, Christianity Todayβs Kate Shellnutt made an important note in her coverage Wednesday night:
The Justice Department has not publicly acknowledged or commented on the SBC investigation since it began. Federal grand jury subpoenas and proceedings β for better or worse β are shrouded in secrecy. To protect the accused and the integrity of the investigation, the government often doesnβt disclose who had been involved.
More crucial context β a big chunk of it, actually β from Shellnutt:
From the outside, it was never clear what federal statute Southern Baptists might have violated or how federal prosecutors might make their case, several experts told CT.
Thereβs a lot still unknown. Neither the SBC nor Justice Department officials have publicly specified the scope or focus of the inquiry, which dated back to August 2022. At the time, the Executive Committeeβs general counsel said the entity had received a subpoena but no individuals had been subpoenaed yet.
The Justice Department website says that child sexual abuse is βgenerally handled by local and state authorities, and not by the federal government.β Itβs unusual for federal investigators to get involved in clergy abuse, though they have examined abuse and cover-up by Catholic priests in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Orleans, starting in 2018.
So far, none have been charged under federal laws, such as those that restrict racketeering (RICO) or interstate trafficking (the Mann Act). Any possible federal penalty for Southern Baptist entities as part of the probe into abuse response would be the first of its kind.
So whatβs up exactly?: Here is Smietanaβs take:
Both sides agree that something has changed with the DOJβs investigation. They appear to disagree about what that change means. The confusion over the status of the DOJ investigation has strained the already tense relationship between abuse survivors and leaders of the nationβs largest Protestant denomination.
After this story was published, Baptist Press, an official SBC publication, published additional comments from the SBCβs lawyer.
βLegal counsel for the SBC has since confirmed that the investigation into the SBC as a whole remains open and ongoing,β Baptist Press reported.
Where, if anywhere, will that investigation lead? Stay tuned. And remember: Itβs complicated.
Power up: The weekβs best reads
1. On the lighter side: βNo twerking. No drinking. No smoking. But plenty of room for Jesus at this Christian nightclub.β
Thatβs the headline on an excellent Associated Press story featuring superb photos and video by the dynamic duo of Luis Andres Henao and Jessie Wardarski.
Still in the mood for something different? βWelcome to improv church, where God gets funny,β as told by the Washington Postβs Marisa Iati.
2. Faith and frozen embryos: Last weekβs Plug-in focused on Alabamaβs in vitro fertilization ruling, which was addressed this week by the stateβs lawmakers and referenced in President Joe Bidenβs State of the Union speech Thursday night.
At Religion News Service, Bob Smietana explores the deeply personal nature of IVF for infertile couples. Smietana looks, too, at the ethical issues raised by the Alabama ruling.
3. A tale of two movements: After disaffiliating from the United Methodist Church, traditionalist congregations are pursuing prayer, revival and revitalization, Christianity Todayβs Daniel Silliman reports from North Carolina.
Meanwhile, the United Methodistsβ pro-LGBTQ movement is eyeing its future after the conservative churchesβ exodus, as The Tennesseanβs Liam Adams details in an in-depth piece.
More top reads
Many Christian voters see immigration as a crisis, but they differ on how to address it, The Associated Pressβ Giovanna DellβOrto explains. β¦ Voucher expansion has led to more students, waitlists and classes for some religious schools, APβs Holly Meyers finds. β¦ Say hello to βDigital Pentecost:β AI lets Christian broadcasters βspeakβ in different languages, the Washington Timesβ Mark A. Kellner reports. β¦ A prayer app has turned to TikTok to find its flock, the New York Timesβ Madison Malone Kircher writes. β¦ The war is shifting ties between secular and ultra-Orthodox Israelis, according to the New York Timesβ Patrick Kingsley and Natan Odenheimer. β¦ A Jewish family, a famous European museum and the battle for a Nazi-looted masterpiece draw the attention of the Los Angelesβ Times Kevin Rector. β¦ The Islamic holy month will affect the routine of three Muslim basketball players at Brigham Young University, the Deseret Newsβ Jay Drew explains. β¦ And at the Wall Street Journal, Lance Morrow contemplates the modern view of hell: βHas the old idea, fire and brimstone through all eternity, gone out of business?β
Inside the Godbeat
The Washington Postβs Michelle Boorstein is moving from Metro to the National staff, but donβt worry: Sheβs not leaving the newspaperβs Godbeat, where she has excelled for 18 years.
A memo from top Post editors makes that assurance:
Michelle, one of the countryβs most distinguished religion reporters, will continue to chronicle faith in America, from the rise of religious nationalism to financial, political and sexual misconduct in powerful institutions. She is based in the Washington newsroom.
Congrats, Michelle!
Charging station: ICYMI
Here is where you can catch up on recent news and opinions from ReligionUnplugged.com.
Clemente Lisi highlights β5 Catholic churches to explore when visiting Ireland.β
Another intriguing headline at ReligionUnplugged.com: βGreasiness is next to godliness: Fast foodβs quest to feed body and soul during Lent and beyondβ by Matthew Peterson.
The final plug
Dead cattle. Burned homes. Scorched prairie.
The largest wildfire in Texas history made a mess of the Panhandle ranching town of Canadian. I traveled there this past weekend to report on the victims and helpers.
Happy Friday, everyone! Enjoy the weekend.
Bobby Ross Jr. writes the Weekend Plug-in column for ReligionUnplugged.com and serves as editor-in-chief of The Christian Chronicle. A former religion writer for The Associated Press and The Oklahoman, Ross has reported from all 50 states and 18 nations. He has covered religion since 1999.