INDIANAPOLIS — A top leader at the Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting urged fellow Baptists to drive sexual predators out of the churches.
Morris Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s executive board, told more than 7,200 church representatives meeting here Tuesday that preventing sexual abuse in the church is the responsibility of local congregations.
“One sexual predator in our midst is one too many,” Chapman said. “Our denomination and our local churches must condemn publicly this vile act.”
The executive committee announced Tuesday it would not create a national database of Baptist ministers accused or convicted of sexual abuse. The church representatives — called messengers — asked the committee last year to consider creating such a database.
“The convention has no ecclesiastical authority over local churches,” Chapman said.
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