Southern Baptist Convention Takes Stand on Sexual Abuse

Morris H. Chapman, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee, declared at the SBC annual meeting that sexual predators in churches must be “reported to the proper law enforcement authorities and charged with their heinous crimes.” Chapman went on to say: “One sexual predator in our midst is one too many.” Source

While the Southern Baptist Convention has rejected a sex-abuse database, they at the same time are adopting alternate measures and education. View the SBC web site for more information on these landmark developments, and this document on sexual abuse in particular. Also note the SBC’s Resources for Sexual Abuse Prevention.

Chapman made many notable remarks, including this one:

“We must determine that when we know someone is a sexual predator, we will expose him and bring charges against him for his crimes, whether he is a pastor, a member of the staff or a member of the church,” Chapman continued. “We cannot stand by and refuse to stand up against these vile criminals and allow them to practice their evil deeds.” Source

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Rymer Case Settled

Date Published: 6/10/2008
Publication: Pokrov

Subject to court approval, the lawsuit against the former Archimandrite Michael Rymer and the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco has been settled. The complaint in this case had alleged that Fr. Michael sexually abused a mentally incompetent man.

Since the plaintiff in this case is an adult with a disability, any compromise of the claim must be reviewed by a judge. A hearing for this purpose has been scheduled for August 5, 2008.

Fr. Michael was defrocked at the request of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America on December 11, 2006. According to court documents filed on January 16, 2007, he resides at the St. John of Shanghai Monastery in Manton, California. This monastery belongs to the Orthodox Church in America, and its abbot is Archimandrite Jonah Paffhausen.