Attendees pray throughout a worship service on the Southern Baptist Conference’s annual assembly in Anaheim, Calif., Tuesday, June 14, 2022. Jae C. Hong, Related Press
This text was first revealed within the State of Religion publication. Signal as much as obtain the publication in your inbox every Monday night time.
One of many largest faith tales of the summer season facilities on the Southern Baptist Conference, the nation’s largest Protestant group. In Could, the denomination launched a surprising report detailing leaders’ mishandling of a sexual abuse disaster. A month later, delegates on the group’s annual conference voted to enact some sweeping reforms.
Then, on Friday, a brand new twist arrived: Southern Baptist leaders confirmed that the denomination’s dealing with of the sexual abuse disaster is being investigated by the Division of Justice.
“The investigation will embrace a number of SBC entities. Individually and collectively every SBC entity is resolved to totally and utterly cooperate,” an announcement from the Southern Baptist Conference’s government committee stated.
One of many first questions that popped into my thoughts once I noticed information of the investigation was, “Has this occurred earlier than?” It appeared uncommon for the federal authorities to get so deeply concerned in church affairs.
I nonetheless don’t have a agency grasp of the authorized panorama, however, after doing a little analysis this weekend, I spotted that the Justice Division launched a really related investigation in October 2018, two months after a Pennsylvania grand jury launched a bombshell report displaying that “greater than 300 Catholic clergymen in Pennsylvania had sexually abused youngsters over seven many years,” in response to The Washington Submit.
As a part of that investigation, the U.S. legal professional’s workplace in Philadelphia interviewed and picked up information from Catholic leaders throughout the state. Nonetheless, they weren’t capable of obtain a lot past that.
In its first two years, the investigation led to only a single arrest, The Related Press reported in 2020. Robert Brennan, a defrocked priest in his 80s, was “charged with mendacity to FBI brokers who confirmed up at his door,” the article famous.
Within the new investigation centered on Southern Baptists, it’s not but clear what sorts of costs the Justice Division is hoping to carry, as Christianity In the present day reported. However the assertion from the chief committee says that authorities are trying into a variety of entities tied to the church.
Contemporary off the press
The Division of Justice is investigating a church’s sexual abuse disaster
Suppose there’s no crying in baseball? Then don’t watch this viral Little League second
Why these NBA gamers spend the offseason taking part in in Jewish excessive colleges
Time period of the week: Lambeth Convention
The Lambeth Convention is a gathering of Anglican bishops from all over the world that occurs about as soon as a decade. The religion leaders concerned talk about what’s occurring of their a part of the world, speak via theological challenges and share suggestions and tips.
“For most of the bishops attending, it is a uncommon alternative to fulfill with their friends from all over the world, as they study from each other and share their ministry experiences,” the web site for this 12 months’s convention explains.
This 12 months’s Lambeth Convention passed off earlier this month in the UK and introduced collectively round 650 bishops, together with about 100 from the Episcopal Church in the US. “The convention, assembly for the primary time in 14 years, was purported to be an try and carry the Anglican Communion collectively,” Faith Information Service reported.
Nonetheless, a lot of the reporting on this 12 months’s gathering centered on battle, somewhat than reconnection. Articles, together with the one from RNS, highlighted the tense debate over same-sex marriage, which pitted extra liberal bishops from the West in opposition to extra conservative bishops from the World South.
In the long run, the group of religion leaders appeared to discover a method to conform to disagree.
“There was some motion on the willingness of the bishops to respect our variations however on the similar time maintain quick to our respective convictions. I feel that could be a wholesome factor as a result of for individuals to have the ability to keep in relationship with profound variations is a form of range. And we predict range is an effective factor,” stated the Rev. Michael Curry, presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, to Faith Information Service.
What I’m studying ...
Have you ever ever puzzled why few surveys from Pew Analysis Heart embrace the views of members of smaller religion teams, together with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Researcher Besheer Mohamed revealed a submit final week explaining the boundaries of Pew’s faith analysis.
Some Catholics most likely chortle once they hear about pop singer Britney Spears’ curiosity in Catholicism, however Jim McDermott takes it severely. In a latest column for America, he used the story of Spears’ curiosity in getting married in a Catholic Church to replicate on whether or not religion leaders are doing sufficient to accommodate sudden or uncommon requests.
I used to be delighted to see a narrative on “the gospel in response to Dungeons & Dragons” in Christianity In the present day final week.
Odds and ends
I forgot to share some excellent news final week: I’m a finalist in Faith Information Affiliation’s 2022 contest. So is my colleague Mya Jaradat!
You might need heard that tennis legend Serena Williams introduced that she’s retiring quickly. However do you know her “religious targets” performed a job in her resolution?