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'What I Did Was Wrong': A Southern Baptist Leader Apologizes for Dismissing Sexual Abuse Allegations

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A top Southern Baptist figure says he regrets supporting a leader who reportedly ignored and covered up numerous allegations of sexual misconduct directed at members of his own church. 

Al Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., told The Houston Chronicle he was wrong to stand behind C.J. Mahaney, the former president of Sovereign Grace Ministries, now known as Sovereign Grace Churches. 

Mahaney is currently the senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church in Louisville, Ky. He and his former organization were sued in 2013 by 11 people for allegedly covering up sexual abuse allegations. The lawsuit was dismissed because of the statute of limitations. 

After the accusations came to light, Mohler and other leaders released a statement calling Mahaney a "friend" and citing his "personal integrity." 

It's a statement Mohler now regrets. 

"I believe in retrospect I erred in being part of a statement supportive of (Mahaney) and rather dismissive of the charges," Mohler said. "And I regret that action, which I think was taken without due regard to the claims made by the victims and survivors at the time, and frankly without an adequate knowledge on my part, for which I'm responsible."

Mohler also apologized for making light of the allegations saying he should have called for a thorough investigation. 

"What I did was wrong and caused hurt to the victims and survivors who felt that their experience had been trivialized and dismissed," Mohler said. "And I grieve that, I apologize for that, it was wrong. I would never make such a comment again."

He added, "I should have said nothing until I had heard from those who were victims and who were making the allegations. I should have sought at that time the advice and counsel of agencies and authorities who were even then on the front lines of dealing with these kinds of allegations."

Mohler's comments come at a time when an investigation by The Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News revealed serious sexual abuse problems across Southern Baptist churches.

According to the article titled, "Abuse of Faith," in the 10 years since 2008, "more than 250 people who worked or volunteered in Southern Baptist Churches have been charged with sex crimes."

The article states that over a period of 20 years, sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Church left more than 700 victims.

After the report was published, Southern Baptist leaders called for a time of mourning and aggressive action against abusers. 

Southern Baptist president J.D. Greear said "the safety of victims matters more than the reputation of Southern Baptists" and said he suspects there are more victims who have yet to come to the light. 

"There can simply be no ambiguity about the church's responsibility to protect the abused and be a safe place for the vulnerable," Greear wrote in an article on his website. 

"But anger and grief, while appropriate responses, are not sufficient to protect victims. What can easily be lost in the size of these numbers, which are grievously large, is the tragic fact that they cannot be the whole story," Greear continued.

He also urged abuse victims to seek professional help from counselors.

Russell Moore, the denomination's president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, also called for disciplining churches that cover up abuse, deeming them "out of fellowship" with other churches.

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About The Author

Emily
Jones

Emily Jones is a multi-media journalist for CBN News in Jerusalem. Before she moved to the Middle East in 2019, she spent years regularly traveling to the region to study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, meet with government officials, and raise awareness about Christian persecution. During her college years, Emily served as president of Regent University's Christians United for Israel chapter and spoke alongside world leaders at numerous conferences and events. She is an active member of the Philos Project, an organization that seeks to promote positive Christian engagement with the Middle