My greatest challenge is actually the church right now
— Hannah-Kate (@freedomsbride) October 11, 2021
As a longtime leader in the SBC, Rainer also received a reply from Hannah-Kate Williams, a sexual abuse survivor and advocate for abuse victims in the Church, particularly within the SBC. Williams responded below Sam Rainer’s joking reply about an obscure baseball rule that factored into a recent MLB playoff game, saying, “My greatest challenge is actually the church right now.”
Williams recently filed a lawsuit against SBC Executive Committee (EC), EC committee members Rod Martin and Mike Stone, Lifeway Christian Resources, and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. According to the suit, Williams’ father, James Williams, was a student and employee of the seminary and was also an employee at Lifeway during the period of time he was abusing her.
Sam, who is Rainer’s son, a pastor, and the president of Church Answers, replied to Williams, “Yes, and I’m so sorry.”
Church leaders’ responses to Rainer’s tweet were wide-ranging, and many of their challenges are significant. Nevertheless, some are managing to stay encouraged. Steve Myers said, “I absolutely, at this point in time, can’t think of one. Our church is ALIVE, flourishing, in one of the fastest-growing areas in the nation and God is doin (sic) great things! Baptisms, giving and new church members and volunteers are all on the rise. Praise the Lord!”
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Read all the responses to Rainer’s question in the tweet thread below.
Pastors and other church leaders: What are one or two of the greatest challenges you are facing?
— Thom Rainer (@ThomRainer) October 11, 2021
