Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) president Bart Barber released a statement early Monday morning (Oct. 30) saying that he takes “full responsibility” for the amicus brief that was submitted to the Kentucky Supreme Court on behalf of several SBC entities earlier this year.
The brief argued against statute of limitations reform for sexual abuse survivors attempting to sue non-perpetrating parties who failed to report abuse.
The amicus brief, which was reported by Andrew Wolfson of Louisville Courier Journal last week, was filed on a case that no has connection to the SBC, the Executive Committee (EC), Lifeway Christian Resources, and Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS). Nevertheless, all four of entities were represented in the brief.
Barber, who is serving his second one-year term as the SBC president, said in his statement that he is glad he did not comment on the amicus brief as soon as he heard about, adding that if he had, he would have said, “What are you talking about? I don’t know anything about any amicus brief.”
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Barber went on to explain that while he initially didn’t remember signing off on the brief, he went back through his emails over the weekend and discovered that he had done just that.
“This is my doing. I approved it. I take full responsibility for the SBC’s having joined this brief, and this lengthy statement will help to explain the mistakes I think I have made,” Barber said.
“In saying that, I know that a lot of people are disappointed with me and angry,” he added, continuing:
I’m talking about friends I’ve had for two decades. I’m talking about survivors of sexual abuse for whom I have wanted to be an advocate. I’m talking about people I myself appointed to carry forward the SBC’s response to the Guidepost Investigation. A lot of people—a lot of friends and allies—are really disappointed with me today. I don’t have words to express how I feel about that.
Barber explained that he signed off on the brief on Aug. 9, 2022, and shared how busy he was when he agreed to it.
“The day before, on August 8, 2022, I announced the appointment of the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force,” Barber said. “That night I released a video responding to heated criticism I had received for appointing Todd Benkert to that committee.”
RELATED: SBC Lawyers Side Against Sexual Abuse Survivor in Amicus Brief to Kentucky Supreme Court
Barber then recalled that on Aug. 9, 2022, he attended an orientation for the new members of the SBC Executive Committee and said that he went from meeting to meeting all day—one of which included informing the Great Commission Council that the SBC was being investigated by the Department of Justice.
 president Bart Barber released a statement early Monday morning (Oct. 30) saying that he takes “full responsibility” for the amicus brief that was submitted to the Kentucky Supreme Court on behalf of several SBC entities earlier this year.){kind=link}