The former SATF chairman stated that the SBC needs to “have tenacity in making our churches the safest place possible.”
Frank believes that the SBC has “made some significant progress in regard to sexual abuse reform, primarily on the state and associational levels” but said that the SBC needs the Ministry Check website, due to the fact that only 3% of sexual assaults result in a felony conviction.
“This can help greatly in preventing abusers who have a high recidivism rate from simply being passed [on to] another church. The messengers voted for this overwhelmingly in 2022,” he said.
Without directly mentioning the Law Amendment, a proposed amendment to the SBC’s constitution that seeks to clarify only a man can hold the title of pastor, Frank indicated that he believes it is unnecessary.
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“I think the good work done by Adrian Rogers and the Baptist Faith & Message 2000 committee is sufficient and practiced in well over 99% of SBC churches,” Frank said.
“Southern Baptists are clear about their complementarian convictions and must remain so,” he added. “But we don’t need to take measures which do more to divide than guide. We can and should affirm complementarianism without restructuring the basis of our cooperation.”
Frank concluded by saying that over 80% of SBC churches are plateauing or in decline. “That can change,” he said. Some of those declining churches have become “vibrant again through coaching and resourcing for pastors.” Frank emphasized that the state and local associations in the SBC are “set up perfectly to assist plateaued congregations in making disciples and impacting their communities with the gospel.”
