In December 2023, the SBC settled out of court with Rollins for an undisclosed sum. Paige Patterson and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary also settled with Rollins.
Pressler, who denied the charges, was never criminally charged. As the lawsuit progressed, seven other men came forward to allege abuse by Pressler. One allegation stemmed from the 1970s, when Pressler led a Houston youth group. According to news reports, he was removed from that job.
Twenty years ago, church leaders at First Baptist in Houston warned Pressler to stop his morally inappropriate behavior, specifically being naked in a hot tub with a young man. That letter became public during Rollins’ legal proceedings.
The Complex Legacy of Paul Pressler
After abuse allegations against Pressler surfaced, SBC leaders distanced themselves from him but didn’t publicly denounce him. SBC officials denied covering up abuse allegations. But the lawsuit sparked a major investigation—and the 2019 “Abuse of Faith” series—by the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News.
Since then, the SBC has announced numerous reform efforts, including assistance for abuse survivors. But some say the denomination has fallen short of meaningful change. For example, no names appear on a published database of abusers.
Pressler leaves a complicated legacy. He will be remembered as one of modern-day evangelicalism’s most powerful figures. Some people have labeled him a “hero” for orchestrating the SBC’s fundamentalist shift.
But news of the credible accusations against Pressler tarnished his image. In its obituary, the New York Times used the words “disgraced” and “embarrassment” to describe him.
Mark Knox, formerly with Baptist Press, said, “Paul Pressler will go down as the biggest hypocrite in Baptist history. He split the Southern Baptist Convention and decimated the ministries of countless seminary professors, denominational workers, and pastors, all the while preying upon young men who believed his sanctimonious tripe.”
Knox added, “Thank God, Pressler lived long enough for the truth of his malevolence and debauchery to be known across the SBC and beyond.”
In January, Gene Besen, a lawyer for the SBC, called Pressler a “monster” who used his “power and false piety” to abuse victims. Emphasizing that he was speaking for himself, not for the denomination, Besen added, “The man’s actions are of the devil.”
