On Wednesday (March 12), the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) was informed that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into whether the denomination was criminally responsible for mishandling sexual abuse allegations is closed.
In August 2022, Baptist Press, the official news service of the SBC, reported that the SBC Executive Committee (EC) had been subpoenaed and that the EC was “fully cooperating with authorities, and remains committed to addressing the scourge of sexual abuse.”
Roughly 18 months later, SBC EC interim president and CEO Jonathan Howe announced that the DOJ had “concluded its investigation into the EC with no further action to be taken.”
RELATED: Survivors Say DOJ Investigation Into SBC Executive Committee Is Not Closed
However, following Howe’s announcement, SBC abuse survivors shared that they were informed by the DOJ that its investigation into the SBC was ongoing. It appears now that the case has been officially closed.
This latest news comes on the heels of Dr. Matt Queen, a former administrator and professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, having been sentenced to home confinement after he pleaded guilty to making false statements to federal investigators.
SBC attorneys Gene Besen and Scarlett Nokes told Baptist Press that “the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York informed us that the investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention and Executive Committee has officially concluded.”
“We are pleased that the matter has been resolved without any charges or further expense against the Executive Committee or other SBC entities,” the attorneys added. “It has been an honor to represent and support the Convention and the EC throughout this process.”
“We’re grateful that we can close this chapter in our legal proceedings and move forward,” said SBC EC President and CEO Jeff Iorg.
Southwestern Seminary also released a statement, saying, “For more than two years, Southwestern fully cooperated with the DOJ throughout the investigation and is pleased that there were no findings of wrongdoing against the institution or current employees.”
“We remain committed to ensuring the safety of all members of the seminary community,” the statement added.
Last month, EC members disclosed that the EC had spent over $2 million on legal costs related to the DOJ investigation.
, the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) was informed that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into whether the denomination was criminally responsible for mishandling sexual abuse allegations is closed. ){kind=link}