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Editor’s note: This article is based primarily on reporting by Bob Smietana of Religion News Service, with additional background from other published reports. Image credit: Worship service at Grace Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee; via Wikipedia, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
A group of sexual abuse survivors, advocates and pastors is calling on two prominent Southern Baptist leaders to apologize for publicly dismissing the denomination’s abuse crisis as a “hoax,” “ruse” and “snipe hunt.”
The open letter is addressed to Southern Baptist Convention President Willy Rice and Jack Graham, a Texas megachurch pastor and former SBC president. Its signers argue that language minimizing the abuse crisis discourages people from believing survivors and makes churches less likely to confront allegations responsibly.
“Saying it is a ‘hoax’ sends the message to people in the pews and the general public to not believe survivors,” the letter states, according to Religion News Service.
Survivors Say SBC Leaders Are Undermining Abuse Reforms
Graham has described the Southern Baptist abuse crisis as a “reckless hoax” that cost the denomination millions of dollars and damaged its public reputation.
Rice, who was elected SBC president in June 2026, has characterized the denomination’s response to abuse as a “ruse” and compared the independent investigation into SBC leadership to a “snipe hunt”—a practical joke in which someone is sent searching for an imaginary animal.
The open letter argues that such statements are not harmless disagreements about denominational policy. Survivors and advocates say they reinforce skepticism toward people who report clergy abuse and provide cover for churches that resist transparency or accountability.
“Calling it a ‘hoax’ is a PR ploy that sadly will be believed by some people,” the letter states.
The signers also objected to Rice’s portrayal of abuse-reform advocates as liberal or “woke” activists who led Southern Baptists astray.
More than 80 people signed the letter, including survivors Tiffany Thigpen and Jules Woodson, attorney and survivor advocate Rachael Denhollander, and author and former Liberty University professor Karen Swallow Prior.
SBC Previously Apologized to Abuse Survivors
In 2022, the Southern Baptist Convention formally apologized to Thigpen, Woodson and other survivors after years of criticism over the denomination’s response to sexual abuse reports.
That same year, an independent investigation by Guidepost Solutions concluded that some SBC leaders had minimized abuse allegations, mistreated survivors and resisted attempts to address the problem nationally.
The findings led Southern Baptists to approve several proposed reforms, including the creation of a public database identifying pastors and church workers credibly accused of abuse.
However, many of those reforms have stalled because of funding problems, denominational resistance and litigation. The task force overseeing the effort was ultimately disbanded without producing the promised database.
Rice has criticized the Guidepost investigation and argued that its findings treated SBC leaders unfairly. He has also said abuse activists do not represent every survivor and accused some advocates of approaching churches with suspicion and hostility.
At the same time, Rice has said churches should take abuse prevention seriously by training staff members and volunteers and implementing strong safety policies.
South Carolina Church Leaders Face Criminal Charges
The survivors’ letter was published during the same week that former leaders of Pawleys Island Community Church in South Carolina were arrested in connection with their decision to allow a convicted sex offender to volunteer on a church and Christian school campus.
Authorities alleged that former pastor Don Williams, his wife and former church administrator Ginny Williams, and former academy director Jennifer “Niki” Howard knew about the volunteer’s criminal history but failed to properly inform parents and staff members.
The volunteer, Warren Perry, was also arrested. Authorities said he had been working as a custodian at Pawleys Island Christian Academy despite restrictions intended to prevent him from being around children.
Church leaders reportedly said they were not aware of any new abuse occurring while Perry was on campus. However, the case has intensified concerns about what can happen when religious leaders minimize risks, bypass safeguards or withhold information from parents.
Survivors Reject Claims That Abuse Advocacy Is Political
The letter’s signers denied that their advocacy was motivated by partisan politics. They said survivors of clergy abuse come from across the political spectrum and share a common interest in protecting children, supporting survivors and holding institutions accountable.
“It is not survivors who have made clergy sexual abuse political,” they wrote. “It is some pastors and leaders of the SBC who have intentionally made it political.”
The letter concludes by asking Rice and Graham to acknowledge the harm caused by their statements and issue an apology to Southern Baptist abuse survivors.
Neither leader had publicly responded to the request when Religion News Service published its report on July 21, 2026.
Were You Sexually Abused by a Southern Baptist Pastor or Church Leader?
Survivors may have legal options outside the Southern Baptist Convention’s internal reporting process. Learn about Southern Baptist sexual abuse lawsuits, institutional responsibility and the deadlines that may affect your right to file a claim.
