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Image credit: Southern Baptist Convention logo, via Wikimedia Commons.
Southern Baptist Convention President Willy Rice is calling for continued action on sexual abuse prevention as the denomination works through years of scrutiny over how churches and SBC leaders have handled abuse allegations, ChurchLeaders.com reported.
Speaking at his first SBC Executive Committee meeting as president, Rice said sexual abuse remains a serious threat within churches and requires ongoing vigilance.
Rice, senior pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Clearwater, Florida, also announced that his church plans to host a conference focused on sexual abuse training.
His comments come as the SBC continues debating how to respond to abuse, improve accountability and implement reforms across a denomination made up of independently governed churches.
Rice Calls Sexual Abuse a Continuing Threat
Rice described sexual abuse as a “grievous wickedness” and said the consequences go far beyond lawsuits or financial losses.
The greater harm, he said, is suffered by people who were abused by individuals they trusted, including religious leaders.
Rice also warned that abuse can be particularly damaging when the person responsible holds spiritual authority.
That concern has become central to the broader Southern Baptist abuse crisis, which has involved allegations against pastors, ministers, volunteers and other church personnel, along with questions about whether churches and denominational leaders adequately responded when misconduct was reported.
Florida Church Will Host Abuse Training Conference
Rice said Calvary Baptist Church will host a sexual abuse training conference designed to help churches strengthen abuse prevention and response.
Training has become a significant part of the SBC’s ongoing reform efforts as churches face pressure to improve policies involving background checks, reporting procedures, survivor support and the supervision of employees and volunteers who work with children.
Because individual Southern Baptist churches largely govern themselves, implementing consistent safeguards across thousands of congregations has remained a challenge.
The planned conference comes amid continuing debate over how much responsibility SBC entities should take for monitoring abuse allegations and helping churches prevent known offenders from moving between congregations.
Survivors may have legal options against individuals and institutions that failed to protect them.
Learn more in our Southern Baptist Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Guide.
Rice Also Pushes Truth and Unity Amendment
During the Executive Committee meeting, Rice also urged Southern Baptists to approve the Truth and Unity Amendment at the denomination’s next annual meeting.
The amendment is part of a broader effort to address internal disputes over doctrine, accountability and denominational cooperation.
Rice framed both the amendment and continued sexual abuse reform as part of the SBC’s effort to move forward after what he described as a difficult period of division and controversy.
For survivors, however, the central issue remains whether reforms result in meaningful changes inside local churches, including better prevention, stronger reporting practices and greater accountability when abuse occurs.
