The U.S. Department of Justice has officially concluded its investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), having not filed any sexual abuse-related charges.
The announcement of the investigation's conclusion came from the Baptist Press, the official news organization of the SBC, which reported on Wednesday that the DOJ had informed SBC attorneys of its decision.
SBC attorneys Gene Besen and Scarlett Nokes said, “Earlier today, 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.”
They added, “We are pleased that the matter has been resolved without any charges or further expense against the Executive Committee or other SBC entities”
The DOJ's investigation began in August 2022 after allegations surfaced that the SBC had inadequately responded to sexual abuse accusations within its member congregations.
According to the Baptist Press, by December, the SBC Executive Committee had already incurred legal costs exceeding $2 million related to the DOJ's investigation.
The report from the external firm Guidepost Solutions, commissioned by the SBC's Executive Committee, outlined instances in which some leaders allegedly mistreated abuse victims and mishandled abuse allegations.
The executive summary of the Guidepost report emphasized, “For almost two decades, survivors of abuse and other concerned Southern Baptists have been contacting the [SBC Executive Committee] to report child molesters and other abusers who were in the pulpit or employed as church staff.”
In late February 2024, the DOJ completed its investigation specifically into the SBC Executive Committee, ultimately filing no charges. However, the broader denomination and its entities remain under investigation.
While no sexual abuse-related charges were brought against the executive committee or the SBC at large, former Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Professor Matthew Queen was charged with lying to federal authorities. Queen pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months of home confinement earlier this month.
