I’m sure some of you are getting tired of stories about Paul Pressler. As I have said before, I was asked to write something about Pressler when I first started blogging. However, he was a powerful attorney at Paige Patterson’s side as they shepherded the Conservative Resurgence into the SBC. Here is a link to the stories I have written about Pressler. There have been many allegations of him abusing young male teens and young university-aged men for years.
To make matters worse, it is alleged that many leaders in the SBC were aware of this and chose not to address the issue. After all, he helped spearhead the Conservative Resurgence, and the SBC was sooooo grateful for bringing the SBC back to its roots. So why let a little problem with abuse get in the way of the Gospel? Many are now concerned about Pressler. And well, they should be.
Rollin’s lawsuit sends shockwaves through SBC.
Rollin’s case is particularly egregious because he claims that Pressler raped him for 24 years, beginning when he was 14! Liam Adams of The Tennessean posted SBC seminary and prominent former leader settle in high-profile abuse lawsuit, SBC still defending. He emphasizes that this lawsuit by Rollins has sent shockwaves in the SBC and Texas.
Rollins’ case has sent shockwaves in the SBC and in Texas. It led to an adjacent Texas Supreme Court case over the statute of limitations and Rollins’ ability to sue Pressler. The Texas Supreme Court ruled last April in favor of Rollins, who argued the trauma of the abuse caused him to suppress memories until 2016.
For the SBC, Rollins’ lawsuit, through which additional abuse allegations against Pressler have emerged, helped spark a reckoning over abuse throughout the convention and cover-up by its top leaders. That reckoning is recently marked by a historic report in May following a third-party investigation and ongoing reform led by a task force.
Rollins initially sued the SBC, the SBC Executive Committee, Paige Patterson, SWBTS, Pressler’s wife, First Baptist Church Houston (Pressler’s main church), and Pressler’s law partners (where Pressler conducted his profession)
A diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome changes the game.
This extensive lawsuit was dismissed in 2018 due to the statute of limitations being met; however, according to The Christian Post, Paige Patterson and SWBTS dismissed from sexual abuse lawsuit involving former SBC member.
The case had been dismissed in 2018 due to the statute of limitations, but the Appellate Court revisited the decision in 2021 after Rollins was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, which extended the statute of limitations for reporting the alleged abuse.
Rollins claims what many people whispered about for many years: All those getting sued knew what was happening to a number of young teens and men and did nothing about it.
I guess they sure wouldn’t want the Gospel, according to the leaders of the SBC, to be affected. The problem is this. I believe Rollins. In my early days of blogging, I was contacted by many people who claimed Pressler abused teen males. Pressler was allowed to continue his activities, and many leaders kept their mouths shut.
Paige Patterson and SWBTS have now settled the lawsuit. That means they are out. See if you can read between the lines.
According to The Tennessean:
A prominent former leader in the Southern Baptist Convention and an SBC seminary settled a lawsuit with an alleged sexual abuse victim. But the high-stakes case remains pending against two others — another prominent Southern Baptist leader and the denomination itself.
The. first thing that came to mind was, “How much did they pay?”
According to The Tennessean:
“Dr. Patterson is grateful that he has been removed from a suit that he should never have been included,” J. Shelby Sharpe, Patterson’s attorney, said in a statement. “No money was paid on Dr. Patterson’s behalf or by him to have him non-suited.”
Southwestern Seminary declined to comment on its dismissal from Rollins’ suit. Rollins’ attorney did not respond to a request for comment.
Very interesting. Patterson claims no money was paid. At the same time, SWBTS ain’t talkin.’ For a long time, SWBTS and Patterson were essentially the same. Is it possible that SWBTS picked up the tab? I guess that part of the settlement meant people would need to keep their mouths shut. NDAs. are often standard in these sorts of things.
The rest, including the SBC, are going to trial in May. This is a big deal. Finally, the SBC is getting sued.
I genuinely believe that many leaders in the SBC were aware of Pressler’s activities and did nothing to stop it. I think there are some big names, including formerly young guys who are now leaders in their churches, who were aware of these claims and kept their mouths shut so they could advance through the ranks. Some of those guys are current golden boys in the SBC.
In the meantime, I wonder if this will be settled out of court at the last minute with the standard NDAs applied. This would mean Rollins would get the money he deserved, but the leaders would not get the ridicule they well deserve.
What do you think will happen?
“To make matters worse, it is alleged that many leaders in the SBC were aware of this and chose not to address the issue.”
This is exactly what I have always believed; a coverup.
Not only get the ridicule they deserve, but the people/congregations should know what their pastor and/or leaders are like. What decisions they make. If the congregation wants to turn a blind eye, or “forgive” them, then at least they know. How do these men live with themselves?!
Dee, this is exactly my concern: “In the meantime, I wonder if this will be settled out of court at the last minute with the standard NDAs applied. This would mean Rollins would get the money he deserved, but the leaders would not get the ridicule they well deserve.” How true….
Sadly, I do believe it will be settled at the last minute, for the reasons you mentioned: “I think there are some big names, including formerly young guys who are now leaders in their churches, who were aware of these claims and kept their mouths shut so they could advance through the ranks. Some of those guys are current golden boys in the SBC.”
It will be too costly in terms of their careers and possible lawsuits about cover-ups for these men to have the courage to come forward. They have had ample time to speak up, yet they did not do so. How much pressure did they face in order to maintain silence?
Apparently a lot of religion is cover-up for some very evil atrocities:
“Seminary-Trained Professor Charged in Revolting Child Sex Abuse Sting UNTHINKABLE
The California academic tried to trade sex with a 7-year-old for a Hershey bar and an Ariel doll, according to the FBI.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/seminary-trained-professor-rod-githens-charged-in-revolting-child-sex-abuse-sting?
The devil disguised as a guardian angel. Evil.
“Why Did Paige Patterson and SWBTS Settle With Rollins? What Did Patterson Know? What Did the SBC Leadership Know About Paul Pressler? #thisistheSBC”
This is a den of evil mobster monsters leaving the bodies of children in their wake as they hold each other up in social prominence.
This particular gang of predators and predator shields has the trifecta of politics or civil service or governance, plus business, and also religion. Like the group featured in the film “Spotlight” in Boston, these old white men in power prop each other up across the various networks of society, but forming their own web of evil, preying on children, while they wield power in their communities, protecting predators of children.
Ava Aaronson,
I’m not a fan of Anonymous. However, right now they are featuring a series on Twitter that exposes dozens of basically white men in power that prey on children – where LE action has been taken, so evidenced. This is not imaginary, not a spin, not a campaign. It is simple fact and reality. It’s heart-wrenching and evil.
This group of men in power are largely supported by the Evangelical community in the United States. How twisted! Religion + pedos + political power, all wrapped up in one tangled web, played out right before our eyes in our local communities and in our nation.
It seems like the more we know, the more there is out there.
Love the C.S. Lewis quote up-top!
Lewis sure had a way with words.
Didn’t I say in a previous comment thread that they were gonna’ get their a$$es sued off?
They will probably settle. Can’t blame him if they do.
In an ideal world it goes to court, he gets a ton of money, and their reputations are so tarnished that they can never stand at a podium again (except maybe in front of a judge).
“ I think there are some big names, including formerly young guys who are now leaders in their churches, who were aware of these claims and kept their mouths shut so they could advance through the ranks. Some of those guys are current golden boys in the SBC. “
~~~~~~~
I agree, completely. They know about Pressler, and more.
And I know that there are still many pastors, deacons, and pew sitters in average SBC churches who still adore and idolize Patterson and his cohorts in spite of that ……… And, in spite of the fact that they are the very ones who constructed, ushered in, and have protected and defended the system and power dynamics in the SBC that make manipulation, control, and abuse so much easier for perpetrators …… and make the victims feel so overpowered and helpless.
Many SBCers also still support the BF&M 2000 ~~~~ some churches, and at least one state association, require members to sign statements saying that they agree with the BF&M 2000 in it’s entirety.
In the church world, the predators keep showing up, welcomed, to the pulpit with compensation – churches financially support known predators.
Rank and file fall in line and support the predators. WW2 and the Holocaust, they have their orders and their organizational pride. Like Alana said in her video, this all appeals to ths flesh. Glob on to a Dear Leader, assemble together in his venue (but park your heart, conscience and brains at the curb). Cult.
Christians need to get over their Orgs (mobs) and their Dear Leaders (thugs).
Year 2000, the thugs took over the mob, formalizing their thuggery.
“I genuinely believe that many leaders in the SBC were aware of Pressler’s activities and did nothing to stop it.”
Sure they did. Pressler was simply too important to the Conservative (aka Calvinist) Resurgence, too big to fail. The CR elite could not afford for such news to get out. Their quest was more important than truth and righteousness.
Therein lies a problem with much of the American church which focuses more on celebrity and product appeal than holiness.
Especially since SBC pewsitters will be paying the bill for an out of court settlement, not them. Why not? Their tithes and offerings have been used for years to finance lots of things that have nothing to do with the Great Commission (e.g., the NeoCal takeover of their denomination).
And revision of the Baptist Faith & Message in 2000 gave them a license to do so. The BFM2000 removed Christ from the center of SBC life and gave it to theodudebros.
Max,
Max, you nailed it! When Jesus was head of the church the men who aspired to be gods were not. Had to get rid of Him for sure.
Garden of Eden, same song, second verse.
Some ‘christians’ accept their terrible treatment of others by claiming to be ‘justified’, that their sins ‘don’t matter’ before God. Was Pressler such a man?
Gag Order, Hush Money, and return to the pulpit PRAISING GAWD!
Lather, Rinse, Repeat,
Lather, Rinse, Repeat,
Lather, Rinse, Repeat,
Lather, Rinse, Repeat…
“There are those who will say that what we do is illegal. Before that happens, make sure WE are the ones who define What is Legal and What is Not.”
— L Ron Hubbard (LRH), founder of Scientology
I suppose it could be that way … or simply that Pressler is not a Christian at all. SBC ranks, like many Christian organizations, have a lot of baptized, but lost, members (“You will know them by their fruit”). Some folks just like the power and prestige of serving in a religious capacity – they don’t know Jesus at all.
Headless Unicorn Guy, you are correct. Gag Order, Hush Money, and return to the pulpit. Again and again. What I struggle to understand is what is it going to take to make the pew sitters wake up and smell the coffee? Especially since it’s their tithes and offerings being used to fund the legal costs and settlement.
Pedo haven, as supported, sponsored, and paid for by churchgoing donors:
1. Criminal Pedo’s Salary.
2. Criminal Pedo’s Legal representation for the criminal activities.
3. Settlement paid, on behalf of the pedo criminal.
How does it feel?
I fear that many have done that …….. and then intentionally allowed themselves get lulled back to sleep. Business as usual in an “it will never happen in my home church” dream world is easier to deal with than the brutal reality for some of them.
I know that in my neck of the woods, a lot of SBC pew peons are completely unaware of the SBC scandal, or only have some vague idea that a few people behaved inappropriately….. no big deal.
Denial, delusion, defend the org, degrade the victims.
Seemingly super “nice” people do NOTHING about pedo-predators using the super-nice-people’s org as a pedo-predator hunting ground. The super-nice-people look out ONLY for their org, and themselves & their very own children. The super-nice-people turn a blind eye to victims who they blame for the victims’ troubles falling prey to pedo-predators in the org – it’s the victims own fault.
The Scribes, Pharisees, Levites, and religious elite of Jesus’ day did the same. They supported Barabbas the criminal who violated Common People but executed Jesus for His actions and influence throwing shade on them. Pride, ego, self-protection, apathy, selfishness.
OT: has the intercession request section closed? Do intercession requests get lost? Is E-church now the right section to monitor intercession requests? Our welfare is not in the hands of organisations, but of the Provident One, who sometimes worked hitherto at most partly through organisations, partly through voluntary individuals, acquaintances, occurrences, et al. We are of all different belief systems, there probably isn’t any common ground on whether God is provident though (people don’t think the Bible says so, nor that church and believing are at core supplicating and interceding).
Because that wouldn’t be NICE.
It wouldn’t be CHRISTIAN(TM).
Ignorance is Bliss and I WANT EUPHORIA!
It takes two to NDA.
NDA is routine in settlement. And settlement is often a victim’s best option for remedy through legal process. (Note: “remedy” is a legal term of art, and does not denote a completely sufficient resolution or cure.)
Makes me wonder about ‘Lutheran’ land (upper great lakes area) where I’m from originally:
a) there are no pedo-perp scandals,
— or —
b) they just cover it up better.
JJallday,
“How do these men live with themselves?!”
++++++++++++++++
i observe that my religion is like silly putty.
leaders shapeshift “biblical” and their theology, rationalizing anything they need & want bad enough as compatible. or as reasonable (even godly) & not incompatible.
even though it’s stupid/scuzzy/irresponsible/destructive to others/unethical.
and most everyone happy-go-lucky-goes along with it, as passive and non-thinking as the potatoes sitting on my kitchen counter.
whistleblowers are ignored until it becomes safe if not fashionable — and then other leaders will make a career-advancing move to vocally support the whistleblower’s petition.
i’m so done. criminy, my agnostic & atheist family and friends have more integrity, willing to act on it at their own expense.
Max,
“many leaders in the SBC were aware of Pressler’s activities and did nothing to stop it.”
Sure they did. Pressler was simply too important to the Conservative (aka Calvinist) Resurgence, too big to fail. The CR elite could not afford for such news to get out. Their quest was more important than truth and righteousness.”
++++++++++++++++++
well, there are multiple reasons why i’m done.
the #1 faith tenet of evangelicalism is ‘the ends justify the means’. what is ethical/unethical and what harms others factoreth not. just doesn’t matter one whit.
elastigirl,
I hold to the tenets of The Apostle’s Creed as non-negotiable parameters up-front and on the table.
The rest of the stuff?
I pick and choose according to my conscience and as I see fit.
Other than that, I’m done too, and I agree with you.
“I hold to the tenets of The Apostle’s Creed as non-negotiable parameters”
+++++++++++
Yes, I do, too.
in my prayer group, we loosely follow a format that more or less mirrors the Lord’s Prayer.
There’s a section of “confession”. I find it difficult… not that I don’t sin.
I find it difficult for these reasons:
1) i think the sin list is short, nevertheless christians are conditioned to think they’re committing sins all day long – probably even when they do acts of kindness. probably even when they’re brushing their teeth. probably even when they’re asleep. sins of omission and commission.
christians end up sending out their own personal sniff dogs to sniff up all kinds of ‘sins’. like the sin of not having a sweet tone. finishing the ice cream out of the container thus the few tablespoons left couldn’t be shared. or the sin of being frank and honest, rendering someone marginally less comfortable.
ridiculous.
the upshot is that a typical christian’s subconcious is liable to be silent running 24 hours a day with “oh, forgive me, Lord! oh, forgive me, Lord! I’m so sorry, Lord! I’m so sorry, Lord! oh, forgive me, Lord!…”
well, i think that’s horsesh|t, and a neurotic & deplorable thing to saddle people with.
so, when we get to that part of the format, unless i’m aware of something i’ve wilfully done, i just meditate on something for a few minutes… or wait until i can’t stand it any longer and move us along.
.
.
2) i truly don’t know how to understand Jesus’ death. it used to all fit together so neatly. until it didn’t.
.
.
i imagine i’d find some symmetry with the christus victor atonement theory. although my life is so very full i don’t have mental room to take on such a deep topic.
.
.
but i can manage this kind of banter. how do you understand the basis for forgiveness of sins? God’s nature of sheer mercy? What about God’s justice?
Thank you, Muff, for whatever you have time to reply with.
I am with you on this.
“ I think there are some big names, including formerly young guys who are now leaders in their churches, who were aware of these claims and kept their mouths shut so they could advance through the ranks. Some of those guys are current golden boys in the SBC.”
Just so.
I was a student at Criswell College in the late ‘70’s. I was a student assistant of Patterson. They called it student intern. I quit the school in 1980 and left the SBC soon after.
I never knew of any sexual abuse. But there was plenty other abuse. Over the years I would meet people in Dallas who I thought could stop the rise of Patterson. But nothing ever happened. I knew several “protégés” of Pressler who where and are powerful people in the SBC. As all this has come out and as I think back 40+ years I wonder what was really going on. It is gratifying that a little justice is being done.
Guess which was the most common subject in sSurviving 400-year-old Massachusetts Puritan journals?
NAVEL-GAZING SIN-SNIFFING, 24/7.
Any of which and you BURN IN ETERNAL HELL!!!!!
SIN IS SIN!!!!! AND GOD HATES SIN WITH SUCH A PERFECT HATRED….
“Recognize that voice? It’s in my head and it won’t go away.”
— Internet Monk, “Wretched Urgency: The Grace of God or Hamsters on a Wheel?”
https://imonk.blog/2016/04/07/64264/
Headless Unicorn Guy,
Thank you, headless. I appreciate the interaction. I read the entire internet monk article. certainly in agreement, there.
so, what do you think about forgiveness on the God plane?
how do you understand the basis for forgiveness of sins? God’s nature of sheer mercy? What about God’s justice?
Yes it is ridiculous, and also fifty shades of stupid.
Indeed it is a load of horse-poo-poo, and it took me years to free myself from all that tommyrot. Because of it, there are some who will insist that I am apostate and never really ‘saved’ to begin with.
You’re not alone, I’ve arrived at the same impass.
Like you said, it (for me) no longer fits such neat lines of latitude and longitude so to speak. Pastors, preachers, priests, and evangelists can prattle on endlessly about forgiveness of sins, mercy, God’s justice, and it all means nothing but another boring lecture and sales pitch.
I’ve experienced more of God in a little dog who loves me and I him, and in the circling of a hawk on the thermals, than I have in all the Bible studies and communion rails of Christendom.
Justice is what your guts and insides scream for when you (generic you) see its miscarriage around you every day.
Can’t trust your feelings some will say?
Bullsh|t.
What I was “catechized” with was simple:
GOD HATES MY GUTS.
Thank you Jack Chick, Hal Lindsay, and Koinonia House CHRISTIAN Fellowship (the only True Church).
Almost fifty years later, some of the damage is still there.
You too, huh?
There’s a reason when I discovered SF Litfandom and Dungeons & Dragons, I went over the Berlin Wall into the Free World.
elastigirl,
Driven by fear that bad things will happen to you if you do not follow along with the group.
Headless Unicorn Guy,
Miss his writings.
When you read the book of Ecclesiastes you see that bad things happen to the good, the bad, and the ugly alike.
Muff Potter,
Thank you for your reply, Muff. If you believe God forgives, what is your basis for it? God’s goodness & mercy?
Does Jesus’ death factor in, as you see it?
How is God’s justice meted out?
we’re all speculating – that’s the most anyone can do (even those who believe with absolute certainty)
Muff Potter,
The fear of “out of god’s will”, “not under god umbrella of protection” spilled by pastors and lay leaders who only speculate “god’s will” for you. Yet demand obedience and conformity to their brand of “god’s will”.
Now, I see this type of teaching is menticide, enslaving one to not to question the group/church.
Muff Potter,
Sowre-Sweet Dayes,
Pelagius was an anti-imperialist who rightly criticised Augustine’s (Plotinus-influenced) sacramentalising of initiation. For that, he was accused of denying the original sin complex of concepts (which is by right a completely distinct set of issues from sacramentalisation).
There are some who say there is no providential role of Holy Spirit in guiding us unfelt and unseen to ask God’s help (which isn’t true) ( 1 ), while there are others who deny His help in keeping faith in fulfilling the spiritual law once we are of God’s household (which also isn’t true because of BOTH indwelling AND empowerment ( 2 ).
There are also those who say that as a priest you lose your salvation if you don’t slavishly obey your archbishop or abbot in almost every detail; or as parishioners that you lose your salvation if you don’t obey your pastor or denomination leader in almost every detail; or that one loses worthy respectability and acceptability in their circles thereby or else by expressing qualms about the “churchmanship” of manufactured sensation and induced mannerisms, or by expressing “sinful thirst” to know about the meaning of Ascension ( 3 ): all of those missteps a “work” that, they insist, has caused Holy Spirit (as tetchy as they are) to self-cancel in you.
Sadly many preachers preach combinations of ( 1, 2, and 3 ) today. But do they remind us that continually supplicating for all is the fruit of gratefulness? These fallacies’ mirroring each other leads many congregants to leap merely from one of these heresies to another, or a different pair of them, or scarcely watered down versions of the same.
Southern Baptists need to stop doing that! The days of blindly trusting denominational and local church leaders are over … you just can’t afford to do that with your hard-earned money and souls of your family.
And speaking of menticide … New Calvinism is the newest kid on the SBC block. Their success depends on indoctrination to reformed theology. They discourage critical-thinking by the pew … they must control your mind. If you become too open-minded about their rotten theology, your spiritual brains will fall out.
HUG, the thought has crossed my mind that we go through stuff in church so we can see it for what it is … we have escaped from the trap to help others get out who are still ensnared. I suspect there are some Chick and Lindsay followers who occasionally tune into TWW … they can learn a lot from your insight.
Max,
Kicker is, what pulled me out of that Cult was discovering Dungeons & Dragons.
Which is better Max?
To be Spiritual or to be Real?
If “God Lives in the Real World”, these guys are trying to make themselves more Godly than God.
ANd according to Screwtape Letters, didn’t “Our Father Below” walk out on “The Enemy” because “The Enemy” was going to create a PHYSICAL Cosmos with PHYSICAL mortals in His image? And that this mixture of Physical and Spiritual was intolerable to a Pure Spirit like “Our Father Below”?
With either the group themselves or Revenge Jesus as their Enforcer.
I think it’s well above my pay grade.