The Devil Is In The Details

What did the explosive Guidepost report reveal about the abuse crisis in the Southern Baptist Convention? Rachael Denhollander and Robert Downen join Carolyn McCulley to analyze the report and its footnotes. Rachael talks about the work of the SBC's Sexual Abuse Task Force, how she and survivor Christa Brown repeatedly asked for a database of credibly accused predators and were told it wasn't possible, and what being trauma informed looks like. Rob talks about the wealth of information that was found in the footnotes and what's still not there. The conversation was recorded on Monday, May 23, 2022, a day after the report was released.

The Guidepost report and its appendices can be found on the SBC's Sexual Abuse Task Force site.

Initial reporting on the Guidepost report can be found with Religion News Service, the Houston Chronicle, the Tennessean, and the Washington Post, among others.

The trauma-informed consultants referenced in this episode are Curo Consulting Group.

This podcast is a production of Citygate Films. It was produced and edited by Carolyn McCulley. Music is by Kevin Graham. 

Chapters

• 1:33 Rachael knew they could do a database of offenders
• 3:38 Rob on how a lot of this was already public
• 7:05 Rachael on a culture that refuses outside help and expertise
• 13:26 Rob and Rachael on the details in the footnotes
• 21:45 Rachael on Guidepost's expertise versus the executive committee's legal counsel
• 23:54 Rob on the warnings that SBC leaders had for decades
• 26:33 Rachael on no survivor does this for personal gain
• 31:28 Rachael on being trauma informed and why it's not just a thought wound
• 35:02 Rachael on how the task force worked with survivors
• 36:34 Rachael on the importance of SBC state conventions and other entities to support reform