Survivor Advocates Have Words of Warning About SBC’s Investigative Firm–‘Take Great Care’ By Stephanie Martin for Church Leaders
During last week’s annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), messengers determined that an independent task force would oversee Guidepost Solutions’ investigation into the denomination’s handling of sexual abuse allegations. Now some victim advocates are questioning how independent that pricey third-party firm really is—and whether it merely makes “delicate matters” go away.
Guidepost Solutions Investigated
Survivors of church-based sexual abuse claimed victory last week when the SBC, in a near-unanimous vote, decided to establish an independent task force to assess how it dealt with previous abuse claims. After the vote, the SBC’s Executive Committee indicated it is “confident” the investigation will result in the “ultimate blessing of removing all doubt in the minds of our community of Southern Baptists, allowing us to chart a more confident future together.”
But several people are raising questions about the chosen investigator, Guidepost Solutions, saying its background merits investigation itself. In a Twitter thread from last week, author and professor Wade Mullen—who has studied spiritual abuse extensively—lists numerous concerns about Guidepost and concludes: “Churches and ministries in need of independent investigations must take great care when making decisions because their next steps can either bring much needed light, and perhaps healing, or bring more darkness, and worsen the suffering.”
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Mullen mentions several high-profile clients that have hired Guidepost to manage and respond to abuse allegations. These include Harvey Weinstein, a former movie mogul who was convicted of rape; Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a former head of the International Monetary Fund who was charged with but acquitted of sexual assault and prostitution; Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM), where whistleblowers were allegedly shunned; and The Summit Church in North Carolina, which was criticized for its vetting of Pastor Bryan Loritts, whose brother-in-law served jail time for sexual abuse.
In addition, Mullen notes that Bart Schwartz, founder of Guidepost, previously faced misconduct allegations from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. And prior to starting Guidepost, Schwartz “came under scrutiny in 1999 for using subterfuge to gain information,” Mullen tweets.
