ARITF Update | December 4, 2023
In a December 4 meeting held in Dallas, TX, the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force (ARITF) furthered its work of implementing meaningful and permanent abuse reform measures across the Southern Baptist Convention. The meeting began with a thoughtful devotional from Ezekiel 22:30 led by Pastor Jon Nelson from Soma Community Church in Jefferson City, MO
Toolkit Progress:
Brad Eubank delivered an update on the Ministry Toolkit, which is designed to help churches train, screen, protect, report, and care. New resources are currently being developed for the toolkit, many of which will be available for churches and pastors at the 2024 SBC Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. To serve pastors from both urban and rural settings, these resources will be available in digital, print, and thumb drive versions.
Website update:
All past task force websites will soon be redirected to the Ministry Check website which lives at sbcabuseprevention.com. This website will serve as the SBC’s main hub for sexual abuse reform resources. Several states have already made significant progress toward similar reform measures intended to serve survivors and help churches become safer from abuse. Baptist Press recently reported on some state-level resources, and some are listed below. More will be added as information becomes available:
- Alabama
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Dakotas
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kansas/Nebraska
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland/Delaware
- Michigan
- Minnesota/Wisconsin
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New England
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania/South Jersey
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas – BGCT
- Texas – SBCT
- Utah/Idaho
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wyoming
Encouragement and Acknowledgment:
The task force chair, Josh Wester, also reminded everyone, “Let’s not grow weary in doing good.” Recognizing the progress made since 2019, he reinforced the task force’s commitment to creating an environment where survivors are supported and abuse is prevented. The ARITF’s commitment extends beyond discussions—it manifests in tangible actions geared towards fostering a culture of care, prevention, and support within SBC churches.
The task force meets in person every two months with frequent Zoom meetings in between. The next in-person meeting is currently scheduled for February 5, 2024.
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