SBC Office for Abuse Prevention & Response launches new Helpline
NASHVILLE — The SBC Abuse Response Helpline has experienced a significant update in conjunction with a new partnership with The Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention (ECAP). The Helpline can be contacted by calling 833-611-HELP or by visiting https://sbcabuseprevention.com/helpline. The website also features email and chat options.
The Helpline delivers gospel-focused abuse support for survivors and ministry leaders through the collaborative partnership. The first abuse tipline was launched by the SBC Executive Committee in May 2022.
“Our new Helpline suite of services enhances our efforts at providing Southern Baptist churches and ministries the resources they need to prevent sexual abuse or respond to sexual abuse allegations,” said Jeff Iorg, SBC Executive Committee president.
“The new Helpline will provide competent assistance to those seeking assistance – for survivors as well as services for ministry leaders who are responding on these issues. We are putting in place long-term strategies for confronting this pernicious evil because even one instance of sexual abuse is too many,” he said.
Iorg said the Helpline is the next step for the Executive Committee’s robust response in sexual abuse prevention and response.
In February 2025, Dalrymple was named the director of the newly founded office of abuse prevention and response at the Executive Committee. Dalrymple brings years of experience having served as the executive director of the Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention.
“We live in a broken world in which sexual abuse is a scourge on our society – including in ministry,” said Dalrymple, “We aim to prevent sexual abuse from occurring in the first place, but when it does occur, we will use our resources to respond in a healing manner following the teachings of Jesus Christ.”
The Helpline will respond to the following five areas of service:
- Reporting of Abuse to the SBC Credentials Committee and to the appropriate authorities
- Coaching for appropriate church-related response to abuse claims (within ministry programs or external)
- Trauma informed Christian counseling referrals for victim/survivors, family and caregiver
- Guidance regarding abuse prevention in ministry
Call takers will be available Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm Central Time Zone. The helpline can be contacted after hours via phone, chat, and email for a follow up from a call taker during business hours. Translation services including for American Sign Language are available.
Abuse victims needing immediate response are always encouraged to contact law enforcement or their state agency for child protective services. Call takers are trained to provide care and support from a trauma-informed perspective.
Helpline call takers are equipped to:
- Recognize signs of abuse
- Manage crisis situations
- Initiate Christian crisis trauma care
- Support ministry leaders through incidents and allegations including pairing them with an expert coach.
- Assist callers with making reports of abuse to appropriate authorities
- Provide guidance on abuse prevention measures
“Calls will be triaged to determine what assistance would be most helpful to the caller,” Dalrymple said. “This could mean guiding a caller through legal reporting requirements, seeking a referral for survivor care, and/or providing support for a ministry leader navigating an allegation or incident of abuse.”
The helpline aims to provide Christ-honoring and timely response support by protecting human life, responding with care and compassion, working toward judicial due process, and helping ministries maintain their gospel witness, according to Dalrymple.
Former FBI agent and SBC Abuse Prevention & Response Advisory Committee member Matt Espenshade has given input for the Helpline.
“The collaborative effort between the SBC and the Evangelical Council for Abuse Prevention (ECAP) demonstrates how to lead with integrity and humility in providing a resource for timely, accessible, transparent, and biblically grounded expertise to ensure this problem is not ignored or mishandled,” said Espenshade who also serves as the Executive Pastor of the Journey Church in Lebanon, Tenn.
“The helpline is more than a resource; it is a statement of commitment to pursue justice, extend grace, and ensure that the church remains a place of safety, hope, and healing,” he said.