SBC In The News

Good morning church family.

As some of you may know, an investigative report was released yesterday detailing incidents of sexual abuse and accusations of attempted cover-ups in the Southern Baptist Convention. The investigation and report were sanctioned by the SBC’s own Executive Committee and is nearly 300 pages.  Click here for a news article. As you can imagine, news of a scandal of this sort among the largest protestant denomination is traveling far and wide.  Please be discerning as you consume stories.  

I would like to share a few things with you regarding this report.  

First, I want to say that we grieve over the abuse of all the victims and pray for healing and justice to come to those who have been affected by these actions. If true, these actions of misconduct and coverup are reprehensible.  They grieve the heart of God and the heart of His people.  

Next, We are a Southern Baptist Church.  All SBC churches are autonomous and affiliate with the Convention by their own choosing. Though this news is troubling for us we are thankful that this report seeks truth and justice and was initiated from members of the Southern Baptist Convention itself.  We are also thankful for the tremendous work Southern Baptists are doing across the globe for the furtherance of the gospel of Jesus through cooperative dollars.  

Finally, I want to address safety measures.  Though no institution is completely insulated from the threat of these activities, our church has sought diligently to ensure a safe environment for our children and students at First Baptist. In an attempt to provide maximum security for our children, when completing our building in 2017, we had security cameras installed in every children’s classroom and student room with a live feed delivered to the check-in desk to be viewed by all outside the department. This decision was ahead of the curve for many churches at the time.

For many years at First Baptist, our policies have included that all volunteers and staff working with children and students must go through a background check and no adult is to be with a minor in any room or vehicle alone at any time. No unauthorized person is allowed in the children's department and main entrances are accessed by keyfob scanners. These are just some of the ways our church is seeking to maintain a safe environment for minors who have been entrusted to our care.

Finally, In times like this, prayer is the key to victory. I am encouraging our church to pray for the convention, pray for the victims, and pray for the gospel to continue to change lives. God is at work in FBC Joplin, let's continue to seek God's favor as we serve in His kingdom.

-Pastor Jamie Tickel
Lead Pastor