Baptist Sexual Abuse Lawsuit | 2026 Latest Updates

Survivors of sexual abuse by Southern Baptist clergy, staff and volunteers have taken their claims to court. Lawsuits allege that abusers were given access to children and that church leaders mishandled reports. No MDL has been formed, and no single national case exists. Survivors and families have filed individual suits and one proposed class action. The class action, filed August 4, 2026, names the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and its Executive Committee. The Justice Department closed its investigation of the SBC on March 12, 2025, with no sexual abuse-related charges. The Pawleys Island class action is pending in federal court in South Carolina.

Latest Baptist Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Updates

September 29, 2026: Judge Rules in Related Sills Defamation Case

A federal judge in the Middle District of Tennessee ruled on summary judgment in David Sills’s defamation suit, Baptist News Global reported [1]. Some claims were dismissed and some will go on. The suit names the Southern Baptist Convention, its Executive Committee, Guidepost Solutions and Al Mohler. The ruling does not decide whether Sills was defamed. It is not a survivor’s abuse claim.

August 19, 2026: Survivors Launch Protestant Abuse Database

Abuse survivors launched ProtestantAccountability.org on August 19, Christianity Today reported [2]. The searchable database claims more than 2,700 people accused of committing or covering up church abuse, including Southern Baptist ministers.

August 4, 2026: Class Action Names SBC and Executive Committee

The SBC and its Executive Committee were named in a proposed class action, the Christian Post reported [3]. It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina over Pawleys Island Community Church. The complaint contains allegations that no court has decided. Jeff Iorg, president of the Executive Committee, said, “The Southern Baptist Convention does not comment on ongoing litigation.”

March 12, 2025: Justice Department Closes SBC Investigation

The Justice Department told SBC attorneys that its investigation into the SBC and its entities was closed, Baptist Press reported [4]. The inquiry lasted two and a half years. The only charge was against former seminary professor Matt Queen. He pleaded guilty to making a false statement to investigators. The Southern District of New York told SBC attorneys the inquiry had ended.

February 19, 2025: SBC Puts Abuse Database on Hold

The SBC Executive Committee put its proposed abuse database, called Ministry Check, on hold, Christianity Today reported [5]. The database would have listed the names of abusive Southern Baptist pastors. Committee president Jeff Iorg said, “At this point, it’s not a focus for us.” The outlet also reported that legal costs from the Guidepost investigation and the abuse crisis totaled $13 million. The costs drained the committee’s reserves.

December 29, 2023: SBC Settles Rollins Lawsuit over Paul Pressler

The Southern Baptist Convention and its Executive Committee settled Duane Rollins’s Houston lawsuit confidentially, the Texas Tribune reported [6]. Rollins sued in 2017 in Harris County, Texas. The suit accused former Southern Baptist leader Paul Pressler of raping Rollins from age 14 in a Houston church youth group. Pressler denies the allegations and has not been criminally charged.

August 12, 2022: SBC Leaders Confirm Justice Department Investigation

On Friday, August 12, 2022, SBC leaders said several major SBC entities were under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice. The Executive Committee had received a subpoena. NPR reported the news on August 13 [7].

May 22, 2022: Guidepost Solutions Releases Report on SBC Abuse Handling

The Guidepost Solutions report on how the SBC handled abuse claims was released, NBC News reported [8]. NPR called it a blistering report from a seven-month independent investigation commissioned by the SBC. The report said the Executive Committee kept a list of 703 names of known and accused abusers. NBC News reported that no one on the committee “took any action” to remove the accused ministers from power.

February 10, 2019: Houston Chronicle Begins Abuse of Faith Investigation

The Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News began the “Abuse of Faith” investigation into sexual abuse in Southern Baptist churches [9]. CNN reported that about 380 Southern Baptist leaders and volunteers had faced allegations of sexual misconduct since 1998 [10]. It said more than 700 victims had been abused.

What Is Baptist Sexual Abuse?

The Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant denomination in the U.S., according to PBS NewsHour [11]. It has about 14 million members across 47,000 churches. Baptist sexual abuse here means abuse by clergy, staff and volunteers in those churches. The 2022 Guidepost report examined hundreds of cases of misconduct and abuse between 2000 and 2020.

Who May Be Affected?

Claims on this page involve people abused as children or adults by pastors, deacons, Sunday school teachers, employees or volunteers in Southern Baptist churches. The Pawleys Island class action involves parents whose children attended a church school where a registered sex offender had campus access. It seeks to cover people who paid tuition or mandatory enrollment fees for such a child. Parents sued on behalf of their minor child and other students. Some people see only years later that they were abused. Whether a person qualifies takes an individual legal review of the church, the dates and the records.

Reported Injuries or Damages

In court documents the Texas Tribune reviewed, Rollins claimed the alleged attacks pushed him into drug and alcohol addictions. He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. A sworn affidavit by another Pressler accuser said he stopped pursuing a career in ministry. He said he had frequent panic attacks and tried to end his life. These are allegations, not findings. In the Pawleys Island filing, the parents seek compensatory and punitive damages, restitution and attorneys’ fees. The filing does not allege that the named child was sexually abused. The Guidepost report is a separate kind of record. NBC News reported that it found church leaders mishandled sex abuse claims and mistreated victims.

Evidence to Preserve

Survivors and families can start by gathering records like these:

• Medical and counseling records, and bills for treatment or therapy.
• The name of the church, school, camp or ministry, and the dates.
• Church records of membership, attendance, volunteer work or employment.
• Letters, emails, texts and social media messages with church leaders.
• Reports you made to the church, police or child protective services, and the replies.
• Photos, calendars and journals.
• Names of witnesses.
• News stories or court filings that mention the accused.

Keep the originals and make copies. Do not delete messages or posts, even if they seem minor. Write down what you remember, with dates and places, while it is fresh.

Filing Deadlines

Deadlines to file an abuse claim come from state law. They vary with where the survivor lives and when the abuse happened and was recognized. Some states count from the date a survivor realized the harm. Some have reopened old claims for a limited time. Filing late can close the door on a claim, even one with good evidence. A survivor should check with a lawyer promptly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is There a Baptist Sexual Abuse Class Action Lawsuit?

A Baptist sexual abuse class action lawsuit exists as one proposed filing over Pawleys Island Community Church. Court papers call the church an independent, self-governing, elder-led congregation. They say it is not under the control of a parent denomination. Plaintiffs say the case involves secular questions.

Did the Department of Justice Charge the Southern Baptist Convention?

The Department of Justice did not charge the Southern Baptist Convention itself, and Baptist Press reported that its investigation cost the Executive Committee $2,060,534 in legal costs. Matt Queen was sentenced to one year of supervised release and a $2,000 fine.

Did the Texas Supreme Court Agree with Rollins on His Filing Deadline?

The Texas Supreme Court agreed with Rollins on his filing deadline. He argued that his time limit should have started when he realized he had been abused. The court’s ruling let his suit go forward.

What Did the Guidepost Report Find About Baptist Sexual Abuse?

The Guidepost report on Baptist sexual abuse runs 288 pages and was released in May 2022. It came from an independent investigation that the SBC commissioned, and it sets out how denominational leaders handled abuse claims.

References

1. https://baptistnews.com/article/judge-tosses-some-of-sills-case-but-allows-parts-to-proceed-to-trial/
2. https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/09/protestant-accountability-church-abuse-website/
3. https://www.christianpost.com/news/sbc-named-in-pawleys-island-church-class-action-lawsuit.html
4. https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/dojs-closes-investigation-of-sbc/
5. https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/02/southern-baptist-abuse-database-pastors-ec-sbc/
6. https://www.texastribune.org/2023/12/29/southern-baptist-convention-sexual-abuse-lawsuit-settlement/
7. https://www.npr.org/2022/08/13/1117362904/southern-baptists-doj-investigation-sexual-abuse
8. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/religion/southern-baptist-convention-pledges-release-secret-database-accused-se-rcna30360
9. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/investigations/article/Southern-Baptist-sexual-abuse-spreads-as-leaders-13588038.php
10. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/11/us/southern-baptist-abuse/index.html
11. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/report-details-widespread-cover-up-of-sexual-abuse-among-southern-baptist-leaders