Investigation reveals 700 victims of Southern Baptist sexual abuse over 20 years

Leaders of the Southern Baptist Convention have declined for more than a decade to create a list of sexual predators from affiliated churches. But the San Antonio Express-News and Houston Chronicle assembled one of our own.

The newspapers spent nearly a year building a database of church leaders and volunteers who pleaded guilty or were convicted of sex crimes in the past 20 years. Most are now in prison or are registered sex offenders. More are from Texas than from any other state.

Read the first part of our exclusive investigation, ABUSE OF FAITH, on ExpressNews.com: Southern Baptist sexual abuse spreads as leaders reject reforms

The cases tracked by the newspapers affected more than 700 victims over 20 years. Their stories are wrenching.

Victims of sexual abuse had pleaded for the SBC to act, saying it was allowing predators to move from church to church. But the SBC in 2008 rejected all proposals to produce such a registry, saying the organization could not tell its 47,000 member churches whom to hire or ordain.

About 220 church leaders were convicted. They were pastors. Ministers. Youth pastors. Sunday school and Christian schoolteachers. Deacons. Church program volunteers. 

This collection of mug shots includes a portion of the 220 people who, since 1998, worked or volunteered in Southern Baptist churches and were convicted of or pleaded guilty to sex crimes. 

Scores of others were credibly accused or civilly sued. Some remain in the pulpit; others returned to positions in churches even after serving time.

The SBC has ended its affiliation with four churches in the past 10 years for affirming or endorsing homosexual behavior. The SBC governing documents ban gay or female pastors. They do not outlaw convicted sex offenders from working in churches.

One victim of sexual abuse said he can't forgive leaders who offered prayers but took no action. "That is the greatest tragedy of all," he said. "So many people's faith is murdered. I mean, their faith is slaughtered by these predators."