LA--New Orleans church must do “outreach,” abuse victims say
For immediate release: Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016
Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790, 314 645 5915 home, [email protected])
A few days ago, a Louisiana minister was been sentenced to 10 years in prison for child sex crimes. We call on his former colleagues and congregants at First Baptist Church of New Orleans to aggressively seek out others who may have information or suspicions about his crimes and beg them to call law enforcement.
http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/courts/article_c65e9558-5d84-11e6-ac4e-e334e00e2d9b.html
http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2016/08/ex-first_baptist_youth_ministe_1.html
It’s very possible that there are girls or young women in Louisiana and Mississippi now who are struggling with depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, eating disorders or suicidal thoughts because they too were repeatedly manipulated and exploited by Rev. Jonathan Bailey. It’s crucial that Baptist officials in both states use pulpit announcements, church websites and congregational mailings to search for others who could help police and prosecutors file more charges against this child molester. Regardless of what church officials do or don’t do, current and former members of Bailey’s congregations should also take steps like this to protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded.
We urge every single person who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes and cover ups in churches or institutions to protect kids by calling police, get help by calling therapists, expose wrongdoers by calling law enforcement, get justice by calling attorneys, and be comforted by calling support groups like ours. This is how kids will be safer, adults will recover, criminals will be prosecuted, cover ups will be deterred and the truth will surface.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the world’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 20,000 members. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact - David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell, [email protected])
Former youth minister gets 10 years for sex abuse of girl
By Emily Lane, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune on August 08, 2016
Former First Baptist Church of New Orleans youth minister Jonathan Bailey was sentenced Monday (Aug. 8) to serve 10 years in prison after admitting to sexual misconduct involving a member of the church who was 13 when the abuse began.
Prosecutor Bonycle Thornton read a statement in court from the young woman who . . .
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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