TX--Baptist church hires pastor after he’s charged with 29 counts of child sex abuse at another church
Group blasts church staff
They hired accused child molester
SNAP: “Local victims & witnesses must speak up”
Group urges other ministers to “denounce recklessness”
What:
Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, abuse victims will
--blast the pastor of a Dallas area church for quietly hiring an accused child molester, and
--urge other local Baptist ministers to “publicly denounce” the pastor
They will also
--seek out others who saw, suspected or suffered misdeeds or crimes by the alleged predator, and
--prod current and former church members and staff to call law enforcement if they “saw, suspected or suffered” the accused molester’s crimes or his supervisors’ cover ups.
WHEN
Thursday, September 10 at 1:00 p.m.
WHERE
On the sidewalk outside the First Baptist Church Bedford (corner of Bedford Rd and Barr Dr) in Bedford, Texas
2045 Bedford Rd
Bedford, TX 76021
WHO
Two-three adults who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a whistleblower from another Texas Baptist church
WHY
SNAP members are upset that First Baptist Church of Bedford Pastor Steve Knott quietly hired a pastor who is charged with child rape and sodomy in Alabama.
Alabama court records show that First Baptist music minister Charles Kyle Adcock faces charges for 29 counts of sexually abusing a 14-year-old girl at Woodward Avenue Baptist Church between 2010 and 2012.
For the safety of congregants, SNAP wants 1) the church board to “harshly and public discipline Knott for acting so recklessly,” and 2) all church staff and members to “aggressively search for and help anyone who may have seen, suspected or suffered crimes or cover ups” by Adcock (or other church staff) 3) prod victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to call law enforcement in both states and help them investigate and convict Adcock “and anyone who might have enabled or hidden his crimes.”
If more victims, witnesses or whistleblowers step forward, SNAP says, Adcock may face more charges which “will increase the chances that he’ll be extradited, convicted and imprisoned and make everyone safer and deters similar crimes and cover ups in the future.”
SNAP also contends that, to “deter such recklessness and secrecy in the future,” other Baptist officials in the Dallas/Fort Worth area should publicly denounce pastor Steve Knott “for his irresponsible actions that put children in harm’s way.”
Some church members or staff who may have information or suspicions about Adcock and his hiring may have quit the church in frustration or fear, SNAP says. So the organization is appealing to ex-church-goers and ex-church employees and ask them to “share any anything they may know about this troubling situation” with law enforcement.
http://www.fox4news.com/news/17728528-story
http://www.al.com/news/huntsville/index.ssf/2015/09/former_muscle_shoals_youth_pas.html
CONTACT Amy Smith 281-748-4050 [email protected], Lisa Kendzior 817-773-5907 [email protected], Barbara Dorris 314-503-0003, [email protected], David Clohessy 314-566-9790, [email protected]
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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