TX--Victims blast “rehab” of controversial preacher
For immediate release: Friday, Sept. 11
Statement by Amy Smith, Dallas co-leader of SNAP (281-748-4050, [email protected])
It’s heartbreaking to see that a minister facing credible allegations of ignoring or concealing suspected child sex crimes is being given a place of prominence in a church conference.
After several years of adopting a lower public profile, Rev. C.J. Mahaney of Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville, Ky will speak at the biennial Together for the Gospel conference next spring in Louisville, Ky.
https://baptistnews.com/ministry/people/item/30461-controversial-preacher-returning-to-t4g-stage
Mahaney was one of several officials of Sovereign Grace Ministries, a church-planting network, named as defendants in a class-action lawsuit for allegedly not reporting alleged sexual and physical abuse of kids.
This is wrong for at least two reasons.
First, it rubs salt into the wounds of the families whose lives were devastated by dreadful child sex crimes and cover ups within Sovereign Grace.
Second, it encourages wrongdoing. Giving roles of prominence, prestige or power to those accused of hiding possible crimes encourages others to hide possible crimes.
Men like Mahaney should be ostracized, not elevated, by church colleagues and in church circles.
For the safety of kids, we call on every person who is organizing or planning to attend this conference next April to publicly denounce this move. Otherwise, cover ups of suspected crimes will be encouraged, not discouraged.
(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], [email protected]), Barbara Dorris (314-503-0003 cell,[email protected]), Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747, [email protected])
Controversial preacher returning to T4G stage,
By Bob Allen, Thursday, September 10, 2015
After two years of low profile amid questions about his handling of allegations of child sexual abuse, C.J. Mahaney is back on the program for the 2016 Together for the Gospel confab in Louisville, Ky.
A speaker sidelined two years ago by a sexual abuse scandal at his former church is back at center stage for an upcoming conference featuring prominent leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention.
C.J. Mahaney, senior pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville, Ky., joins Southern Baptist Theological Seminary President Albert Mohler and International Mission Board President David Platt as scheduled speakers at the biennial Together for the Gospel conference scheduled April 12-14 in Louisville, Ky.
Mahaney, who in 2006 along with Mohler and two others founded the confab popular among young Calvinists, sat out the last conference in 2014, saying . . .
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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