Baptist minister pleads guilty to abuse; SNAP responds

February 15, 2012

We are grateful to this brave victim, her mother, and law enforcement for pursuing this predator. Kids are safer now that he’ll be locked up.

This painful story is a reminder of why it’s crucial that victims speak up promptly, that adults believe them, and that police are quickly called. Secular authorities, not church officials, should deal with child sex crimes and cover ups.

Let’s hope that Southern Baptist officials – in Maryland and at this church – aggressively seek out and offer help to others who saw, suspected or suffered Pastor Joe’s crimes. It’s irresponsible for church staff and members to do little or nothing to reach out to others who may be suffering in shame, silence and self blame.

Read the story here: http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/7145/53/

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Showing 3 comments

Jack Abd Allah commented 2013-12-25 01:16:29 -0600
Thank you
James Moran commented 2012-02-15 13:36:44 -0600
I certainly hope that the local Baptist Church in MD acts more responsibly that the Virginia Baptist church. When the VA pastor went to trial the flooded the courtroom with supporters, even though he had been convicted. Then the victim went to the church for support and they gave him a cassette tape to play. That is not support – that is a slap in the face. As we see everywhere else — WWJD?
Barbara Dorris published this page in Official SNAP Media Statements 2012-02-15 08:24:34 -0600

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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.

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Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.

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