Lawsuit Claims SBC and Others Could Have Stopped Arkansas Abuse

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A lawsuit filed by the parent of a sexual abuse victim claims that Southern Baptist leaders and organizations, including the Southern Baptist Convention, the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, and the Northwest Arkansas Baptist Association, should have known that former youth minister Keenan Hord posed a danger to minors at First Baptist Church in Bentonville, Arkansas. The lawsuit alleges that Hord was wrongfully placed in a position of authority as a youth pastor, giving him 'unfettered access' to minors, and that warning signs about his behavior were ignored.

Why it matters

This lawsuit highlights ongoing concerns about the Southern Baptist Convention's handling of sexual abuse allegations and the failure of church leadership to properly vet and monitor individuals in positions of authority over minors. It raises questions about accountability and oversight within the denomination, as well as the need for stronger policies and procedures to protect vulnerable children.

The details

The lawsuit names First Baptist Church, the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, the Northwest Arkansas Baptist Association, the Southern Baptist Convention, and more than 20 other 'John Doe' church leaders and insurers as defendants. It alleges that Hord, who pleaded guilty to more than a dozen counts of sexual assault in 2023 and was sentenced to 60 years in prison, was previously a youth pastor at a satellite campus of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, where former SBC President Steve Gaines was the senior pastor. The lawsuit suggests that Gaines and others failed to 'supervise, restrict, report or remove' Hord from ministry, despite warning signs about his behavior.

• Keenan Hord pleaded guilty to more than a dozen counts of sexual assault in 2023 and was sentenced to 60 years in prison.
• Hord served as youth minister at First Baptist Church in Bentonville, Arkansas, where he sexually assaulted at least five minors from 2020 to 2022.
• Hord previously served as youth pastor at a satellite campus of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, from 2011 to 2016, when Steve Gaines was the senior pastor.

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on whether to allow Keenan Hord out on bail.