No new charges filed as DOJ closes SBC sex abuse investigation

The Department of Justice on Wednesday officially closed its years-long investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention and its leaders, church representatives confirmed to WORLD. The DOJ began its investigation of the church and its executive committee after the 2022 Guidepost Solutions Report. The independent investigation, commissioned by the SBC, found what it said was evidence of the church leaders’ mismanagement of a widespread sexual abuse crisis. But on Wednesday, DOJ prosecutors concluded the two-and-a-half-year investigation without issuing any new charges or expenses to any SBC entity or leader, SBC attorneys told the church’s news outlet.  

Does this include the investigation into Southwestern Seminary? The DOJ also ended its investigation into the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, according to a Wednesday statement from the school. Prosecutors found no wrongdoing by the school or current employees and will take no further action against the seminary, the statement said.

Did the DOJ bring any charges against the church or its affiliated entities? Federal prosecutors did charge Southwestern’s interim provost Matt Queen for lying to investigators. Queen pleaded guilty and was sentenced last week to a $2,000 fine and one year of supervised release, according to the Baptist Press. The SBC’s executive committee spent over $2 million in legal costs related to the DOJ investigation, the Press added. 

Dig deeper: Read my report on the SBC selling its headquarters to pay the sex abuse investigation expenses.