A Statement on the SBC Guidepost Report from your Pastoral Staff

For more than 130 years, FBC Portland has been affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. Like all entities, there are good moments and bad moments, ups and downs, mountain tops and valleys. Through all moments, we remain committed to Christ.

In 2021, those who attended the Southern Baptist Convention voted for an independent investigation to be completed concerning the Executive Committee of the Southern Baptist Convention. This investigation was to determine the scope of what the Executive Committee knew in regards to sexual abuse allegations in various Southern Baptist churches, and how they responded. Guidepost was the independent investigator.

 Last Sunday, Guidepost released an investigative report titled “The Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee’s Response to Sexual Abuse Allegations and an Audit of the Procedures and Actions of the Credentials Committee.”

 In this report, it was determined that the Executive Committee had a list that contained the names of 703 abusers, with 409 believed to be SBC- affiliated at some point in time. The contents of this report were alarming and disgusting.

 If you have been a sexual abuse victim, please hear this clearly. At FBC Portland, we are here to support you, care for you, protect you, and help you. As a church staff, we are disgusted and distressed about the report. We are committed to all steps required to ensure that FBC is a safe place for all to Glorify God!

 We will continue to pray for our denomination and that the Lord will hear our prayers. Although we are deeply disturbed by the recent news of our convention, we will continue to minister, with Christ-like integrity and utmost care to those that God has entrusted to us. 

More than anything, we pray for any victim of sexual abuse. We want for you to feel safe and we desire to minister to you in any possible way that you may need. Please don’t remain silent if you have experienced any type of abuse, past or present.

FBC Portland remains committed to living out the pages of Scripture and we desire to remain true to Christ and the calling He has with our church family.