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Arkansas church calls for third-party investigation into sexual abuse cases, response
It's becoming standard among SBC Churches to have an outside party to the investigation, rather than, "yup, we investigated and found...."
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect that Executive Pastor Doug Pigg retired from Immanuel Baptist Church.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (BP) – Revelations of nondisclosure agreements for members of an investigatory committee, the retirement of its executive pastor and calls for a change in leadership have taken place over the past few months, including the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church stating that “nothing is more important than keeping our members and children safe.”
Recent events culminated yesterday, Jan. 30, when former staff member Patrick Miller withdrew his petition to seal his criminal record. A hearing had been set for that determination Thursday (Feb. 1).
Miller was the assistant director of children’s ministry at Immanuel in 2015 when during a game of hide-and-seek at the church, he sexually abused a child in a closed closet. Miller left that role in January 2016, with his victim stepping forward in March.
Church leaders immediately notified authorities, though no action was taken at the time. A second victim came forward in the summer of 2018, and Miller was arrested in December of that year. In January 2022, a plea deal was reached for misdemeanor harassment and one-year suspended sentence.
The attorney for the two victims and others contends that had the accusations against Miller not been withheld by church leadership, more victims may have stepped forward. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, which has covered the case extensively, broke the news of Miller’s attempts to seal his criminal record hours before Immanuel and Pastor Steven Smith publicly acknowledged the case for the first time.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (BP) – Revelations of nondisclosure agreements for members of an investigatory committee, the retirement of its executive pastor and calls for a change in leadership have taken place over the past few months, including the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church stating that “nothing is more important than keeping our members and children safe.”
Recent events culminated yesterday, Jan. 30, when former staff member Patrick Miller withdrew his petition to seal his criminal record. A hearing had been set for that determination Thursday (Feb. 1).
Miller was the assistant director of children’s ministry at Immanuel in 2015 when during a game of hide-and-seek at the church, he sexually abused a child in a closed closet. Miller left that role in January 2016, with his victim stepping forward in March.
Church leaders immediately notified authorities, though no action was taken at the time. A second victim came forward in the summer of 2018, and Miller was arrested in December of that year. In January 2022, a plea deal was reached for misdemeanor harassment and one-year suspended sentence.
The attorney for the two victims and others contends that had the accusations against Miller not been withheld by church leadership, more victims may have stepped forward. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, which has covered the case extensively, broke the news of Miller’s attempts to seal his criminal record hours before Immanuel and Pastor Steven Smith publicly acknowledged the case for the first time.
It's becoming standard among SBC Churches to have an outside party to the investigation, rather than, "yup, we investigated and found...."
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