Addressing Our Present and Future
A Response From Your Church Council
In October 2022, Broadmoor Baptist Church made a public statement entitled “Addressing Our Past” disclosing allegations of past sexual abuse. We attempted to share transparently and provided a plan to engage a third-party firm to assess the allegations, as well as provide a thorough examination of our historical policies and practices, pastoral responses over relevant time frames, and our current culture, policies, and practices. The goal of this independent process was to help us fully understand what had taken place and, subsequently, to understand how this happened, what steps we can take to create a safer place for those impacted, and ensure we are doing all in our power to protect the vulnerable and prevent abuse. Throughout this process, we committed to providing counsel to those in our family of faith.
Shortly after the initial disclosure, we contracted Guidepost Solutions to independently investigate and provide updates as needed to the Church Council. Relevant updates were then shared with the church family over time. The Church Council and the Caring Well Team have now received the report on the findings of the investigation which is linked HERE in full.
As the Church Council and Caring Well Team have processed this information and now share Guidepost Solutions’ findings with you, there are several things that must be said.
An Acknowledgement and Grief
First, we acknowledge openly the clear failures that are revealed in this report, and we grieve them deeply. The Church and, therefore, Broadmoor, should be a safe place where everyone is known and understood, but it is clear this hasn’t always been the case. Whether through cultural acceptance or the desire to not call attention to serious abuse, Broadmoor failed in our responsibility as shepherds. We did not listen when listening was desperately needed, act when action was required, or hold those accountable who should have been held responsible. This did take place at our church, within our structure, and with our leadership. Therefore, we must acknowledge this openly and without minimization, recognizing the deep damage that was caused by these failures. We cannot preach the importance of truth and repentance but fail to follow these commands ourselves.
An Invitation to Lament
We invite you to lament with your brothers and sisters at Broadmoor and in the larger body of Christ. Any abuse, but especially abuse from a trusted minister, causes waves of pain and devastation. This situation has been a source of hurt in the lives of families for decades and continues to bring deep pain. Romans 12:15 (ESV) tells the church to “…weep with those who weep.” That is what we are calling you to do in this season. There is much to weep over: broken trust, broken relationships, shattered faith, and deeply wounded congregational unity. In all our pain, we acknowledge its destruction and collectively surrender it to the Lord Jesus. We are sad for the brokenness we see and continually walk in, but we rejoice in our Sovereign Lord, who holds us fast.
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, therefore, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
James 4:6b-10 (ESV)
A Path Forward
A better understanding of our failures in the past strengthens even further our desire to protect the vulnerable and care for the oppressed. During this independent assessment, Guidepost engaged as many individuals as were willing to respond who have encountered Broadmoor throughout its history. The feedback has helped us identify several ways to improve our policies and culture, including:
A Review of Guidelines and Policies: The report from Guidepost Solutions indicates we have made progress in protecting those in Broadmoor’s care, but more work and enduring intentionality are needed. We are updating our policies and practices and will review them routinely to ensure we are cultivating healthy relationships, taking practical steps to prevent abuse, and are fully prepared to care well for those who have suffered.
Education and Training: We recognize that it is not enough to write policies about safety and compassion. Our genuine concern for others must become obvious and our care for the vulnerable among us must permeate our lifestyles and ministries. One of the best ways to care is through learning, understanding, and supporting each other. We are committed to hosting ongoing training and forums to learn from survivors and trained professionals so we can better prevent abuse and respond helpfully when abuse has occurred. This training will be open to our ministry teams and anyone in our family of faith who wants to grow and help.
Care and Counseling: In 2024, the Broadmoor family expanded the capacity of our counseling ministry, The Center for Hope and Healing. This investment in our care ministry allows us greater capability to counsel those who have encountered any form of abuse.
Caring Well Team: As we learned more about who we were, who we are, and who we need to become, it became clear that preventing similar recurrences requires “all of us” and “some of us”. We believe all followers of Jesus must grow in our responsibility to protect and care for one another. At the same time, we need guides to help us grow in that responsibility. As a result, we have formed a Caring Well Team composed of professional counselors, educators, law enforcement, and ministers to oversee our continual review, training, and engagement of anyone impacted by abuse.
We prayerfully believe that diligently addressing the areas mentioned above will make our faith family more aware and responsive and help us grow in our efforts to follow Jesus as He has called us.
A Final Word
To the survivor in this situation: We see you, we hear you, and we applaud your bravery over these many decades. We deeply grieve what you suffered from the pastor who abused you, and that it has taken so long for the truth to be pursued with transparency and accountability.
To others impacted by sexual abuse in our faith family and community: We understand that this situation may have resurfaced painful memories and emotions. We grieve with you. We are committed to learning how to better walk alongside you through your hurt and toward healing and we desire to be a refuge and place of safety for you.
To the congregation: Our commitment to being a united family of faith does not require everyone to agree on every decision. With that said, being a family member does require striving to cultivate greater understanding and mutual respect for one another. We have witnessed God’s faithful presence throughout the months since our initial disclosure, and we believe our Heavenly Father is faithfully present now. Partnering with our ministers, we ask you to join us in a time of lament and in our commitment to continue growing as a church that glorifies God and exists for the good of our communities. Please join us in learning how to care well.
If you have questions, please know that Broadmoor’s leadership is ready to hear them. If you are unsure of the best person to answer your question, you can submit your question below or email questions@broadmoor.org.
To the community: We understand this has been a difficult time, and we appreciate your patience as we have sought truth and justice for the survivor and our church family. We are learning and growing from this experience to become a safer and healthier place for everyone.
To the media: The church does not intend to make any additional comment beyond this response, but we understand that the report may raise questions. Below is a link to frequently asked questions. Any additional inquiries should be directed to our Media and Communications Pastor, Michael Bowen, at questions@broadmoor.org or by submitting a question in the form below.
As we mentioned in our disclosure statement in October 2022, we have held fast to Psalm 33 throughout this journey and will continue to do so as Christ redeems and restores those He has called into fellowship with Himself. We recognize this is an ongoing journey that won’t be fully complete until we meet our Savior face to face, but we take refuge in Him who refines and molds us every day.
These documents contain references to grooming and sexual abuse which may be inappropriate for young readers or may be disturbing for those who have been impacted by various forms of abuse in their past. Discretion is advised.
Questions
We understand you may have questions about what you have read, the process, or how to care for those who have been abused. Please take a moment to send us your questions using the form below or email us at questions@broadmoor.org. We will answer as many as possible in the Church Family Gathering or in the upcoming Q&A sessions Registration is required for the Q&A sessions, and we will be open beginning on Wednesday evening following the Church Family Gathering.
