Calling them “deeply troubling,” the Georgia Baptist leadership says they are “overwhelmed” with sorrow about the allegations of sexual misconduct and manipulation at Truett McConnell University (TMU) in Cleveland. And they added “we…want to express our heartfelt grief and solidarity with the victims who courageously came forward to expose this “hurtful and immoral behavior.”
The story about the allegations broke over the weekend and there were new developments Monday.
EARLIER STORY. POSTED SATURDAY MAY 31: TMU details reasons former school officials were fired
EARLIER STORY. POSTED 6:45 A.M. TUESDAY: Petition · Call for Independent Investigation and Accountability at Truett-McConnell University – United States · Change.org
“The campus of a Georgia Baptist institution should be a place of refuge, trust, and spiritual growth, and we find this behavior to be profoundly disturbing,” the statement by seven of the state’s top Baptist leaders reads. “We pray fervently for the grace of God to sustain these survivors as they walk the long road toward healing and restoration.
As is true for all Georgia Baptist entities, Truett McConnell University is accountable to its Board of Trustees. We encourage the trustees to take the appropriate actions to fully understand what happened and to ensure this type of behavior will never be repeated.”
In conclusion, they say “Abusive behavior is an abhorrent evil that causes unspeakable suffering. We must remain steadfast in our resolve to care for victims with compassion and confront and reform any culture that permits such cruelties to occur.”
The statement is signed by:
Thomas Hammond, Executive Director, Georgia Baptist Mission Board
Stephen Fountain, Chairman, Georgia Baptist Executive Committee
Chad Mantooth, Vice Chairman, Georgia Baptist Executive Committee
Chris Humphries, Chairman, Administration Committee of the Georgia Baptist Executive Committee
Brady Howard, Vice Chairman, Administration Committee of the Georgia Baptist Executive Committee
Steve Browning, President, Georgia Baptist Convention
John Waters, Chairman, Georgia Baptist Relations Committee