Nobody Said "Whoa"

Despite 3 victims, an arrest, and media reports, no one in the SBC protected kids

I expect some people will watch the FOR OUR DAUGHTERS film and tell themselves, “Those kinds of abuses and coverups are in the past. The Southern Baptist Convention has reckoned with the problem.”

They’d be dead wrong.

Consider this news story just today.

In Oklahoma, pastor Roy Shoop has been found guilty on three counts of lewd or indecent acts involving three young girls. One of the victims was 12 years old when she first reported Shoop’s abuse. All of the girls were under the age of 16.

[image thanks to Beks]

Shoop’s church—the Cowboy Gatherin’ Church of Inola, Oklahoma—is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. (Yes, there are many churches in the SBC that don’t use the word “Baptist” in their name.)

Shoop was arrested over four years ago—back in 2020.

During these intervening four years, while Shoop was out on bond awaiting trial, he continued to preach as pastor of the church. (Thanks to Beks on X for reporting this, with images from the church’s Facebook page, which has since been made inaccessible.) Shoop continued to be around children and in a position of high trust.

Nobody said “Whoa.”

Thanks to Beks for this info and for these images of Shoop at church with children (whose faces are blurred).

In the whole of the Southern Baptist Convention, no one stopped Roy Shoop. No one insisted that he step down.

No one.

Not his SBC church. Not the local SBC-affiliated association. Not the SBC-affiliated Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma. And not anyone at the SBC’s national headquarters either.

This is a case in which three victims had already come forward and had given forensic interviews.

This is a case in which law enforcement had already decided there was probable cause to make an arrest.

This is a case in which there had already been media coverage of the pastor’s arrest.

And even with all of this, still no one within the SBC took the obviously needed step of protecting other children by insisting that he step down from the pastorate.

This is why I say kids are not safe within the Southern Baptist Convention.

So here we still are, after years of abuse reform committees and task forces, after years of hollow platitudes and flimsy promises from a slew of SBC officials, after years of their phony public relations talk about “precious children,” and “bold steps,” and how “the hunter is now the hunted” in SBC churches.

Hogwash. All of it.

There was no need to “hunt” for Roy Shoop. The children told. The police arrested him. The media reported him.

And still the SBC took no action for the protection of other kids. For more than four years.

Institutionally, nothing has changed within the SBC. The safety of children is still the lowest of priorities.

At Shoop’s trial, the courtroom was “filled with Shoop’s family and supporters, who prayed together outside the courtroom.” No word on any support for the victims.

Shoop was found guilty and his sentencing will be at a later date.

Hopefully, he’ll serve time in prison.

Because here’s the thing… within the Southern Baptist Convention, if a pastor isn’t literally sitting in prison, he can likely find a pulpit to stand in.

No one will stop him.

My book, Baptistland, is now available!