FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Prater, Executive Director
Tel: 610-361-0606
Email: mark.prater@sovereigngrace.com
Glen Mills, PA. February 16, 2019 – The Leadership Team of Sovereign Grace Churches is saddened by the recent comments made by Southern Baptist leaders regarding their historical support of C.J. Mahaney. These interviews come at the end of a week full of heart-wrenching stories of sexual abuse within the Southern Baptist Convention. Our hearts and prayers are with the survivors of these horrible crimes and sins. We thank God for all those who are working to care for them and for justice and reform.
We continue to affirm C.J. as a pastor in good standing within our denomination and commend to you his faithful service to our churches. While associations of independent local churches often have no mechanism for qualifying a minister’s ordination, Sovereign Grace Churches does. Mahaney’s ordination is subject to local church and denominational evaluation as required by our polity. We are not aware of any outstanding, credible accusations against him.
However, we are aware that our communications regarding matters such as sexual abuse allegations and subsequent actions have, at times, left onlookers uninformed. Our desire is to provide timely and truthful information to our friends and partners. Please see the statements we have made on our Press Page.
May we all do everything we can to ensure our churches are safe for children and a place of healing for abuse survivors.