CONNECTIONS HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA.
FLORIDA.
FLORIDA. >> IS DOUBLE TONIGHT. AND WE
START WITH BREAKING NEWS
WITHIN THE LAST HALF HOUR, ONE
OF AMERICA'S LARGEST CHRISTIAN
DENOMINATIONS JUST RELEASED
ITS SECRET LIST OF NAMES OF
PASTORS AND WORKERS ACCUSED OF
ABUSING CHILDREN. GOOD
EVENING, I'M VANESSA ECHOLS
AND I'M GREG WARMOTH. THERE
ARE HUNDREDS OF NAMES ON THAT
LIST. IT WAS BROUGHT TO LIGHT
BY AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORT.
>> THAT SAID SENIOR CHURCH
LEADERS ALLOWED THOSE PEOPLE
TO CONTINUE WORKING DESPITE
THE CREDIBLE ACCUSATIONS
AGAINST THEM. NICK PATON TOLD
US LIVE IN THE STUDIO WITH US.
NICK, AT LEAST ONE WILL HAVE
TIES TO CENTRAL FLORIDA AND
MAYBE MORE THAN THAT. YEAH.
JUST GOING THROUGH THE
LITERALLY 30 SECONDS AGO. I
THINK I COUNTED A TOTAL OF 7
WITH 5 OF THEM HAVING
COMMITTED SOME SORT OF OFFENSE
WHILE THEY WERE HERE.
>> IN CENTRAL FLORIDA, NOT
REALLY SURPRISING THERE. MORE
THAN 250 SOUTHERN BAPTIST
CONGREGATIONS IN OUR AREA.
THERE WERE ICES SAID 7 MEN
TOTAL. MOST OF THEM WERE
ARRESTED AND CONVICTED FOR
THEIR CRIMES. BUT ONE WAS NOT.
AND HIS INCLUSION IS A VICTORY
FOR THE WOMAN. YOU'RE ABOUT TO
HEAR FROM. AMERICA HAS HEARD
THIS STORY BEFORE VICTIMS OF
ABUSE BY TRUSTED CHURCH
OFFICIALS IGNORED BY SENIOR
LEADERS. THEIR ABUSERS QUIETLY
MOVED TO ANOTHER CONGREGATION
TO CONTINUE TO WORK AND HARM
KIDS.
KIDS.
KIDS. >>
KIDS. >> IT HAPPENED WITH THE
CATHOLIC CHURCH IN THE EARLY
2. THOUSANDS KRYSTA BROWN KNEW
ONE DAY STORIES ABOUT THE
SOUTHERN BAPTISTS WOULD COME
TO LIGHT TO. I THINK I WAS
TOLD I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT.
THAT'S WHAT HOPE FOR HER. IT
WAS HER PASTOR IN TEXAS, TOMMY
GILMORE. SHE SAYS HE ASSAULTED
HER MORE THAN 30 TIMES. BROWN
SAYS WHEN SHE REPORTED HIM,
THE CHURCH TOLD HER SHE NEEDED
SAYING CAST FROM HER BODY. I
SET OUT TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING
ABOUT IT AND LOCATE THEM
REALIZED HE WAS STILL IN
MINISTRY.
MINISTRY.
MINISTRY. >> I NOTIFY A
>> SOMETHING LEADERS IN 4
STATES, INCLUDING FLORIDA.
>> AND NOT A ONE OF THOSE
DOING THAT
DOING THAT >> YES, FLORIDA. 30 YEARS
LATER, GILMORE WAS WORKING AS
A CHILDREN'S MINISTER IN THE
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF
OVIEDO. NOW CROSS LIFE CHURCH.
HE WAS NEVER CRIMINALLY
CHARGED, BUT HIS NAME WAS
AMONG THE HUNDREDS OF THE
SOUTHERN BAPTIST PUBLICIZED
THURSDAY NIGHT. THE MORE THAN
250 CONGREGATIONS SCATTERED
AROUND CENTRAL FLORIDA
GENERATED SEVERAL OTHER NAMES.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE
BELIEVE SURVIVORS.
BELIEVE SURVIVORS. >> THAT WE DON'T VICTIM BLAME
THEM, THAT WHEN THEY SHARE
THEIR STORY, IT'S INCREDIBLY
BRAVE OF THEM TO COME FORWARD.
BROWN FORCED THOSE
CONVERSATIONS SUING THE CHURCH
AND EVENTUALLY GETTING A
WRITTEN APOLOGY FROM ITS
LEADERS CONFIRMING GILMORE'S
GUILT.
GUILT.
GUILT. >>
GUILT. >> SHE SAYS SHE HOPES THIS
INSPIRES FURTHER REFORM AND
EMPOWERS OTHER SURVIVORS. THIS
IS WHY.
IS WHY.
IS WHY. >> MANY, MANY, MANY SURVIVORS
HAVE BEEN SAYING FOR MANY,
MANY YEARS. IT IS A HARD TRUE.
I GET THAT. BUT IT IS A TRUTH
THAT MUST BE RECKONED WITH.
>> WELL, SO AND THERE WERE A
NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WERE
BLACKED OUT SO WE COULD NOT
SEE WHO THEY WERE, WHERE THEY
WERE FROM OR WHAT THEY DID. WE
DID TALK TO A PASTOR OF THE
OVIEDO CHURCH. HE TOLD US THEY
STRONGLY SUPPORTED THE
INITIATIVE TO LAUNCH AN
INVESTIGATION IN THE FIRST
PLACE AND QUOTE, WE WOULDN'T
HAVE HIRED GILMORE IF THERE
WAS A LIST NATIONWIDE OF
PASTORS ACCUSED OF ASSAULT, WE
WOULD HAVE LIKED THE
OPPORTUNITY TO AVOID THAT
MISTAKE. GILMORE HAD PASSED A
BACKGROUND CHECK AND WAS LET
GO IN 2003 FROM A VETO WITHOUT
ANY ACCUSATIONS OF ABUSE
LOCALLY. WE'RE TRYING TO TRACK
HIM DOWN FOR COMMENT BUT WERE
UNSUCCESSFUL. VANESSA?
UNSUCCESSFUL. VANESSA? >> AND HERE ARE SOME OF THE
OTHER NAMES ON THAT LIST WITH
CENTRAL FLORIDA TIES. HARLEY
FRANCE'S POWERS DRIVE BAPTIST
CHURCH. NATHAN JOHN GORE'S
LUNCH GUARDIAN AD LITEM
PROGRAM IN VOLUSIA THOMAS
WARREN HALLS, THE FIRST
BAPTIST CHURCH, LEESBURG,
DAVID JOE, RICH SPRINGS
COMMUNITY BAPTIST CHURCH
APOPKA JOHN MAXWELL, WHERE
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH PINE
CASTLE.
CASTLE.
CASTLE. >> WILLIE MCLAURIN, THE
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE'S INTERIM
PRESIDENT AND CEO ISSUED A
FORMAL PUBLIC APOLOGY TO ALL
THOSE WHO SUFFERED ABUSE
WITHIN THE SBC SAYING, QUOTE,
WE ARE SORRY TO THE SURVIVORS
FOR ALL WE HAVE DONE TO CAUSE
PAIN AND FRUSTRATION NOW IS
THE TIME TO CHANGE THE
CULTURE. WE HAVE