Rice on Abuse Reform and Political Pushback

Willy Rice, newly elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, confronts the denomination’s abuse crisis while defending his leadership against accusations of politicizing reform. He acknowledges abuse occurred but argues that advocacy has become weaponized, likening it to the Me Too movement’s overreach. Backed by conservatives wary of reform’s momentum, Rice claims survivors are often misrepresented by prominent advocates and still find community in their churches. Though he admits some survivors distrust him — especially after withdrawing from the 2022 race amid abuse allegations at his own church — he positions himself as an ally for child protection. The SBC has hired an abuse coordinator to train churches, but Rice insists past reform efforts were hijacked by political agendas. He rejects claims of systemic cover-ups or widespread indifference, insisting meaningful changes have already been made. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/8b94d57a33f9e73e