▁convinced ▁a ▁small ▁group ▁of ▁church ▁el ders ▁that ▁they ' ve ▁been ▁called ▁to ▁service ▁by ▁God ," ▁which ▁leads ▁to ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁o vers ight ▁into ▁the ▁background ▁of ▁figures ▁who ▁are ▁ord ained . ▁ ▁Resol ution ▁passed ▁On ▁ 1 2 ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 9 , ▁during ▁their ▁annual ▁meeting , ▁S BC ▁deleg ates , ▁who ▁assemble d ▁that ▁year ▁in ▁B irmingham , ▁Alabama , ▁approved ▁a ▁resolution ▁condem ning ▁sex ▁ab use ▁and ▁establish ing ▁a ▁special ▁committee ▁to ▁investigate ▁sex ▁ab use , ▁which ▁will ▁make ▁it ▁easier ▁for ▁S BC ▁churches ▁to ▁be ▁exp elled ▁from ▁the ▁Convention . ▁The ▁Rev . ▁J . D . ▁Gre ear , ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁Southern ▁Bapt ist ▁Convention ▁and ▁past or ▁of ▁The ▁Sum mit ▁Church ▁in ▁Dur ham , ▁N . C ., ▁called ▁the ▁move ▁a ▁" def ining ▁moment ." ▁Ron nie ▁F loyd , ▁president ▁of ▁the ▁S BC ' s ▁executive ▁committee , ▁echo ed ▁Gre ear ' s ▁remarks , ▁describing ▁the ▁vote ▁as ▁" a ▁very , ▁very ▁significant ▁moment ▁in ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Southern ▁Bapt ist ▁Convention ." ▁ ▁Method ology ▁Re por ters ▁Robert ▁Down en , ▁L ise ▁O ls en ▁and ▁John ▁T edes co ▁began ▁their ▁work ▁on ▁this ▁story ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 8 , ▁searching ▁news ▁arch ives , ▁websites ▁and ▁Sex ▁off ender ▁databases ▁to ▁compile ▁an ▁arch ival ▁list ▁of ▁sexual ▁ab use ▁and ▁mis