Rachael Denhollander, a vocal critic of the Southern Baptist Convention's treatment of alleged sexual abuse of the clergy, was appointed as Special Adviser to the SBC's task group on the matter.
The task group will be headed by two males, according to Baptist News, and just two of the seven are women including Rachael Denhollander.
Bruce Frank, pastor of Arden's Biltmore Baptist Church, was named chairman, with Marshall Blalock, pastor of Charleston's First Baptist Church, as vice chairman.
The task force also includes John Damon, CEO of Canopy Children's Solutions in Jackson, Miss., Liz Evan, a legal clerk at the Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals in Nashville, Heather Evans, director of Evans Counseling Services in Coopersburg, Pa., Andrew Hébert, head pastor of Paramount Baptist Church in Amarillo, Texas, and Bucas Sterling III, pastor of Upper Marlboro's Kettering Baptist Church in Maryland.
According to the resolution passed by convention messengers last month, the task group is required to report back to the convention the following year, with its conclusions being made public in advance.
But because the special task group was appointed by newly elected SBC President Ed Litton, who was involved in a sermon plagiarism controversy, several SBC pastors attempted to cast doubt on the task committee's legitimacy.
After the task force was announced, Corey Smith, senior pastor of Heritage Baptist Church in Shreveport, La., tweeted: "How can we trust this task force to hold leaders accountable of something as important as sex abuse if they can't hold @EdLitton accountable for sermon plagiarism?"
Other early responses to the task force varied from supportive phone calls to prayers to concern for some of individuals who had been appointed to the committee.
Denhollander and Chris Moles are the task force's special advisers.
The controversy surrounding Denhollander stems from the fact that she is a female who provided evidence that assisted in the conviction of serial sex offender and former U.S. gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.
Her appearance as the main speaker at the "Caring Well" conference, organized by the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, further ruffled feathers in 2019.
Denhollander's scathing remarks, as well as the conference itself were a tipping point for some SBC officials, particularly those on the SBC Executive Committee, who accused her and the ERLC's then-leader, Russell Moore, of bringing damage to the SBC's reputation.
In a statement issued last month in response to demands for an independent investigation of SBC's handling of sexual abuse, Denhollander said that "No one should fear the truth being brought into the light."
Following her previous suggestion that Southern Baptist leaders consult with specialists in the area of abuse before initiating an independent investigation, Baptist News reported that three members of the task force bring specific expertise.
Damon has significant therapeutic expertise and is a child and mental health advocate.
Liz Evan, the other woman in the group, is the author of a Tennessee legislation that would make clergy sexual abuse a criminal offense. A certified clinical social worker, she specializes on women's issues, especially sexual trauma and sex trafficking, as well as the treatment of those who have been victims of these crimes.
