Eight deacons of a prominent Southern Baptist megachurch in Arkansas have resigned, refusing to sign a “recommitment form,” viewed by some as a “loyalty pledge” to the church’s senior pastor. The news, reported in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, comes after the church’s mishandling of multiple sex abuse allegations.

Stephen Carlisle, longtime deacon at Immanuel Baptist Church (IBC) in Little Rock, Arkansas, told the Gazette the deacons resigned following a contentious deacons’ meeting last week. David Choate and seven others have reportedly resigned as deacons, after being asked to sign a “recommitment form,” pledging support to IBC Lead Pastor Steven Smith. 

For months, Smith has been under fire for failing to inform his Southern Baptist Convention (SBC)-affiliated church of multiple alleged child sex abuse incidents. During the Feb. 4 deacons’ meeting, deacons had been slated to cast a vote of no confidence regarding Smith’s leadership, as Smith acknowledged in an email to members. However, that resolution was tabled by a vote of 27 to 18, according to a report in the Gazette.

Instead, IBC Deacon Chairman Greg Crain reportedly championed a “reinstatement process” for deacons at that meeting. Deacons were asked to sign the form and set up an interview with the newly formed Recommitment Committee, to be reinstated as deacons. 

However, according to reporting by the Gazette, the IBC board of deacons’ bylaws, revised in 2015, make no mention of a Recommitment Committee. “One deacon said he’d never heard of the committee until the moment the recommitment forms were distributed,” stated the story.

In a Feb. 5 email to IBC members, which was obtained by The Roys Report (TRR), Crain framed the process as voluntary. “As we move forward with reconciliation and restoration, we—as deacons—wanted to take this opportunity to recommit to who, how, and why we serve,” he wrote.

Crain added: “I want to be clear that the intent is not to remove deacons. There are no new expectations for deacons.” 

TRR reached out to IBC spokesman Philip Ashworth for comment but did not receive a response. 

‘(It) just rips your heart out’

The church’s upheaval has centered on a lack of disclosure by Smith of alleged child sex abuse perpetrated by former IBC staff members. 

IBC Assistant Director of Children’s Ministry Patrick Miller had reportedly fondled and sexually abused multiple elementary-age girls after grooming them through games of “hide and seek” where they would be locked in darkened rooms at the church.

Parents informed IBC staff of abuse in March 2016. However, Smith didn’t disclose any details to church members until last December when Miller’s criminal record became public. 

Similarly, an inappropriate sexual relationship between a 23-year-old IBC female youth volunteer and a teenager in the church came to light in 2020; Smith did not disclose details until last September. 

The board of deacons convened a committee to investigate how the church has handled reports of abuse. Speaking to the church on Dec. 17, 2023, Smith said that committee would meet with a “party outside the church,” conduct an inquiry, and report the findings.

However, as reported by the Gazette, committee members were required to sign a “sweeping nondisclosure agreement” (NDA) barring them from communicating even with fellow deacons. And the “outside party” was reportedly an attorney for the church’s insurance company. 

“That committee is the sorriest job in that whole church right now,” Carlisle told the Gazette. “Because you get to see the truth, and you know that the truth is still not going to be handled properly. That’s the part that just rips your heart out.” 

Three committee members, including Carlisle, have since resigned. 

National SBC figures speak out on IBC governance issues

SBC leaders and influencers have been discussing how Smith—a prominent Southern Baptist figure—has responded to alleged abuse at the historic SBC church.

On Feb. 7, current SBC President Bart Barber apparently referenced the abrupt governance changes at IBC in a series of posts on X.

“No Christian should pledge fealty to anyone other than Christ,” stated Barber. “No church leader should wrest decision-making out of the hands of the congregation.” 

This part of Article VI in the Baptist Faith & Message is just as important as any other part of Article VI.

No Christian should pledge fealty to anyone other than Christ.

No church leader should wrest decision-making out of the hands of the congregation.

— Bart Barber (@bartbarber) February 7, 2024

Similarly, in a Feb. 8 post, Christa Brown, an abuse survivor and victims’ advocate who has followed the scandal, summed up the church’s response.

Brown wrote: “Church investigatory committee told to sign sweeping NDAs, keeping secret even the existence of NDAs. Deacons made to sign loyalty pledge to pastor. Pastor claims ‘spirit of transparency.’ Got it.” 

At least 200 members of IBC have reportedly left in recent weeks, including members of the finance and personnel committees and children’s ministry volunteers.

Smith referenced the departures in a Feb. 4 email to members, noting that deacons agreed to “complete the necessary training, in order to serve in kids and preschool ministries as the need arises.” 

The embattled pastor also presented an image of stability and contrition, in that email sent hours after the contentious deacons’ meeting. “We are praying that in this time genuine reconciliation will begin,” wrote Smith.

However, Dan Kirkpatrick is among several deacons who has vocally objected to Smith’s leadership, including the tone of recent church communication.

“You are not above reproach,” Kirkpatrick said to Smith, reported the Gazette. “You know it, we know it, the community outside of the church knows it. You’re going to tell us that we ‘need to reconcile and heal,’ and we can’t do it as long as you’re here.”

This article has been corrected to accurately state the status of certain deacons.

Freelance journalist Josh Shepherd writes on faith, culture, and public policy for several media outlets. He and his family live in the Washington, D.C. area.