Pastors do not like being accused of scurrilous behavior. According to Scripture, the remedy is to resolve such issues within the church (I Corinthians 6:1-7) but some American pastors prefer to sue their accusers in the civil courts, even if the accuser is another Christian or Christian entity. (see, e.g., my blog posts on July 15, 2022, and March 19, 2022)

The latest example is the Rev. Johnny Hunt, a long-time pastor in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) who is now suing the SBC for defamation. He filed his case last week in a federal court in Tennessee. The SBC hired Guidepost Solutions to investigate how SBC leaders had dealt with sexual abuse; in its 2022 report, Guidepost mentioned an incident involving Rev. Hunt and a married woman, describing it as a sexual assault. Rev. Hunt, a former SBC president, had not previously disclosed the incident, and at first denied it, then claimed it was consensual.

Given the power imbalance, consent would be suspect here. Biblically, if it was consensual, it’s adultery, which is still a sin, just as assault is.

It is a bit ironic that his lawsuit by its very nature is disclosing his sinful behavior to an even wider audience, keeping alive his damaged reputation that might have otherwise faded from memory.

Another irony is that he admits in his legal complaint that he did indeed have an “inappropriate, extramarital encounter with a married woman.” Since truth is a defense to defamation, one wonders how he can support his claim that he was defamed. Perhaps he’s suggesting that adultery is not defamatory but sexual assault is. Biblically, they’re both sin. And, biblically, whether it’s adultery or assault, it should not be the subject of a civil lawsuit against other believers. Why not rather be wronged? Why not resolve it within the church, instead of in federal court?

Rev. Hunt is suing for damages. One wonders how money could make up for the negative publicity he has already received. He may instead be hoping for some kind of apology or retraction, but that’s not going to happen as long as this case is in litigation. I hope the SBC in its defense moves to transfer the case to a private church process where it belongs.