A Texas judge has dismissed most of the counts against the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and one of its elder statesmen, retired judge Paul Pressler.
The case involves a lawsuit filed by Gerald Duane Rollins alleging sexual abuse by Pressler when Rollins was a young man. It sought to hold several other defendants responsible, namely Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, former Southwestern president Paige Patterson, Houston's First Baptist Church, Second Baptist Church in Houston, Pressler's wife Nancy and his former law partner Jared Woodfill.
, 88, was the architect of the so-called 'Conservative Resurgence' in the SBC during the 1980s that saw it turn decisively towards a hyper-conservative interpretation of Scripture.
Rollins, 54, alleged Pressler had begun to abuse him when he was 14 and that this had led to a lifetime of substance abuse and mental health problems.
Five of the eight claims were dismissed on the grounds that they had occurred too long before the case was brought and did not qualify for an exception to statutes of limitations.
The judge in the case, Ravi K Sandfill, ruled that three others could move forward. They involve slander and libel claims by Rollins, and a breach of contract claim against Pressler relating to a previous lawsuit.
SBC attorney James Guenther told Baptist Press the SBC had 'multiple defenses in this case. The most basic defense was the fact that the convention committed no wrong and was not involved or connected in any way with the harms that Mr Rollins alleged. Additionally, the convention did not have control over or any duty to control Mr Pressler or any of the other defendants. So, none of the facts necessary to assert any valid claim against the convention was present. It was simply not responsible if another defendant in this case engaged in any wrongdoing.'
He continued: 'While vigorously asserting all of its defenses, the convention took the route deemed most practical, economic and indisputable: the plaintiff's suit against the convention was filed too late, not by weeks or months, but by years -- the statute of limitations had long run on the charges.'
All the defendants deny all the allegations against them. Rollins has the right to appeal.
