New Database Launched to Track Protestant Leaders Accused of Church Abuse

A new database designed to track Protestant church leaders accused of misconduct and abuse went live this week, giving survivors and congregations a centralized resource that has long been absent from the Protestant world.

Unlike the Catholic Church, which has faced decades of pressure to publish lists of credibly accused clergy, Protestant denominations have operated largely without a shared accountability system. The new database aims to change that.

The project was developed by a coalition of survivor advocacy groups and independent researchers. It draws on court records, news reports, and denominational disclosures to compile information on leaders who have faced credible allegations.

"Predators move between churches," said one of the project's founders. "Without a shared database, a pastor removed from one congregation can simply start over somewhere else."

The database currently includes hundreds of entries spanning multiple denominations. Users can search by name, denomination, state, and type of allegation. Each entry includes source documentation.

Church leaders have had mixed reactions. Some denominations have welcomed the effort as a tool for accountability. Others have raised concerns about due process and the potential for false accusations to damage reputations.

The Southern Baptist Convention, which has faced its own abuse scandal in recent years, has been working on its own internal tracking system. The new independent database is separate from that effort.

Survivor advocates say the database is a starting point, not a complete solution. They are calling on denominations to adopt mandatory reporting policies and to cooperate with law enforcement when allegations arise.

The database is free to access at its public website. The coalition says it will update entries as new information becomes available.