Survivors Build Database of Accused Abusers
Survivors launch Protestant Accountability, naming more than 2,700 people accused across 100-plus denominations.
A new multidenominational database aims to identify, track and expose abusers within the Christian church.
Named Protestant Accountability, the nonprofit database launched in August after merging with a similar resource, Baptist Accountability. Its mission is to reveal hidden abuse and misconduct and to “promote transparency, accountability and the protection of those at risk.” The database includes photos of those accused or found guilty of sexual abuse, along with their denomination, positions held and supporting documentation. It currently lists more than 2,700 people from more than 100 denominations, including nondenominational, Pentecostal and Methodist churches.
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Dominique “Dom” Benninger, a co-founder of Baptist Accountability and a current board member of Protestant Accountability, said the database’s primary focus is on sexual abusers, but it also includes people who enabled abusive behavior or tried to cover it up.
Protestant Accountability’s founders are no strangers to abuse within the church. Its president, Chellee Taylor, is a survivor of sexual abuse who won a 2022 settlement from the Southern Baptist Convention after accusing the denomination of covering up her assault. Most of Protestant Accountability’s leadership, including those who spearheaded the database, are also survivors of abuse from various Christian denominations.
In an interview with Christianity Today, Taylor said, “I don’t want to burn down the church, but I don’t have a problem dismantling the aspects that are harming people. … The reason that we built this site is because I love the church and I love what the church can and should be. But what it is currently does not mirror that at all.”
Terry McKiernan, president of Bishop Accountability, and David Clohessy, former executive director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), supported the creation and launch of Protestant Accountability, citing its similarity to their own initiatives.
“I’m very confident that the innocent and the vulnerable inside and outside of churches are already safer because of the hard, careful courageous work that these folks have done,” Clohessy said. “I think even more people will be safer when this website is expanded and when more and more people learn about it.”
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Protestant Accountability is not an investigative site, but its design mirrors Bishop Accountability’s as a resource for both churches and law enforcement. By organizing and presenting public documents — including court records and media articles on past and current offenses — the database serves as an asset for law enforcement investigations and a resource for church leadership.
Jeff Dalrymple, the Southern Baptist Convention’s director of abuse prevention and response, offered the denomination’s perspective on Protestant Accountability and the role church leaders play in protecting their congregations.
“We encourage church leaders to use publicly-available resources to create safe environments in their church and protect the vulnerable,” Darlymple wrote. “That process typically starts with screening those that serve with children, youth, as well as vulnerable adults. … We recognize the significance of these measures and encourage all churches and any child/youth-serving organization to develop, implement and sustain a robust screening process as one of several steps in safeguarding the next generation.”
During a video press conference announcing Protestant Accountability’s launch, Taylor said her story is one of many that motivated the creation of the database.
“This database has the potential to save others from the suffering I endured, not just at the hands of my pastor, but by the institution who chose to protect him over honoring God with accountability, transparency and truth,” Taylor said. “[Protestant Accountability is] an effort to spread awareness, inform the public, protect potential victims, and help heal those who’ve already been wounded.”
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