Southern Baptist Convention list of accused sexual abusers includes two Hamilton County cases

One took place in Soddy-Daisy in 2003; the other at a church in Hixson 33 years ago

HAMILTON COUNTY (WDEF) – The Southern Baptist Convention released a database of church leaders who have been accused of sexual misconduct.

News 12 went through the long list, and learned two of them had local ties.

The database of alleged offenders is quite long. 206 pages worth of church leaders the Southern Baptist Convention investigated and learned were accused of sexual allegations.

Two incidents were local, but neither was recent.

The earliest happened at Central Baptist Church in Hixson back in 1989, and the church re-branded as Abba’s House.

Donald McCary was a minister of music and youth then…

He was convicted of molesting two of the boys, and had two other convictions reversed based on improper testimony from a separate witness.

In 2003, another former minister of music, Gregory Dempsey, confessed to allegations and was charged with three counts of statutory rape and another three counts of sexual battery for the abuse of a 16-year-old at Oak Street Baptist Church in Soddy-Daisy.

News 12 spoke to Rick Nunley, one of the deacons of the church, and he says that Dempsey and the victim left the church after the incident.

Nunley added Dempsey was already the pastor of another church when he was arrested three years later.

He also explained the church put in protocols that vet any church leadership so those incidents should never happen again.

The Southern Baptist Convention released the list in response to a controversial report by Guidepost, which said the S-B-C ignored the reports of sexual abuse and dismissed recommendations for reform.

Former SBC President, Johnny Hunt, resigned from his position on the mission board because of it.