Mike Hixenbaugh
@mikehixenbaugh.com
NBC News senior reporter | Author of THEY CAME FOR THE SCHOOLS | Co-creator of SOUTHLAKE & GRAPEVINE podcasts | Retired t-ball coach
www.mikehixenbaugh.com
www.mikehixenbaugh.com
4/ Barrett shared voluntary child safety guidelines that churches could adopt.
Then the denomination's longtime chief legal counsel, Richard Hammar, rose to explain his thinking. The legal risks of mandating child-protection policies, he said from the stage, “outweighed the benefit.”
Watch:
Then the denomination's longtime chief legal counsel, Richard Hammar, rose to explain his thinking. The legal risks of mandating child-protection policies, he said from the stage, “outweighed the benefit.”
Watch:
November 2, 2025 at 11:50 PM
4/ Barrett shared voluntary child safety guidelines that churches could adopt.
Then the denomination's longtime chief legal counsel, Richard Hammar, rose to explain his thinking. The legal risks of mandating child-protection policies, he said from the stage, “outweighed the benefit.”
Watch:
Then the denomination's longtime chief legal counsel, Richard Hammar, rose to explain his thinking. The legal risks of mandating child-protection policies, he said from the stage, “outweighed the benefit.”
Watch:
3/ The Assemblies of God's General Council voted to study the resolution.
When it reconvened two years later, top leaders advised rejecting it.
General Secretary Donna Barrett said mandating child safety policies would have played “right into the hands of plaintiffs’ attorneys.”
Watch:
When it reconvened two years later, top leaders advised rejecting it.
General Secretary Donna Barrett said mandating child safety policies would have played “right into the hands of plaintiffs’ attorneys.”
Watch:
November 2, 2025 at 11:50 PM
3/ The Assemblies of God's General Council voted to study the resolution.
When it reconvened two years later, top leaders advised rejecting it.
General Secretary Donna Barrett said mandating child safety policies would have played “right into the hands of plaintiffs’ attorneys.”
Watch:
When it reconvened two years later, top leaders advised rejecting it.
General Secretary Donna Barrett said mandating child safety policies would have played “right into the hands of plaintiffs’ attorneys.”
Watch:
2/ But before the resolution could be voted on, the Assemblies of God's former general superintendent, George Wood, stood to share "grave legal concerns."
If the denomination adopted rules, he said, it could be held liable in lawsuits for failing to enforce them.
Listen to how Wood framed it:
If the denomination adopted rules, he said, it could be held liable in lawsuits for failing to enforce them.
Listen to how Wood framed it:
November 2, 2025 at 11:50 PM
2/ But before the resolution could be voted on, the Assemblies of God's former general superintendent, George Wood, stood to share "grave legal concerns."
If the denomination adopted rules, he said, it could be held liable in lawsuits for failing to enforce them.
Listen to how Wood framed it:
If the denomination adopted rules, he said, it could be held liable in lawsuits for failing to enforce them.
Listen to how Wood framed it:
🧵 1/ In 2019, the Assemblies of God considered a resolution to make it a punishable offense if any minister or affiliated church failed to adopt policies to prevent child sex abuse.
It was potentially a watershed moment.
Here's a video of a church leader making an impassioned case for the policy:
It was potentially a watershed moment.
Here's a video of a church leader making an impassioned case for the policy:
November 2, 2025 at 11:50 PM
🧵 1/ In 2019, the Assemblies of God considered a resolution to make it a punishable offense if any minister or affiliated church failed to adopt policies to prevent child sex abuse.
It was potentially a watershed moment.
Here's a video of a church leader making an impassioned case for the policy:
It was potentially a watershed moment.
Here's a video of a church leader making an impassioned case for the policy:
No suckers this year. Jamie Raskin is giving kids copies of the Constitution at the Kensington Labor Day Parade.
“It’s got the Impeachment Clause in there!”
“It’s got the Impeachment Clause in there!”
September 1, 2025 at 3:26 PM
No suckers this year. Jamie Raskin is giving kids copies of the Constitution at the Kensington Labor Day Parade.
“It’s got the Impeachment Clause in there!”
“It’s got the Impeachment Clause in there!”
Captain Maryland and his crab mallet.
Happy Labor Day
Happy Labor Day
September 1, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Captain Maryland and his crab mallet.
Happy Labor Day
Happy Labor Day