Nearly 20 Arkansas church personnel named in Southern Baptist abusers list

Little Rock, Arkansas — On Thursday night, a document was made public where at least 18 Arkansas pastors and church-affiliated personnel are named in a previously secret list made by the Southern Baptist Convention of more than 700 entries of people who have been accused of sexual abuse.

The existence of the list was made public early in the week.

Doctor Ronnie Floyd, the former senior pastor at a Springdale church, served as the president and CEO of the SBC’s executive committee until October 2021.

According to the independent investigation conducted by Guidepost Solutions, committee members responded to the victims of the sexual abuse with “resistance, stonewalling, and even outright hostility.”

Some names are redacted from the list, although at least 18 people with Arkansas connections are named.

Below you will find those named on the document with connections to Arkansas:

• Mark Aderholt
o Employed by Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock and Central Baptist Church in North Little Rock
• John Lankston Anderson Jr.
o Pulpit preacher at Southside in Russellville
• Tim Ballard
o Principal at Sylvan Hills First Baptist, a Baptist-sponsored Christian school
• Larry Michael Berkley
o Pastor at Shiloh Baptist Church in Harrison
• David Wayne Farren
o Pastor at Anchor Church in Texarkana as well as Heritage Baptist Church, Trinity Baptist Church, and Faith Church
• Paul “Kevin” Hendrix
o Youth minister, FBC in Cherokee Village
• Nathaniel Hull Jr.
o Preacher’s son, First Baptist Church in West Helena
• Keith Daniel Kiger
o Youth minister, What Church in Winslow
• [redacted]
o [redacted] discussed sexual abuse in the 1980s
• Tyson Norsworthy
o Middle school coach at Sylvan Hills First Baptist, a Baptist-sponsored Christian school
• Timothy E. Patton
o Music minister at Danville First Baptist Church
• Travis Payne
o Pastor, South Texarkana Baptist Church
• David Kent Price
o Music minister at First Baptist Church in Benton
• Timothy Lee Reddin
o Director of missions, Central Baptist Association in Benton
o Pastor at Turner Street Baptist Church in Springdale
o Pastor at Central Baptist Church in Conway
o Pastor at Pines Baptist Church in Quitman
o Pastor at Barcelona Road Baptist Church in Hot Springs Village
• Richard Thomas Riley
o Former teacher at LifeWay Christian School, a ministry of First Baptist Centerton
• [redacted]
o Pastor arrested for raping mentally handicapped child at [redacted] location
• Derek L Smittle
o Youth volunteer at First Baptist Centeron
• [redacted]
o Pastor at unknown location accused for sexually assaulting 17-year-old in 2009.