NASHVILLE (BP) — Jeff Dalrymple, director of Abuse Prevention & Response at the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, envisions churches where agape love is so prevalent that abuse of any kind would be unthinkable.

His office has announced a series of free monthly webinars in concert with the Essentials Curriculum to help churches meet the new paradigm, including free monthly webinars through spring 2026 and the “Forces for Good Summit: Cultivating Good Fruit, Proclaiming Good News,” Feb. 24-25 in Dallas.

“We want to help churches create a culture where abuse is just unheard of. The culture is not conducive to abusive traits,” Dalrymple told Baptist Press. “This is what Jesus called us to 2,000 years ago, the fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5. Love, that everything that we do is motivated by agape love, the greatest thing in the world.”

On tap this year and early 2026 are free live webinars, each from 1-2:30 p.m. on their respective dates, including:

• “A Careful Grace: Integrating Offenders into the Church,” Oct. 14, with Rob Showers, an event Dalrymple emphasizes addresses a ministry to which not all churches are called.
• “Recognizing and Understanding Intimate Partner Abuse,” Nov. 13, with Sandra A. Cruise.
• “Creating a Response Plan,” Jan. 27, with Amber Privett.
• “Equipped to Protect: Stepping Into the Role of Child Safety Coordinator,” March 24, with Jenny Estrada.
• “Walking with the Wounded: Caring for Those Impacted by Trauma,” April 16, with Eliza Huie.

Headlining The Forces for Good Summit is Ken Sande, author of “The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict,” who will speak at The Peacemaker Dinner on Feb. 24 in Dallas in advance of a full day of summit events Feb. 25.

Forces for Good will address organizational health and holistic stewardship of churches, encompassing not only abuse prevention but also governance, financial policies, technology, security, risk management, leadership, people management and insurance policies.

“This Forces for Good theme is cultivating the goodness culture that Scripture calls us to,” Dalrymple said. “That permeates everything that we are as a church.”

Register for Forces for Good at a discounted price of $199 through December for the event, which includes a complimentary copy of the book with dinner. Registration increases to $249 in January.

More information on free 2025 Webinars:

“A Careful Grace: Integrating Offenders into the Church,” Oct. 14, 1-2:30 p.m. (More information here.)

A Careful Grace trains churches in ministering to convicted church offenders, offering them discipleship and membership within the church body while prioritizing the health and safety of the vulnerable.

“Not every church is called to care for convicted sex offenders, but those that are should prioritize the vulnerable and work through specific safeguards to protect the vulnerable, while at the same time serving that offender,” Dalrymple said. “We call it a careful grace.”

Learn from attorney Rob Showers, co-founder of Baltimore, Md., law firm Simms-Showers, whose practice focuses on civil and commercial litigation as well as church, nonprofit and business law. He has served hundreds of churches, including Southern Baptists.

Such a ministry gets to the heart of the gospel, Dalrymple said.

“We believe that every person is made in God’s image. Every person is called to repent of their sins and turn to Christ through the gospel, and that includes convicted sex offenders,” Dalrymple said. “And so we want offenders to be a part of a Bible-believing, gospel-preaching faith community where they can grow in their love for the Lord and be transformed.”

“Recognizing and Understanding Intimate Partner Abuse,” Nov. 13, 1-2:30 p.m. (More information here.)

Dalrymple describes domestic violence as a subcategory of abuse that pastors are often ill-equipped to address.

“We’re hoping that pastors and ministry leaders will come to learn more about that and what they can do to serve that population,” Dalrymple said. “Oftentimes the church is on the front lines to be able to provide hope and care in those difficult times.”

More than 35% of women and more than 28% of men experience some form of partner abuse within their lifetimes, encompassing rape, other physical violence and stalking; with psychological abuse impacting more than 61 million women and more than 53 million men, national studies have found.

Sandra A. Cruise, director of the Domestic Abuse Network for churches in Maryland and a sought-after speaker and expert in the field, will address concerns. Cruise is experienced in counseling male and female survivors.

“What does counseling look like?” Dalrymple posed. “What are some of the indicators where oftentimes, sadly, it’s a wife that may be a victim in that situation and needs help, but may not have the freedom to be able to share sensitive information with church leaders.”

Registration for all events is available at SBCAbusePrevention.com/events.

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer.)