Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News Collaborate to Expose an Abuse of Faith

The series “Abuse of Faith” reported by journalists at the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News revealed a long pattern of alleged sexual abuse by hundreds of workers and volunteers at a number of Southern Baptist churches.

A lawsuit filed against a Texas Court of Appeals judge alleging decades of sexual abuse on his part sparked the thorough investigation. The two news organizations committed time and resources to an investigation of this size with the intent of answering “how often did this happen?” The team consisted of 4 reporters, 3 photojournalists, 2 data journalists, editors at both papers, and page and graphic designers. It took about six months of reporting and writing for the first installment, but the overall project ran the course of a year.

Chronicle reporters John and Robert Downen and John Tedesco, part of the 2019 Showcase Gold Star Investigative winning team, took a moment to visit with Foundation Chairman Mark Morrison to discuss their award-winning reporting.