The Southern Baptist Convention plans to launch an independent non-profit organization to help churches and entities prevent and respond to sexual abuse, according to an announcement at the meeting of the SBC Executive Committee on Monday.

The planned Abuse Response Commission will represent a “relentless commitment to advance the cause of abuse reform,” said Josh Wester, chair of the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force, according to Baptist Press.

“Every pastor I know is scared to death of mishandling this issue,” said Wester, pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Greensboro, N.C.

“But here is the truth,” he said. “This issue isn’t going away. It’s a sin problem, and it runs deep.”

Since Southern Baptist are autonomous and not part of a hierarchy, that leaves churches vulnerable to predators who move from church to church, and a database of offenders is necessary, Wester said.

“Databases like this do exist,” he said. “They are insured, and they don’t get sued all the time. It’s the desire of this task force to publish the database as soon as possible.”

The commission would work toward establishing a database that would initially be two categories: those who have criminal convictions and those with civil judgements related to sexual abuse.

Members of the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force have advised about 50 churches over the past two years, he said. “When churches have access to good advice, they tend to not make headlines,” Wester said.

An independent organization “will have more credibility with survivors, more flexibility to help our churches and more success in accomplishing the mandate given to us by messengers,” Wester said.

“Southern Baptists have long said we are better together,” Wester said. “What better way to express our unity than coming together to combat the scourge of sexual abuse.”

Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission President Brent Leatherwood expressed support for the proposal.

“Our churches have said, again and again, and in overwhelming fashion, that stopping predators from preying on the vulnerable must be a top priority for our Convention,” Leatherwood said in a statement to Baptist Press.

“The path forward is clear,” he said. “Safeguarding our churches and serving survivors requires a cooperative response. And it is needed now. Vulnerable lives are at stake and inaction is not an option.”