A judge has given partial approval to the Boy Scouts of America’s sex abuse-related bankruptcy reorganization, including a $30 million United Methodist contribution to a fund for abuse survivors. United Methodist congregations have long been partners of the BSA.
After a difficult stretch, The United Methodist Church and Boy Scouts of America are committed to continuing their close relationship but with significant changes.
The United Methodist Church has long been a key sponsor of Boy Scout troops, and a settlement negotiated by church leaders commits the denomination to compensating and in other ways supporting victims of Scouting-related sexual abuse.
A United Methodist legal team is still negotiating but says the current Boy Scouts of America bankruptcy plan doesn’t adequately protect churches that sponsored Scouting troops and could be liable in sex-abuse claims.