Matt Queen — Photo by The Baptist Paper
Former seminary professor Matt Queen has been sentenced to one year of probation, six months of house arrest and a $2,000 fine after being convicted of lying to federal investigators during an investigation into sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention.
The investigation into the SBC included Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary’s handling of a report of alleged sexual assault by a student.
Queen pled guilty this past October to making false statements to federal investigators. He initially pled innocent to a charge of obstructing justice in the sexual abuse case involving an accused student.
SWBTS releases statement
Southwestern Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, released a statement on Wednesday (March 5) in response to the sentencing:
“Since November 2022, Southwestern Seminary has fully cooperated with the Department of Justice’s investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention’s response to sexual abuse. With the criminal justice process now complete regarding the charges against Matt Queen, we are hopeful that the investigation will soon reach its conclusion, allowing all parties to move forward. Our prayers for Matt Queen and his family as well as all others involved in this process continue.”
The seminary added, “Southwestern Seminary remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all members of our community, taking every possible measure to prevent sexual abuse and harassment.”
Queen served as a professor at Southwestern Seminary from August 2010 until June 2023. He was accused of giving the FBI falsified information in 2023 about reported sexual misconduct by a student of the seminary’s undergraduate-level Texas Baptist College in November 2022. Queen served as SWBTS’ interim provost from January to June 2023.
Queen was named pastor of Friendly Avenue Baptist Church in Greensboro, North Carolina, in early 2024, and was put on administrative leave while the investigation continued. Queen resigned as pastor of the church in November.
Editor’s note: This story was originally published by The Baptist Paper. It is part of a developing story.
