After Baptist News Global broke the news that former seminary professor David Sills and his wife, Mary, filed a defamation lawsuit against the Southern Baptist Convention and 11 other defendants, three high-profile Southern Baptists took to Twitter to highlight one specific section of the 31-page legal document. She said she was motivated to tell her story following the account of Megan Lively, who was raped by a fellow student at a Southern Baptist seminary in 2003 and then counseled by the president of the seminary to not report the incident to police. Sills is also an author. He unsuccessfully ran for the SBC presidency in June. Ascol retweeted her, insisting: Exactly. Based on the information we now have I retract any suggestion that Jennifer Lyells physical relationship with David Sills was consensual., By Aug. 3, 2021 about six weeks after the SBC annual meeting at which a Sexual Abuse Task Force was authorized Midwest Christian Outreach issued an update to its post with this note from Henzel: Shortly after this article was published, Jennifer Lyell graciously reached out to us and provided crucial details of her case both to me and to Midwest Christian Outreach, Inc. President Don Veinot. If this seems like a contradiction, this is just the beginning. He said people often turn to clergy when they are at their most vulnerable. She graduated from Southern with a master of divinity in 2006 and enrolled in an SBTS doctoral program for one year after that. He said it is often easier for churches to blame victims than to look at the way they have empowered abusers. Lyell was not writing to a professional journalist with a national news organization; she was writing to two bloggers who run a small nonprofit that investigates cults and preaches against the Enneagram. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Jennifer Lyell, who now works as an executive for LifeWay Christian Resources, posted a confession online last week claiming how Sills, who has been married for 30 years and has three grandchildren, sexually abused her and even groomed her from the time she was a master of divinity student until just a few years ago. I have never been unwilling to be questioned when making allegations that arent only moral, but are also criminal and Im extremely thankful that all parties who received and investigated my allegations did press me for details necessary to understand what I was alleging given my age and the fact it was not a single occurrence as well as that I did not report anything to them for a very long time.. Lyell wrote that she first shared her story with her boss at LifeWay and then with Mohler. To date, none of the named defendants has issued a public comment on the lawsuit. And now the two competing narratives of what happened between Sills and Lyell likely will add more fuel to the SBCs internal debate over the nature and extent of sexual abuse as a real problem. "As the official news service for the Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press should be known for integrity, truth and accuracy. Three Southern Baptist seminary faculty members have recently resigned their positions. And because of their power and influence, pastors and other religious leaders have a responsibility to set up boundaries in their relationships with other people. Here's how. Her story has already helped countless other people around the country, in ways that she may not even know about. Just over two years later, she stated the allegations to then-LifeWay Senior Vice President Eric Geiger and Mohler. How did Bob Smietana avoid being named in this lawsuit? Im also fine to answer any questions you or the other gentleman has to ensure you have clarity and believe me. For Sills, no reason for his resignation was stated by Southern. A former Southern Baptist Theological Seminary student has come forward to detail how former professor David Sills, who resigned last year, engaged in an inappropriate and "abusive" sexual relationship with her that lasted for over a decade. Lyell came to us with an allegation of abuse and should have been cared for throughout the entire process. Lyell is a former Reaching and Teaching International board member. Today, she feels that belief, known as complementarianism, has created an unhealthy culture. David Pooler, professor of social work at Baylor University, said sexual misconduct by clergy and other religious leaders is often labeled as having an affair. But that description misses the power imbalance at play. Moore said he and his wife are friends of Lyell and he described her as one of the strongest, most courageous and brilliant leaders I know. He hopes she will eventually return to a leadership role in the church. If so, when so that press can verify this element of the story that is now so obviously a glaring contradiction in the narrative. Defamation?! 2023 Baptist News Global. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. Sills has not denied engaging in an inappropriate relationship with Lyell, and he resigned his post at Southern Seminary after being confronted about it. And Christian theology about sin and about the roles of men and women often makes it difficult for survivors who come forward. The group has no apparent connections to the SBC, and its interview with Lyell seems outside its stated purpose. In a statement posted on her website, Jennifer Lyell, who is now 41 and works for a major Christian book publisher, said Sills first "sexually acted" against her on a mission trip in 2004 and that the relationship continued until she was 38. As Veinot explains on the website: Our mission is to give clear answers, and a solid defense of the orthodox biblical faith, to all types of unbelievers atheists, agnostics, as well as members of cults and new religious groups such as the Jehovahs Witnesses, Mormons, the International Churches of Christ, and so on. If the claims in this suit are true, then it would seem that he is as culpable as any of the other defendants., To which Basham replied: Note, Religion News Service reported that Sills admitted to abuse, though Sills told me through an intermediary that RNS also did not reach out to him before that story was published and he never admitted anything like this., Basham also tweeted a link to the BNG story with this comment: Ive read David/Mary Sills filing against SBC, Guidepost, & number of SBC leaders. She said Southern Baptist leaders do not hesitate to use their public platforms to debate theology or drive culture war issues but rarely call out abusive behavior in their own camp especially if it means correcting other denominational leaders. Jennifer Lyell in 2019 decided to reveal she had been sexually abused by a former Southern Baptist seminary professor who had recently returned to ministry. Some especially a group of Calvinist pastors questioned Lyells account and accused her of trying to make a consensual affair look like abuse. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Lyells claim that she was abused by David Sills while he was a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary resulted in a controversial news story published by Baptist Press, the denominational news service, which portrayed the relationship as consensual. David Sills and Mary Sills contend they have been smeared repeatedly in the process and seek monetary damages. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). . She has alleged Sills abused her over a multi-year period. This wasnt by accident; I believe it was by design, Lyell wrote. When I shared what had happened to me with my boss at LifeWay [Geiger] and then later with SBTS President Dr. R. Albert Mohler, I was quick to also share the responsibility I bore for being compliant at times, for not telling immediately and for so idolizing the idea of a whole family that I protected it despite what was happening within it, Lyell said. ", As a result of the conversation upon Sills' return, Mohler said "he was no longer a member of the faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary from that time.". In fact, she claims in a newly leaked audio recording that she has been vague intentionallyso that the Sills grandchildren wouldnt find out much about this by using Google. Lives in: Mayfield KY Used to live: Mayfield KY AKA: Anthony White, Anthony Scott Jackson, Anthony Scott Jackson, Anthony S Jackson Related to: Lindsey R Jackson, Akia T White, Antonio D Jackson, Carlos L Jackson, Darrell Albert White View Details The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". . At SBTS, Mohler assured that the institution's biblical and moral standards "aren't up for any renegotiation. The Southern Baptist Convention would pass Resolution 6 which acknowledged Jennifer Lyell as an abuse survivor and therefore labeling David Sills as an abuser. She did so after learning her abuser, a former Southern Baptist seminary professor, author and missionary, had recently returned to ministry. . No thinking person with a backbone takes them seriously., Exactly one year before Basham published Southern Baptists #MeToo Moment, Midwest Christian Outreach, a small online apologetics site run by Don Veinot, highlighted Lyells case. Lyells case is of particular interest because Guidepost did not talk to some described as corroborating the allegations of abuse and because SBC Elites declared on their own authority that this was a case of Sex Abuse. David Sills, an ex-Southern Baptist Convention seminary professor accused of sexual abuse by his former student filed a defamation suit in Alabama against her and several SBC entities. "Defendants saw him as an easy target; a bona fide scapegoat." . There are plenty of reasons to stay silent in a situation such as this. Southern Baptists oust Rick Warrens Saddleback Church for naming a female pastor, Southern Baptists plan to hire Guidepost Solutions to run abuser tracking database, Beth Moore tries to untangle her all knotted-up life in new memoir, Copyright 2020, Religion News Service. Man At Center of Massive SBC Sex Scandal Sues Denomination, Along with 11 Prominent Southern Baptists For Lying About Him The Soap Opera Plods On Russell Moore, a Southern Baptist ethicist and president of the denominations Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, said the power dynamics involved in abuse have often been misunderstood in evangelical circles. You've read 0 of 5 of todays most popular posts. George, as curator of the Spurgeon Library and digitized archive, worked with the . She did so after learning her abuser, a former Southern Baptist seminary professor, author and missionary, had recently returned to ministry. I am not a sinless victim. Guidepost and the SBC are two of 12 total defendants named in the lawsuit that revolves around allegations that David Sills sexually abused Jennifer Lyell starting in 2004, when Lyell was. Denhollander, who has represented Lyell, pointed out that it took months for Baptist Press to retracte that article. The campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship seminary for the Southern Baptist Convention, located in Louisville, Kentucky. Litigating this case publicly could cause extreme discomfort for some of the defendants named, forcing them to testify under oath about matters they have tried to handle discreetly. In that email, Lyell makes the exact statement the lawsuit attributes to communication with Smietana. Why so much outrage over the burning of an LGBT Pride flag? She mentions them many times during this recording. All rights reserved. For example, why did Lyell continue the relationship with the alleged abusers after graduating from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS)? Jennifer Lyell Lyell is a former vice president at Lifeway Christian Resources, the SBC publishing house. They didnt they just kind of defaulted to me, and then realized later, Oh, crap, we shouldnt have done that., SBC Elites cite distinguished lawyer and Southern Baptist Matthew Martens; however, Martens has written persuasively, Supporters of a constitutional amendment to ban women pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), New intel points to Covid origin in a lab leak, remember when this was a, NAMB PR VP Mike Ebert emerges as key witness in McRaney v. NAMB What will, Leaked audio interview with Jennifer Lyell hits, featured in a new documentary on sex abuse in the SBC, David raped Bathsheba promoter involved in new SEBTS abuse class, SBC Abuse Expert Rachael Denhollander Sided with Amber Heard, SBC Elites defend credibly accused standard to ruin lives, Bart Barber flipflops on pledge to bring vote to ban Women Pastors in SBC, Evangelical Elites lied you to about the origins of Covid, Woke SBC Elites Delete History To Hide Their Schemes. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Within days, the professor had been confronted and resigned. That was untrue. In the spring of 2018, after more than two years of therapy, she disclosed to her boss at Lifeway that a former professor named David Sills had first sexually acted against her without her consent during a mission trip he was leading while she was a seminary student. Once the person gets access, they keep that access, he said. At its simplest level, it is abuse because it is not consensual, he said. The fallout was quick and devastating. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. It also names Jennifer Lyell, a former seminarian and vice president for Lifeway, who has repeatedly alleged that Sills was abusive, an allegation Mohler has also made on social media and in an interview for a documentary about the denomination's response to its sexual abuse crisis. Her case has become one of the most high-profile illustrations of the larger reckoning over mishandled knowledge of sexual abuse within the SBC. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Having known that I experienced sexual abuse growing up, Dr. Sills assured me that the first incidents that happened on that mission trip werent really my fault as I naturally felt even though I had not initiated them and was shocked as the actions took place., He explained they were because of what happened to me when I was a child. In the lawsuit, David Sills contends that he never even had sex with Jennifer Lyell during this twelve year long affair which he admits was inappropriate. We must clearly tell the truth so that our churches and ministries are safe and as pure as they can be.. [I] became an aunt to their grandchildren, and their grown children became like siblings to me, she wrote. It also claims Sills ended the relationship with Defendant Lyell who nevertheless persisted her pursuit of Sills and undertook efforts to reach Dr. Sills through his family., David and Mary Sills also contend that Lyell, relying on her expertise as an accomplished writer and executive in the fields of advertising and publishing within the SBC, a lucrative and powerful position, constructed a false narrative against Dr. Sills and Mrs. Sills, at the height of awareness of SBC scandals.. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. "I think she was courageous in making those statements and I think it sets an example for how others should also demonstrate an equal courage," Mohler said. The reason that a professor was able to continue grooming and taking advantage of his student was because I became like part of his family. These ultra-conservatives believe the SBC is sliding into liberalism and needs to be rescued by them. So, now the question turns to: Did SBTS President Al Mohler call the police on David Sills as alleged by Lyell? 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News broke today that former Southern Baptist Seminary professor, David Sills (who resigned 9 months ago), resigned due Continue reading When Sin Goes Unchecked the Nations Suffer First, the defendants widely circulated their herein-described defamatory lies about Dr. and Mrs. Sills throughout Mobile County and the state of Alabama. Nine months after The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) professor David Sills resigned for undisclosed reasons, a woman has released a statement of allegations including details of what she describes as sexual abuse by Sills, beginning while she was a Southern Seminary student. Baptist Press eventually apologized for the article, but Lyell said she had already been devastated by the repercussions of its inaccurate reporting. The outlet additionally reported that Sills has also resigned as a trustee of the SBC International Mission Board and his position on IMB's presidential search committee. The ex-Southern Baptist Convention seminary professor accused of sexual abuse by his former student filed a defamation suit in Alabama against her and several SBC entities, claiming the allegations. Heaven will be diverse. In the spring of 2019, Lyell, then a well-respected leader in Christian publishing, decided to publicly disclose that she was a survivor of sexual abuse. The church said it acted swiftly and firmly and that Sills is no longer a member. Want to share a story? Basham says whatever number of actual abuse cases may be found in the SBC, they represent such a small percentage as to be anything but a crisis.. Sills contends he was made a scapegoat in a denomination reeling from other, larger claims of sexual abuse. Jennifer Lyell Lyell previously was a vice president at Lifeway, which is located in Nashville, Tenn. She voluntarily agreed to an interview with Baptist Press in 2019, by her account hoping her story would encourage other survivors of sexual abuse to come forward. And because they, in a sense, represent God, they have more power than almost any other professional person that works with other people.. And we met with him within hours of his arrival back in the United States since our policies call for an immediate conversation. But I am a victim nonetheless.. Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. The larger conversation around sexual abuse has dominated SBC life for the past two years and has been addressed by two special task forces, one of which is still working. Denhollander, an abuse survivor whose testimony led to the conviction of former national gymnastics doctor and serial abuser Larry Nassar, said evangelical theology had created a kind of porn culture in churches. On July 6th, this story would resurface because Bob Smietana, a liberal reporter of the pagan Religious News Service wrote an apologetic for Jennifer Lyell, When abuse victims are adults . Scarsella, who also works with a nonprofit that advocates for abuse victims, noted that clergy abusers also often know how to use the theology of sin for their advantage. Baptist Press reporting did, in fact, mislead people. And that Sills is no longer a member her abuser, a former Southern Theological! Has already helped countless other people around the country, in fact, mislead people 0 of 5 of most... Had already been devastated by the repercussions of its inaccurate reporting the lawsuit attributes to communication with.... Men and women often makes it difficult for survivors who come forward the way they have cared. Sills as alleged by Lyell smeared repeatedly in the process and seek monetary.! 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