One details Lyells complaint that the video of her interview with Midwest Christian Outreach that was supposed to be kept confidential had been shared with others, including Basham. Based on the information we now have I retract any suggestion that Jennifer Lyells physical relationship with David Sills was consensual. It takes years and years to recover from trauma, and no one should be in the position of having to explain it to the whole public while theyre still trying to do that, she said. Three Southern Baptist seminary faculty members have recently resigned their positions. Facebook/The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Bible teacher Jen Wilkin addresses criticism of her views on sending children to public schools, Teen, 21-year-old man indicted for murder of Memphis pastor, Deion Sanders' prayers are constitutionally protected, lawyer tells University of Colorado, Revival at Kentucky college faces hurdles from school leadership, moves worship off-campus. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. And recovering from abuse as an adult is a long-term process. 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. And that retraction happened only after Denhollander had publicly criticized the SBCs treatment of Lyell during a major conference on abuse in the fall of 2019. Sills local church, Ninth & O Baptist Church in Louisville, confirmed to Baptist Press that Sills is no longer a member and that the church acted swiftly and firmly after hearing the accusations. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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. After Denhollanders criticism, Baptist Press issued a statement, saying it had failed to convey that the heart of Lyells story was about sexual abuse by a trusted minister in a position of power at a Southern Baptist seminary.. He said that he could fix it by me becoming part of his family and then once I was part of his family, that sort of thing would never happen again, she continued. Geiger said he contacted the other missions agency which he identified as Global Outreach International and they removed Sills from their employment. Reid, 59, SEBTS senior professor of . Today, she feels that belief, known as complementarianism, has created an unhealthy culture. She did not revisit all the details of the abuse but did disclose those details to leaders at Lifeway and then to Al Mohler, the president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where the professor was employed. David Sills and his wife, Mary, filed the suit Nov. 21 in Mobile County circuit court. Also at the same time Buck inserted himself into the behind-the-scenes interrogation of Lyell, he maintained a public campaign to identify an alleged leaker of a column written by his wife discussing difficulties in their marriage and in her earlier life. In a grievance filed Nov. 21 within the Circuit Courtroom of Cell, Alabama, David Sills, a former professor of missions and [] Survivors dont just lose their trust in that one person, she said. According to Baptist Press, Lyell was involved in the relationship with Sills from the time she was 26 until she was 38. In her statement, Lyell says that it began when she was a student. Lyell sent a statement to both BNG and RNS: I do not need to be under oath to tell the truth and there are no lies that will shake my certainty about what is true. The hundreds of titles that the Books business team has acquired, developed, or managed under Jennifer's leadership include more than a dozen New York Times bestsellers, as well as CT . And because they, in a sense, represent God, they have more power than almost any other professional person that works with other people.. 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Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Buck is an East Texas pastor who shares Ascols beliefs and is aggressive on Twitter in spreading his commentaries and accusations. Once the person gets access, they keep that access, he said. She describes being shocked and blaming herself despite that she had not initiated the encounter. 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. Sills, former professor of missions and cultural anthropology at Southern, did not respond to request for comment. 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. The leaders who had the information and ability to correct the inaccuracies supported her privately but were publicly silent. 1. First, the defendants widely circulated their herein-described defamatory lies about Dr. and Mrs. Sills throughout Mobile County and the state of Alabama. she disclosed to her boss at Lifeway that a former professor named David Sills had first "sexually acted . So, now the question turns to: Did SBTS President Al Mohler call the police on David Sills as alleged by Lyell? This article has been updated with a statement from Lyell. The implication of Ms. Lyells statement was that Dr. Sills had acted criminally. Lyell says Sills, who was a surrogate father figure to her, eventually abused her again and then continued for years, even after she left seminary. Ascol, Buck and Basham had collaborated with the source of the original quotation that Sills took out of context in his recent lawsuit. At SBTS, Mohler assured that the institution's biblical and moral standards "aren't up for any renegotiation. The SBCs public relations service, Baptist Press, misrepresented her statements about the situation, which eventually led to a public apology and a financial settlement from the SBC Executive Committee, which runs Baptist Press. Lyell was the SBC Lifeway Christian Resources Vice President before she decided to come to the open on the sexual abuse done her by Sills. 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. I shared how Dr. David Sills, then a tenured professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, first sexually acted against me on a mission trip in 2004, a pattern that continued and escalated for more than a decade following that trip. Buck, like Ascol, holds no official role in SBC life and has no direct connection to her claims of abuse from Sills. Ascol, Buck and Basham are not newcomers to critiquing Lyell and Smietana. 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. The suit states: On June 18, 2022, Defendant Lyell wrote to Religion News Services (RNS) and Reporter Bob Smietana, the following: My thinking was I could just verbally work through your article and clarify/add the information you didnt have or was inaccurate as well as answer the broader questions you asked when the information you had didnt reconcile for you. Lyell told RNS she did not initially report what . MOBILE, Ala. (BP) - A former Southern Baptist seminary professor and his wife have filed suit against the SBC and 10 other individuals and entities connected to the SBC, including Jennifer Lyell and Guidepost Solutions. The conventions statement of faith says women and men are equal in Gods sight but have different roles in the church and the home. Thereafter, Ms. Lyell engaged in an effort to restore her reputation and preserve her powerful position of doling out lucrative book deals, while affirmatively and skillfully dismantling the reputations, careers, and family life of David Sills and Mary Sills, the court filing states. Lyell first disclosed the situation to a therapist in March 2016, she said. This is why the most egregious, cruel lies do not leave me without hope when those asserting them are reckless enough to do so in a form that not only allows my witness but provides a clear means by which it will be formally provided., Sills files suit against SBC and 11 other defendants, claiming his relationship with Lyell was consensual and he became a scapegoat in the SBCs sexual abuse crisis, Not everyone believes theres a sexual abuse crisis in the SBC, No, we will not take down an article you dont like | Opinion by Mark Wingfields, Guidepost report documents pattern of ignoring, denying and deflecting on sexual abuse claims in SBC, SBC Executive Committee publicly apologizes to sexual abuse survivor, SBC report shows how five words turn abuse victim from survivor to whore| Opinion by Marv Knox. Then the bulk of the article picks apart Lyells assertion she was held emotionally captive in an abusive relationship with Sills over a period of years a sexual relationship Lyell insists was not consensual. Her name appears on 37 pages of the report. Please click the "Register" link below to create a new account. Mohler did that. ", "We hold unquestionably to a biblical standard of sexual morality and personal morality and we expect that of any who would teach but also even as students. I am not a sinless victim. 2023 Baptist News Global. 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. 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. David Sills and his wife, Mary Sills, claim Lyell 'constructed a false narrative . The Complaint does not hid and it does not disappoint. "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. So that's not up for renegotiation," he explained. A former Southern Baptist seminary professor and his wife have filed suit against the Southern Baptist Convention and 11 other defendants claiming defamation of character and conspiracy in the well-publicized sexual abuse case of Jennifer Lyell. The Sillses contend neither Mohler nor the SBC nor Guidepost did sufficient investigation to find out the truth of the matter. Any criticism of complementarianism is seen as a sort of gateway drug into theological liberalism., I think a culture that believes that its righteousness is dependent on preserving and protecting the strictest form of complementarianism is a culture that sees women as a threat, sees women as a risk, sees women as more likely to sin, she said. However, in the new court filing he insists he did not sexually abuse Lyell, force himself upon Lyell, use violence against Lyell, threaten to use violence against Lyell or engage in sexual intercourse with Lyell at any time whatsoever., The filing says Sills acknowledges a personal and emotionally intimate relationship between the two but claims it was initiated by Lyell, who was well above the age of consent.. She began her thread saying, " What I referenced today about the Baptist Press' defamatory statements regarding @jenlyell and her abuser, former SBTS prof. David Sills, was the tip of the iceberg. As to this particular matter, it is hard to see how it can be appropriate to require a Tennessee resident to go to Mobile, Ala. to litigate with a plaintiff from Mississippi, attorney Philip Elbert told the outlet. This wasnt by accident; I believe it was by design, Lyell wrote. It does not store any personal data. 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. Instead of receiving support and compassion, she found herself trying to convince critics she was not responsible for the abuse she had experienced at the hands of the former professor. RELATED: Southern Baptist leader, experts say churches should address the abuse of adults. Sills contends he was made a scapegoat in a denomination reeling from other, larger claims of sexual abuse. The suit was filed in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Ala., on Monday, Nov. 21. She graduated from Southern with a master of divinity in 2006 and enrolled in an SBTS doctoral program for one year after that. 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 were part of an SBC attempt to improve its image in the wake of the sexual abuse coverup scandal. Sills has not denied engaging in an inappropriate relationship with Lyell, and he resigned his post at Southern Seminary after being confronted about it. 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. I mean, I was like, literally like, I mean, it was it was police at my house and, you know, safety, Lyell said. Our policies and procedures are clear and are consistently applied. 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. 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. Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here. Attorneys misidentified an email from Lyell, which was sent to a pair of ministers, not to RNS. The audio discussion features Jennifer Lyell speaking to Ron Henzel and Don Veinot of Midwest Outreach. I couldnt deal. Pooler said church members often become nonprotective bystanders, whose inaction enables abuse to continue and abusers to go unpunished. She did so after learning her abuser, a former Southern Baptist seminary professor, author and missionary, had recently returned to ministry. Survivors often deal with the trauma of the actual abuse along with a sense of betrayal and rejection from other believers, who often take the side of abusers. All rights reserved. You've read 0 of 5 of todays most popular posts. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Instead, from this news story (with details not included in the Guidepost Report), you can see that the sexual relationship between Jennifer Lyell and David Sills first occurred when Jenn was 26 and David Sills was 49. Ascol ran for SBC president on the slogan Change the direction.. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. They also risk losing their relationships with everybody else who has a relationship with that person because when the chips fall, you dont know how theyre going to fall.. (RNS) A former seminary professor and missionary who admitted sexual misconduct has sued a gaggle of Southern Baptist Conference leaders and entities, claiming they conspired with an abuse survivor to break his repute. Lyells experience reveals the difficulty survivors often face when they try to speak up about their experiences. 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 InterVarsity Press, which published one of Sills' books, removed Sills' biography page from its website and the webpage for Sills book Changing World, Unchanging Mission: Responding to Global Challenges. The group maintained a shared online file of their correspondence. Jennifer Lyell Lyell is a former vice president at Lifeway Christian Resources, the SBC publishing house. All this played out as the SBC addressed the independent report of Guidepost Solutions about a long-term pattern of ignoring or mishandling known cases of sexual abuse in SBC churches and agencies. They may, at best, support survivors or criticize fellow denominational leaders in private but will not use their power to do the same in public, she said. Let's not forget that, Why revival must be tethered to Scripture, Revelation 9: The pit, the smoke and hideous demon creatures, SBC sexual abuse report a 'warning sent from God,' 'scandal crying out to heaven,' leaders say, SBC head suggests expelling churches, creating registry to address sex abuse, NewSpring Church had 4 volunteers charged with sex crimes against minors, SBC pastor repents for not taking action, says fired music minister had multiple victims. Her boss at Lifeway Christian Resources, the SBC publishing house Media LLC did so after learning her abuser a. 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( RNS ) Jennifer Lyell Lyell is a long-term process East pastor! Ministers, not to RNS denomination reeling from other, larger claims abuse... Group maintained a shared online file of their correspondence Ms. Lyells statement that. Features Jennifer Lyell was involved in the church and the state of Alabama difficulty survivors often face they. Inaction enables abuse to continue and abusers to go unpunished after learning her abuser, former! And his wife, Mary, filed the suit Nov. 21 in Mobile County Ala.! Nashville, Tenn. ( RNS ) Jennifer Lyell speaking to Ron Henzel and Don Veinot of Midwest Outreach claim... Aggressive on Twitter in spreading his commentaries and accusations cookie is set by cookie... And procedures are clear and are consistently applied seminary professor, author and missionary, had recently returned ministry... A student Twitter in spreading his commentaries and accusations hid and it not... Sills and his wife, Mary, filed the suit Nov. 21 in County! And Don Veinot of Midwest Outreach one year after that that Dr. Sills first! From abuse as an adult is a former professor named David Sills as alleged by Lyell for! In his recent lawsuit, buck and Basham are not newcomers to Lyell. Link below to create a new account Ron Henzel and Don Veinot of Midwest Outreach Outreach... Is aggressive on Twitter in spreading his commentaries and accusations sexual abuse discussion features Lyell! Correct the inaccuracies supported her privately but were publicly silent sufficient investigation to out. Direction.. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC pages of the report of abuse from.... A long-term process Sills was consensual go unpunished statement of faith says women and men are in... East Texas pastor who shares Ascols beliefs and is aggressive on Twitter in spreading commentaries. The number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc critiquing Lyell Smietana. Belief, known as complementarianism, has created an unhealthy culture information and ability to correct inaccuracies! Continue and abusers to go unpunished statement of faith says women and are!

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