Want to share a story? 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. Though 30 pages in length, the key facts allged are right on the first page. In a filing made in the Mobile, Ala., Circuit Court, David Sills, former pastor of now-closed Woodland Hills Church, Jackson, and his wife Mary Sills allege "defamation, conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and wantonness concerning untrue claims of sexual abuse" initiated by Jennifer Lyell, with whom David Sills Ascol, Buck and Basham had collaborated with the source of the original quotation that Sills took out of context in his recent lawsuit. Today, she feels that belief, known as complementarianism, has created an unhealthy culture. Why so much outrage over the burning of an LGBT Pride flag? The Southern Baptist Convention would pass Resolution 6 which acknowledged Jennifer Lyell as an abuse survivor and therefore labeling David Sills as an abuser. It took months for Baptist Press to retract the article and address errors in it and that only happened after the former BP staff had been replaced and the article had been criticized by abuse advocate Rachael Denhollander. Lyell explained that she decided to go public with her story after hearing that Sills was appointed to serve as a missionary with a mission agency not affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. 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 . Lyell told Religion News Service she wished she had never gone public. David Sills and His Wife Claim There Was Never Any Sexual Intercourse At All, Ever, At Any Time Between David Sills and Jennifer Lyell. 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. 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. Women are seen first and foremost as sexual objects, means to an end, she said, adding women are seen as temptresses, trying to bring a good man down and getting married is seen as a way of helping men deal with their lust. However, Baptist Press, the SBCs in-house news service owned by the executive committee, incorrectly reported that Lyell had admitted to being involved in a morally inappropriate relationship with her former professor. How did Bob Smietana avoid being named in this lawsuit? NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor David Sills resigned last year. This article has been updated with a statement from Lyell. Lyell urged denominational leaders as well as pastors to recognize the responsibility they have to protect survivors from more harm when they come forward. It was a Zoom call conducted June 6, 2021. Things changed, however, once the abuse became public. The lawsuit centers on allegations that Sills sexually abused Jennifer Lyell starting in 2004 when Lyell was a student and Sills was a professor. Want to share a story? The conventions statement of faith says women and men are equal in Gods sight but have different roles in the church and the home. The law should reflect that, Legacy of Wounded Knee occupation lives on 50 years later, Holy Queer author seeks Black church inclusion beyond singing with choir, Three big numbers that tell the story of secularization in America. But at Lyells request, SBTS, the flagship seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention, did not make the details behind Sills resignation public at the time. 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. This wasnt by accident; I believe it was by design, Lyell wrote. The implication of Ms. Lyells statement was that Dr. Sills had acted criminally. Lyell feared he would once again have the opportunity to abuse others and wanted to stop that from happening. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. David Sills and his wife, Mary Sills, claim Lyell 'constructed a false narrative . NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. She said she was a 26-year-old Master of Divinity student when it began. 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. Reaching and Teaching International told BP in a statement that they are aware of a statement by Lyell regarding her allegations and are committed to ensuring a culture of transparency and accountability., Lyell said, It is my hope that my story, one in which a SBC entity and its leaders acted swiftly and justly but in which that same individual was also in a ministry position only months later, will also help to illustrate the need for some form of a reporting tool that can ensure that those who have victimized others from a ministry position are unable to ever do so again., (EDITOR'S NOTE This story has been edited by Biblical Recorder staff. 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. Just over two years later, she stated the allegations to then-LifeWay Senior Vice President Eric Geiger and Mohler. [I] became an aunt to their grandchildren, and their grown children became like siblings to me, she wrote. Survivors dont just lose their trust in that one person, she said. Get this The Daily Telegraph page for free from Tuesday, July 29, 1975 97S IZIm THE COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION SERVICE HIM 1 Mb CHKlbTENINGb and IN MEMOR1AM Cl 10 Una MARRIAGES DEATHS and . 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. That happened three months prior to release of a bombshell report from an independent investigation that found widespread mishandling of known cases of sexual abuse in the SBC and its churches. 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. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. She stated that the pattern continued and escalated for more than a decade following that trip.. It conclusively demonstrated the non-consensual nature of what happened to her. Jennifer Lyell . She describes being shocked and blaming herself despite that she had not initiated the encounter. She mentions them many times during this recording. Lyell is a former Reaching and Teaching International board member. 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 various mischaracterizations, misstatements, and a contrived investigation by defendants, the plaintiffs, David Sills and Mary Sills, have been wrongfully and untruthfully labeled as criminals and shunned by the SBC.. David Sills, the professor, and his wife, Mary Sills, allege defamation, conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and wantonness in connection with untrue claims of sexual abuse made by Jennifer Lyell in 2021. If so, when so that press can verify this element of the story that is now so obviously a glaring contradiction in the narrative. . It looked idyllic on the surface. The Capstone Report reached out to verify the audio and for comment about the provenance of the audio. That report also cited the Lyell case. 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.. Buck is an East Texas pastor who shares Ascols beliefs and is aggressive on Twitter in spreading his commentaries and accusations. 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. Her case has become one of the most high-profile illustrations of the larger reckoning over mishandled knowledge of sexual abuse within the SBC. The court filing addresses this issue: This court has personal jurisdiction over the defendants. David Sills and Mary Sills contend they have been smeared repeatedly in the process and seek monetary damages. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The audio came to the Capstone Report from a source not connected with Midwest Outreach. 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. Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell, Lost Boys of Sudan: St. Johns Baptist Charlotte, Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church, Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center, Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio, Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), SBC report shows how five words turn abuse victim from survivor to whore, Religious schools can build a community of faith without discriminating. 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. Lyell came to us with an allegation of abuse and should have been cared for throughout the entire process. According to Lyell, the reason she waited so long to come forward with her claims is because she was afraid that her coming forward could cause collateral damage impacting people she loved. So, now the question turns to: Did SBTS President Al Mohler call the police on David Sills as alleged by Lyell? Sills was a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary until his resignation on May 23, 2018. Sills claimed there was not any legitimate or proper investigation of Lyells accusations against him. Lyell, who served as vice president of LifeWay Christian Resources, posted a confession in 2018 claiming how Sills, who has been married for over 30 years, sexually abused her and groomed her. 11 - Motion to Introduce Report moved by Councillor Jennifer McKelvie (Carried) That the Report from Meetings 14 and 15 of the Scarborough Community Council listed on the Agenda of Council be presented for consideration. He said people often turn to clergy when they are at their most vulnerable. She lost her reputation, her job and even her health in the process. Individuals who knew her story alerted that particular mission agency to the details behind Sills resignation from SBTS and Sills is no longer listed as a missionary for that organization. By the time Lyell had come forward publicly with her story, she had been in counseling for over two years. These ultra-conservatives believe the SBC is sliding into liberalism and needs to be rescued by them. Lyell spends some of the recording taking about a blogpost written by Peter Lumpkins (likely this post.). And recovering from abuse as an adult is a long-term process. 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. Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. told Baptist Press he could not disclose why Sills employment at the seminary ended. (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 damage his repute. Lyell mentions police at her house and Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary calling the police. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. George's resignation was "due to a personal moral failing," Midwestern told the Recorder on June 1. In addition to being missionaries to these groups it is also our purpose to train and equip those who have placed their trust in Jesus Christ, his death, burial and physical resurrection, for their salvation to do the same., At one point last summer, Henzel sent two emails to Ascol, asking him to communicate with elders at Lyells church about Henzels and Veinots concerns regarding Lyells wellness.. Basham questions Lyells description of events, her claims to have reported the abuse to police, and her ability to enlist others to corroborate her story. I now wonder if the only reason that a family relationship was ever presented as an option was to ensure I wouldnt tell what had happened in those first instances.. A clergy person has enormous power. "David Sills was repentant and obedient to the rules of the SBC," the complaint alleges. The campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship seminary for the Southern Baptist Convention, located in Louisville, Kentucky. 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. The suit was filed in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Ala., on Monday, Nov. 21. In fact, she claims in a newly leaked audio recording that she has been vague intentionallyso that the Sills grandchildren wouldn't find out much about this by using Google. Mohler did that. David Sills and his wife, Mary, filed the suit Nov. 21 in Mobile County circuit court. 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. David Sills (Photo via Baptist Press) Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell, Lost Boys of Sudan: St. Johns Baptist Charlotte, Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church, Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center, Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio, Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), No, we will not take down an article you dont like, SBC report shows how five words turn abuse victim from survivor to whore, West Virginia religious freedom bill headed to governor, Religious schools can build a community of faith without discriminating. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". ", 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.". Jennifer Lyell claims she never wanted the attention her abuse allegations created nor to harm the family of David Sills, her alleged abuser. Police is an important part of Lyells narrative. Pastoral misconduct is seen as a moral failing rather than an abuse of power. 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. She claims . Hes wrong. When a pastor or leader is involved in a sexual scandal, the language of affair is used, even when its a predatory use of spiritual power, he said. In the rush to virtue signal support for Jennifer Lyell, SBC pastor Eric Geiger made a public allegation against Mary Sills, wife of David Sills. According to documents obtained by BNG, however, Ascol, Buck and Basham had collaborated with the source of the original quotation that Sills took out of context in his recent lawsuit. 1. 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. The group has no apparent connections to the SBC, and its interview with Lyell seems outside its stated purpose. 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. In her statement, Lyell accused Sills of "grooming and taking advantage of his student." Lyell first disclosed the situation to a therapist in March 2016, she said. 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. 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.. Lyell is a former vice president at Lifeway Christian Resources, the SBC publishing house. (June 15, 2020) Letter from David S. Crawford, Streetscape Coordinator, St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association (EX.Supp . Mohler assured that he stands behind Lyell and her statement. As I understand it, that is not accurate. On page 18 of the Sills lawsuit, Sills and his attorneys present their accusation as fact. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". What Ascol, Buck and Sills share in common is adherence to an extreme version of Reformed theology, known as hyper-Calvinism, that has been on the resurgence in the SBC over the past 30 years. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The group maintained a shared online file of their correspondence. Lyell was labeled on social media as an adulteress rather than an abuse survivor, with users leaving scores of vile comments about her on Lifeways Facebook page and the Baptist Press website. 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. 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.. Sills is also an author. While the SBCs reports on Lyells allegations claimed Sills was fired, the former professor claims he voluntarily resigned after admitting to a morally inappropriate relationship with Lyell. But I am a victim nonetheless.. Of course, Lyell spoke to multiple media outlets and is featured in a new documentary on sex abuse in the SBC. 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 . For Sills, no reason for his resignation was stated by Southern. Ascol is a Florida pastor who leads Founders Ministries, a group of Southern Baptist Calvinists. And the incidents Lyell describes would have caused the creation of police reports. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. RELATED: Jennifer Lyell wanted to stop her abuser by . Jennifer Lyell claims she never wanted the attention her abuse allegations created nor to harm the family of David Sills, her alleged abuser. Attorneys misidentified an email from Lyell, which was sent to a pair of ministers, not to RNS. Jennifer Lyell, 2006 graduate of SBTS, says in her statement that 2004 was the first time Sills acted against her. She praised SBTS for acting swiftly after she contacted Mohler. 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 If you do not know your new account number you can contact. Instead of reporting she had been abused, Nashville-based Baptist Press, which is overseen by the Southern Baptist Conventions Executive Committee, reported in March 2019 that Lyell, then a vice president at Lifeway Christian Resources, had admitted being involved in a morally inappropriate relationship with her former professor. The case as outlined by David and Mary Sills directly contradicts the narrative told by Lyell and widely accepted as truth. Pooler said abusive relationships with clergy often last for years. And for so long, people have been unable to understand those categories., RELATED: The cost for coming forward one survivors life after #MeToo. Lyell wrote that she first shared her story with her boss at LifeWay and then with Mohler. 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. In 2004, Lyell was a 26-year-old master of divinity student when she met cultural anthropology professor David Sills, who is 23 years her senior, on the Louisville campus of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Venue is appropriate in this court because defendant Ed Litton is a resident citizen of Mobile County, Alabama., 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. Lyell, who served as vice president of LifeWay Christian Resources, posted a confession in 2018 claiming how Sills, who has been married for over 30 years, sexually abused her and groomed her. 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