Geiger said he contacted the other missions agency which he identified as Global Outreach International and they removed Sills from their employment. She has alleged Sills abused her over a multi-year period. However, today's topic is not about an up-and-coming musician, rather it is a cautionary tale for up-and-coming ministers of the Gospel. 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. He also said churches often believe survivors were participants in their abusers sins. The following year, Jennifer Lyell, a former vice president at Lifeway Christian Resources, told Baptist Press she had been a victim of emotional and sexual abuse by Sills, who had been her professor. We were horrified by what she shared with us. While churches say they want to care for survivors of abuse, those survivors are often viewed with suspicion, having to prove they are worthy of compassion and respect. Sills files defamation suit against SBC, Lyell, others November 29, 2022 By Baptist Press 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. After several years of dispute, the SBC Executive Committee earlier this year reached a financial settlement with Lyell and issued a public apology for the Baptist Press story. However, Ascol, Basham and Buck were copied on the email, and in another email, Lyell indicates Basham had accessed the video without Lyells knowledge or permission. 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 . 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. Today, she feels that belief, known as complementarianism, has created an unhealthy culture. Then things went terribly wrong. She claims . 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. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Rest assured, though, that regardless of venue, the case will be vigorously defended.. And for so long, people have been unable to understand those categories., RELATED: The cost for coming forward one survivors life after #MeToo. So that's not up for renegotiation," he explained. What happened instead was a controversy over what kind of relations are consensual and nonconsensual and who gets to make that determination and challenges to the veracity of Lyells account. Because this is a personnel matter, we cannot comment further.. Her name appears on 37 pages of the report. Baptist Press reporting did, in fact, mislead people. We hope you will! Mohler said his encouragement from the start in any case such as this is that authorities be contacted and that only law enforcement should judge whether laws may have been violated in such situations. Henzel told CR that he did not know how the audio was leaked and did not feel comfortable speaking about it. 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. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. I stand behind her in [her public statement] and believe she is acting righteously, he told BP. The group maintained a shared online file of their correspondence. Ascol, Buck and Basham had collaborated with the source of the original quotation that Sills took out of context in his recent lawsuit. Lyell wrote that she first shared her story with her boss at LifeWay and then with Mohler. "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. 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. The campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship seminary for the Southern Baptist Convention, located in Louisville, Kentucky. Sills files defamation suit against SBC, Lyell, others 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. 1. Refresher: Sills was man most prominently named as abuser in report. 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. David Sills (Photo via Baptist Press) The implication of Ms. Lyells statement was that Dr. Sills had acted criminally. I had discussions on our boards here with people who were convinced by the reporting that David Sills and Jennifer had an "affair" and that he was held responsible for it while she was not. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It looked idyllic on the surface. Lyell feared he would once again have the opportunity to abuse others and wanted to stop that from happening. 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.. On page 18 of the Sills lawsuit, Sills and his attorneys present their accusation as fact. . at the height of awareness of SBC scandals.' 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 Those documents include emails between the various parties. And these men couldnt even lift a finger when she was defamed and crushed and destroyed. 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. 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. Things changed, however, once the abuse became public. The conventions statement of faith says women and men are equal in Gods sight but have different roles in the church and the home. 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. "So I want to make very clear that I stand with her in that statement.". Prior to the apology's issuance, she has informed SBC Executive Committee Chairman Rolland Slade in October regarding the pending disputes and legal claims she has due to her case. 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 lawsuit also claims that Sills broke off the relationship and that Lyell continued to pursue him. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. Want to help your child build lasting, meaningful friendships? Christian leaders need to remember that they are called to be shepherds in the model of the Good Shepherd, she said, protecting the sheep even if the wolves include their fellow leaders., A woman holds signs about abuse during a rally outside the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex on June 11, 2019, in Birmingham, Ala. RNS photo by Butch Dill. The timeline raises many natural and difficult questionsquestions that are not prompted by a desire for lewd details, but rather to fully understand what has become a public case used to discredit how the SBC handles abuse allegations. David Sills and Mary Sills contend they have been smeared repeatedly in the process and seek monetary damages. Part of Lyells reason for being "compliant at times" and remaining silent for as long as she did, she stated, was because she became like part of [Sills] family and feared the collateral damage that telling would cause for those around him. In her statement, Lyell accused Sills of grooming and taking advantage of his student.. ), We have changed software providers for our subscription database. . 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. David Sills, a former seminary professor and missionary who admitted sexual misconduct, has sued a group of Southern Baptist Convention leaders and entities, claiming they conspired with an abuse survivor to ruin his reputation. 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. Ascol ran for SBC president on the slogan Change the direction.. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. But we must not be silent.. Lyell tells the story in her own wordsso people can finally judge for themselves the particulars of the case. The court filing addresses this issue: This court has personal jurisdiction over the defendants. It conclusively demonstrated the non-consensual nature of what happened to her. Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. Geiger, senior pastor of Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif., confirmed to BP that Lyell shared her allegations with him. Mohler assured that he stands behind Lyell and her statement. I have never been unwilling to be questioned when making allegations that arent only moral, but are also criminal . And recovering from abuse as an adult is a long-term process. 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. A clergy person has enormous power. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. If I were not to come forward with this letter, a church or ministry who receives Dr. Sills CV and does an internet search for him would have no way to know the truth behind his resignation, she wrote. Sills is also an author. ", Follow Samuel Smith on Twitter: @IamSamSmith. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 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 case as outlined by David and Mary Sills directly contradicts the narrative told by Lyell and widely accepted as truth. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Photo by Karen Race Photography 2019. Veinot and his senior researcher, Ron Henzel, had conducted a video interview with Lyell and wrote about it on their blog under the headline Does Abuse Absolve Adultery? For Sills, no reason for his resignation was stated by Southern. 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. At SBTS, Mohler assured that the institution's biblical and moral standards "aren't up for any renegotiation. 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. David Sills, into having a sexual relationship with him while she was enrolled in a missions class at the seminary. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The resignations of Alvin Reid at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Christian George at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and David Sills at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary were reported by Baptist Press and the North Carolina Biblical Recorder. (June 15, 2020) Letter from David S. Crawford, Streetscape Coordinator, St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association (EX.Supp . Based on the information we now have I retract any suggestion that Jennifer Lyells physical relationship with David Sills was consensual. She stated that the pattern continued and escalated for more than a decade following that trip.. Denhollander, who has represented Lyell, pointed out that it took months for Baptist Press to retracte that article. She has alleged Sills abused her over a multi-year period. Lawsuit protests the SBC and third-party firm for supporting allegations in a new legal challenge referencing historic abuse report. And the incidents Lyell describes would have caused the creation of police reports. 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. 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. It does not store any personal data. 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. 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. The string of email correspondence viewed by BNG implies Buck contacted Lyell to ask questions about her claims. 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. She did so after learning her abuser, former Southern Baptist seminary professor, author, and missionary David Sills, had recently returned to ministry. In fact, the key facts alleged are right in the first few paragraphs: 1. , known as complementarianism, has created an unhealthy culture a one-time donation.... 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