UPDATE #1: 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. David Sills (Photo via Baptist Press) Because this is a personnel matter, we cannot comment further.. Plaintiffs David Sills and Mary Sills file this complaint against Defendants, alleging defamation, conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and wantonness concerning untrue claims of sexual abuse initiated by Defendant, Jennifer Lyell, and thereafter Then Basham quotes three male friends of Lyells alleged abuser who all say they cant imagine him behaving the way Lyell has described. BNG has confirmed Midwest Christian Outreach was working with Ascol, Buck and Basham in the background into 2022. And it was not just the real devastation was the fact that I could not understand and still no one understands why that Baptist Press and the EC did what they did.. Such people have no fear of God, no interest in truth, no regard for justice, & no love for people. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Ensuring that is my top priority.". Lyell was even commended in an SBC Resolution for her bravery in standing against sex abuse. How did Saddleback get kicked out of the SBC? Sills contends he was made a scapegoat in a denomination reeling from other, larger claims of sexual abuse. She said Lyell had repeatedly asked for the article to be corrected but her requests were denied and a number of Baptist leaders knew the story was wrong but failed to stand up for Lyell. "Defendants saw him as an easy target; a bona fide scapegoat." . Louisvilles Ninth and O Baptist Church told BP it is the congregation referenced in Lyells statement. At its simplest level, it is abuse because it is not consensual, he said. 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. After BNG reported on the Sills lawsuit, Ascol tweeted: Wow. 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. 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. The court filing addresses this issue: This court has personal jurisdiction over the defendants. A Response to Rachael Denhollander and Others.. 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. Tom Ascol, Tom Buck and Megan Basham tweeted about the Sills lawsuit and accused not only Lyell, but also Religion News Service reporter Bob Smietana who has covered the SBCs sexual abuse situation for years of misconduct. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. . Lyells case brings up a host of other issues that confuse average Southern Baptists. Yet victims who are not minors must decide for themselves whether to contact authorities, he said. Pooler said church members often become nonprotective bystanders, whose inaction enables abuse to continue and abusers to go unpunished. A clergy person has enormous power. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 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. Henzel told CR that he did not know how the audio was leaked and did not feel comfortable speaking about it. Geiger, senior pastor of Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif., confirmed to BP that Lyell shared her allegations with him. 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. Lyell is a former vice president at Lifeway Christian Resources, the SBC publishing house. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. She lost her reputation, her job and even her health in the process. 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. 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. 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. 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. Lyell came to us with an allegation of abuse and should have been cared for throughout the entire process. She claims . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. If so, when so that press can verify this element of the story that is now so obviously a glaring contradiction in the narrative. 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. In fact, the key facts alleged are right in the first few paragraphs: 1. 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. Sills was a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary until his resignation on May 23, 2018. The Capstone Report reached out to verify the audio and for comment about the provenance of the audio. The same day, Geiger and Lyell contacted Mohler, he said. The court filing further claims Lyell maintained the relationship by driving several hundred miles from Nashville, Tenn., to Louisville, Ky. to see Sills. 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.. 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. Then Buck retweeted Basham to highlight her commentary about Sills and the SBC investigation. 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. For Sills, no reason for his resignation was stated by Southern. Basham frequently tweeted and replied to tweets about the issue, at one point portraying herself as an investigative reporter who was just asking the questions no one else would ask. Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. told Baptist Press he could not disclose why Sills employment at the seminary ended. 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. Lyells attorney suggested to Baptist Press that Sills filing the lawsuit in Alabama appeared inappropriate. Geiger told Lyell he was responsible to share the allegations with Southern and invited her to participate in the process, Geiger recounted to Baptist Press. Basham is a conservative writer for the Daily Wire website, which describes itself as a counter-cultural outlet for news, opinion and entertainment., In June, Basham launched a full-force assault against Lyells credibility with an article titled Southern Baptists #MeToo Moment published on the first day of the SBC annual meeting. 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. In her statement, Lyell says that it began when she was a student. This issue caught fire on Twitter, where critics of SBC leadership and of the sexual abuse study picked it up, prompting retweets and commentary. Pastoral misconduct is seen as a moral failing rather than an abuse of power. Today, she feels that belief, known as complementarianism, has created an unhealthy culture. "So I want to make very clear that I stand with her in that statement.". This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Now, David Sills and Mary Sills contend they have been smeared repeatedly in the process and seek monetary damages from the SBC; the SBC Executive Committee; former SBC President Ed Litton; current SBC President Bart Barber; Lyell; Lifeway Christian Resources; Eric Geiger, a former executive vice president at Lifeway; Willie McLaurin, interim president of the Executive Committee; Rolland Slade, former chairman of the Executive Committee; Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Al Mohler, president of Southern Seminary; and Guidepost Solutions, the firm that conducted the independent investigation. 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. And Christian theology about sin and about the roles of men and women often makes it difficult for survivors who come forward. 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 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. Old login credentials will no longer work. Some especially a group of Calvinist pastors questioned Lyells account and accused her of trying to make a consensual affair look like abuse. Critics of the SBC investigation and of the existence of a crisis of sexual abuse in the denomination frequently point to Lyells story as questionable, but they have been minority voices. I have never been unwilling to be questioned when making allegations that arent only moral, but are also criminal . 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. 2023 Baptist News Global. "She relayed to me what had happened to her. In essence, defendants saw an opportunity to improve the appearance and reputation of SBCs handling of abuse cases, long under fire, even though there had not been any legitimate and proper investigation into the allegations, nor was Dr. Sills adequately informed of the specific nature and extent of accusations made by Lyell.. She graduated from Southern with a master of divinity in 2006 and enrolled in an SBTS doctoral program for one year after that. The article was eventually retracted, but the damage was done. On page 18 of the Sills lawsuit, Sills and his attorneys present their accusation as fact. I stand behind her in [her public statement] and believe she is acting righteously, he told BP. And the incidents Lyell describes would have caused the creation of police reports. 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. I am not a sinless victim. 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.. And there were aspects of it certainly that I think is something that an abuser can use., Abuse advocate and attorney Rachael Denhollander said that Lyells story reflects a bigger problem with a complementarian culture that defends male leaders but views women leaders and survivors of abuse as expendable., Abuse survivor Rachael Denhollander, right, discusses the Southern Baptist Conventions history of addressing sexual abuse with ERLC President Russell Moore at the Caring Well conference in Dallas, on Oct. 4, 2019. She mentions them many times during this recording. Geiger alleged that Mary Sills threatened Jennifer Lyell in text messages and that Mrs. Sills knew of the relationship between Jennifer Lyell and David Sills. This and so much more is contained in a roughly 2-and-a-half-hour audio interview never released that hit the Internet today. It was a Zoom call conducted June 6, 2021. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson thinks he redeemed himself. The conventions statement of faith says women and men are equal in Gods sight but have different roles in the church and the home. David Sills and his wife, Mary, filed the suit Nov. 21 in Mobile County circuit court. 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. "David Sills was repentant and obedient to the rules of the SBC," the complaint alleges. 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. Why Midwest Christian Outreach was interested in such a deep dive into Lyells story is not clear. The campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship seminary for the Southern Baptist Convention, located in Louisville, Kentucky. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. How did Bob Smietana avoid being named in this lawsuit? She describes being shocked and blaming herself despite that she had not initiated the encounter. 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. A reasonable inference is also that Defendant Lyell intended to advance her false narrative by taking a hand in the actual writing of an article by RNS and Smietana, each of whom had previously served as a resource to Defendant Lyell for the purpose of publishing her malicious allegations against the Sills Plaintiffs. Lyell tells the story in her own wordsso people can finally judge for themselves the particulars of the case. Want to share a story? She has alleged Sills abused her over a multi-year period. [I] became an aunt to their grandchildren, and their grown children became like siblings to me, she wrote. Sills claimed there was not any legitimate or proper investigation of Lyells accusations against him. she disclosed to her boss at Lifeway that a former professor named David Sills had first "sexually acted . Mohler commended Lyells courage in coming forward. David Sills | MOODY PUBLISHERS It conclusively demonstrated the non-consensual nature of what happened to her. Pooler said abusive relationships with clergy often last for years. 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. The lawsuit challenges what has been accepted as fact in one of the highest-profile cases in the web of allegations regarding mishandling of sexual abuse within the SBC. Of course, Lyell spoke to multiple media outlets and is featured in a new documentary on sex abuse in the SBC. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. The implication of Ms. Lyells statement was that Dr. Sills had acted criminally. Jennifer Lyell claims she never wanted the attention her abuse allegations created nor to harm the family of David Sills, her alleged abuser. In the spring of 2019, Lyell, then a well-respected leader in Christian publishing, decided to publicly disclose that. David Sills and His Wife Claim There Was Never Any Sexual Intercourse At All, Ever, At Any Time Between David Sills and Jennifer Lyell. In his lawsuit filed Nov. 21, Sills claimed Lyells allegedly false claims were repeated in SBC media as an opportunity to improve the appearance and reputation SBCs handling of abuse cases and made him a bona fide scapegoat.. 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jennifer lyell david sills