Just over two years later, she stated the allegations to then-LifeWay Senior Vice President Eric Geiger and Mohler. Defamation?! It was a Zoom call conducted June 6, 2021. 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. Sills was a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary until his resignation on May 23, 2018. Of course, Lyell spoke to multiple media outlets and is featured in a new documentary on sex abuse in the SBC. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. In her post, the 41-year-old Lyell said that the tenured professor of missions and cultural anthropology first sexually acted against her during a mission trip in 2004. 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. 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 . I am not a sinless victim. 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). There are plenty of reasons to stay silent in a situation such as this. As of earlier today, we declared his one IVP title (in both print and digital formats) as out of print.. We hope you will! 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. 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. Since Mohler made a public comment just a few days ago, surely, he now has an obligation to answer this important question. Lyell first disclosed the situation to a therapist in March 2016, she said. Heaven will be diverse. 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. 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. Pastoral misconduct is seen as a moral failing rather than an abuse of power. But her feelings toward the denominations beliefs about gender roles have shifted. 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. 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. 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 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. Lyell feared he would once again have the opportunity to abuse others and wanted to stop that from happening. I stand behind her in [her public statement] and believe she is acting righteously, he told BP. David Sills | MOODY PUBLISHERS 2023 Baptist News Global. 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. So she wrote up a statement detailing the abuse and shared it with a reporter from a Christian news organization. On October 7, 2019, Jennifer Lyell, a LifeWay employee, penned an open letter to Southern Baptists expressing her grief caused by what she alleges was an erroneous Baptist Press report released in March this year. 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. If so, when so that press can verify this element of the story that is now so obviously a glaring contradiction in the narrative. ", 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.". 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. There are elements that sound like an abuse victim pleading with an abuser, I just want you to be like a dad, and there are elements where the story does not seem plausible given what we knowpay special attention to the police. BNG has confirmed Midwest Christian Outreach was working with Ascol, Buck and Basham in the background into 2022. Three Southern Baptist seminary faculty members have recently resigned their positions. The audio came to the Capstone Report from a source not connected with Midwest Outreach. Lyell said she no longer trusts the convention, feeling like key leaders betrayed the faith she put in them. 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. Attorneys misidentified an email from Lyell, which was sent to a pair of ministers, not to RNS. Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here. Jennifer Lyell Lyell is a former vice president at Lifeway Christian Resources, the SBC publishing house. For example, why did Lyell continue the relationship with the alleged abusers after graduating from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS)? Photo by Karen Race Photography 2019. 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. In fact, the key facts alleged are right in the first few paragraphs: 1. RELATED: Southern Baptist leader, experts say churches should address the abuse of adults. Geiger said he contacted the other missions agency which he identified as Global Outreach International and they removed Sills from their employment. Who those others were is not clear. Baptist Press reporting did, in fact, mislead people. 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. ), We have changed software providers for our subscription database. Lyells attorney suggested to Baptist Press that Sills filing the lawsuit in Alabama appeared inappropriate. 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.. 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.. 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 Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. 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. 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.. 1. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Her story has already helped countless other people around the country, in ways that she may not even know about. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. And he claims this was done in a conspiracy by all the named defendants, who understood the value of making an example out of SBC member and employee David Sills who, without controversy, had admitted to an affair with Lyell and willingly accepted the SBC requirement that he depart from his position at the seminary. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". . The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". As I understand it, that is not accurate. 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. 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. Though 30 pages in length, the key facts allged are right on the first page. The group maintained a shared online file of their correspondence. The case as outlined by David and Mary Sills directly contradicts the narrative told by Lyell and widely accepted as truth. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Instead, for many this incident may have contributed to a perception that the Southern Baptist Convention is not a safe place for sexual abuse survivors to disclose, the statement read. Im also fine to answer any questions you or the other gentleman has to ensure you have clarity and believe me. But Mohler confirmed that Lyell shared allegations with him in May 2018 and that Southern, as Lyell stated, immediately took action., Lyell said in her statement, The denominational institutions, the local church, and the missions agency [Sills led] ultimately believed me, supported me, and took the action for which they were responsible., Baptist Press reported Sills resignation in June 2018 based on reporting by North Carolinas Biblical Recorder news journal, which cited a statement from the seminary affirming that Mohler received the resignation of Dr. David Sills from the Southern Seminary faculty on May 23, 2018., It further stated, Southern Seminary is committed to the highest standards of both principle and policy. At SBTS, Mohler assured that the institution's biblical and moral standards "aren't up for any renegotiation. 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. Denhollander, who has represented Lyell, pointed out that it took months for Baptist Press to retracte that article. He unsuccessfully ran for the SBC presidency in June. He said people often turn to clergy when they are at their most vulnerable. Her name appears on 37 pages of the report. Lawsuit protests the SBC and third-party firm for supporting allegations in a new legal challenge referencing historic abuse report. In that email, Lyell makes the exact statement the lawsuit attributes to communication with Smietana. Today, she feels that belief, known as complementarianism, has created an unhealthy culture. Sills was a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary until his resignation on May 23, 2018. 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. Photo via Baylor University. Ascols group, Founders Ministries, once was a fringe movement in the SBC but today has a large following, especially among younger seminarians and pastors who were influenced by the Passion conferences in the 1990s. 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. at the height of awareness of SBC scandals.' NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. 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. If not, why not? 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. Jennifer Lyell, 2006 graduate of SBTS, says in her statement that 2004 was the first time Sills acted against her. "Dr. Sills was out of the country traveling internationally. By admitting to having sinned and asking for forgiveness, they can mitigate the consequences of their actions and preserve a future in the church. ", "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. The police issue is difficult because this would have been a call to the local SBTS area police in 2018. RNS published a story about the Sills lawsuit Nov. 28 and noted at the end of the story the complaint against Smietana and RNS. She did so after learning her abuser, a former Southern Baptist seminary professor, author and missionary, had recently returned to ministry. The website, anonymously other missions agency which he identified as Global Outreach International and they removed Sills from employment! Feels that belief, known as complementarianism, has created an unhealthy.. A story about the Sills lawsuit Nov. 28 and noted at the end of the report ) We... 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