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. 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. Then Basham quotes three male friends of Lyells alleged abuser who all say they cant imagine him behaving the way Lyell has described. 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. That report also cited the Lyell case. 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. 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 . It interwove Lyells story with this discussion. I am not a sinless victim. 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 larger conversation around sexual abuse has dominated SBC life for the past two years and has been addressed by two special task forces, one of which is still working. Things changed, however, once the abuse became public. Old login credentials will no longer work. Anthony Jackson Age 51. 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. "Dr. Sills was out of the country traveling internationally. Buck, like Ascol, holds no official role in SBC life and has no direct connection to her claims of abuse from Sills. 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. Neither Smietana nor his editor offered comment to BNG when asked about the situation. Lawsuit protests the SBC and third-party firm for supporting allegations in a new legal challenge referencing historic abuse report. The leaders who had the information and ability to correct the inaccuracies supported her privately but were publicly silent. And because of their power and influence, pastors and other religious leaders have a responsibility to set up boundaries in their relationships with other people. We say that we are not this hierarchy but in reality, we function like we are protecting the barracks of the Vatican, she said. Buck is an East Texas pastor who shares Ascols beliefs and is aggressive on Twitter in spreading his commentaries and accusations. Ascol, Buck and Basham had collaborated with the source of the original quotation that Sills took out of context in his recent lawsuit. 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. As of earlier today, we declared his one IVP title (in both print and digital formats) as out of print.. Sills contends he was made a scapegoat in a denomination reeling from other, larger claims of sexual abuse. Filing claims Guidepost never interviewed or even contacted him before publicly naming him a predator. (Guidepost Solutions is the firm hired by the SBC Executive Committee to investigate charges of sexual abuse within the convention. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson thinks he redeemed himself. Lyell mentions police at her house and Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary calling the police. "As the official news service for the Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press should be known for integrity, truth and accuracy. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. (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. The Southern Baptist Convention would pass Resolution 6 which acknowledged Jennifer Lyell as an abuse survivor and therefore labeling David Sills as an abuser. She has alleged Sills abused her over a multi-year period. Geiger said he contacted the other missions agency which he identified as Global Outreach International and they removed Sills from their employment. 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. We must clearly tell the truth so that our churches and ministries are safe and as pure as they can be.. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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. 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. Lyell feared he would once again have the opportunity to abuse others and wanted to stop that from happening. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Lyell told Religion News Service she wished she had never gone public. Denhollander, who has represented Lyell, pointed out that it took months for Baptist Press to retracte that article. Sills, former professor of missions and cultural anthropology at Southern, did not respond to request for comment. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The string of email correspondence viewed by BNG implies Buck contacted Lyell to ask questions about her claims. All rights reserved (About Us). Police is an important part of Lyells narrative. In a post on her website, Lyell accused Sills of sexually abusing her during a 2004 mission trip and claimed the abuse continued over a decade. 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. Jennifer Lyell Lyell is a former vice president at Lifeway Christian Resources, the SBC publishing house. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. After BNG reported on the Sills lawsuit, Ascol tweeted: Wow. Our policies and procedures are clear and are consistently applied. 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. Having known that I experienced sexual abuse growing up, Dr. Sills assured me that the first incidents that happened on that mission trip werent really my fault as I naturally felt even though I had not initiated them and was shocked as the actions took place., He explained they were because of what happened to me when I was a child. All rights reserved. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 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 was a Zoom call conducted June 6, 2021. 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. 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. Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here. Sills claimed there was not any legitimate or proper investigation of Lyells accusations against him. . 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. The case as outlined by David and Mary Sills directly contradicts the narrative told by Lyell and widely accepted as truth. For example, why did Lyell continue the relationship with the alleged abusers after graduating from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS)? Lyell decided to make her allegations public, she said, when she learned that Dr. Sills had been appointed as a missionary with a non-SBC missions agency.. David Sills (Photo via Baptist Press) It does not store any personal data. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. In that email, Lyell makes the exact statement the lawsuit attributes to communication with Smietana. "Defendants saw him as an easy target; a bona fide scapegoat." . 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. Jen came forward at incredible personal cost to herself, to defend those who had no voice, Denhollander said. According to Baptist Press, Lyell was involved in the relationship with Sills from the time she was 26 until she was 38. A clergy person has enormous power. She praised SBTS for acting swiftly after she contacted Mohler. The implication of Ms. Lyells statement was that Dr. Sills had acted criminally. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The church needs a way of understanding sin and violence that enables Gods grace without giving abusers back their power, their access and their good regard, she said. RELATED: Jennifer Lyell wanted to stop her abuser by . 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. He said that he is "brokenhearted over the reality" of the situation. 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. There are plenty of reasons to stay silent in a situation such as this. 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. George, as curator of the Spurgeon Library and digitized archive, worked with the . 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. Survivors dont just lose their trust in that one person, she said. Heaven will be diverse. 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. Ascol is a Florida pastor who leads Founders Ministries, a group of Southern Baptist Calvinists. 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. As such, Jennifer Lyell seems to be someone who is the victim of horrendous sexual abuse. BNG has confirmed Midwest Christian Outreach was working with Ascol, Buck and Basham in the background into 2022. On page 18 of the Sills lawsuit, Sills and his attorneys present their accusation as fact. 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. 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. Then Buck retweeted Basham to highlight her commentary about Sills and the SBC investigation. At the time, she was a 26-year-old master of divinity student, and the alleged relationship continued until she was 38, spanning a period in which Lyell moved from Louisville, Ky., to Chicago and then to Nashville, she told BP. For Sills, no reason for his resignation was stated by Southern. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. I am grateful for the diligent, fast work of Guidepost Solutions, particularly as the EC leadership delays from June-October 2021 took up 1/3 of the investigation period allowed by the investigation motion. 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. I stand behind her in [her public statement] and believe she is acting righteously, he told BP. Pastoral misconduct is seen as a moral failing rather than an abuse of power. 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. "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. 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. 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.. 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. Then things went terribly wrong. The suit was filed in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Ala., on Monday, Nov. 21. 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Why Midwest Christian Outreach was interested in such a deep dive into Lyells story is not clear. 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. 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. Last year, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor David Sills resigned from his position without much of an explanation. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 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. 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