at the height of awareness of SBC scandals.' NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Mohler did that. We were horrified by what she shared with us. The abuser often spends years grooming a victim and then does not let the victim go. In a separate email, Lyell recounts to Henzel her understanding that Ascol put Midwest Christian Outreach on the trail of her story in the first place. 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. And for so long, people have been unable to understand those categories., RELATED: The cost for coming forward one survivors life after #MeToo. The Sillses contend neither Mohler nor the SBC nor Guidepost did sufficient investigation to find out the truth of the matter. 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. George's resignation was "due to a personal moral failing," Midwestern told the Recorder on June 1. But that's not quite what we see. Veinot responded by filing a request for a copyright infringement complaint with YouTube to stop further sharing and said he began contacting those I discovered who had created links to it and requested they delete them.. 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 told RNS that at first, she did receive a great deal of support from Southern Baptist leaders when she told them about the abuse she experienced. (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. David Sills and his wife, Mary Sills, claim Lyell 'constructed a false narrative . Three Southern Baptist seminary faculty members have recently resigned their positions. Her story has already helped countless other people around the country, in ways that she may not even know about. So that's not up for renegotiation," he explained. She stated that the pattern continued and escalated for more than a decade following that trip.. There are plenty of reasons to stay silent in a situation such as this. But we must not be silent.. She lost her reputation, her job and even her health in the process. David Sills, into having a sexual relationship with him while she was enrolled in a missions class at the seminary. Jennifer Lyell claims she never wanted the attention her abuse allegations created nor to harm the family of David Sills, her alleged abuser. For example, why did Lyell continue the relationship with the alleged abusers after graduating from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS)? I think her efforts to call attention to this horrible aspect of abuse are needed.. As I understand it, that is not accurate. 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.. 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. She mentions them many times during this recording. The audio came to the Capstone Report from a source not connected with Midwest Outreach. He unsuccessfully ran for the SBC presidency in June. RELATED: Jennifer Lyell wanted to stop her abuser by . Those documents include emails between the various parties. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. This led to a general understanding that what happened between Dr. David Sills and Ms. Jennifer Lyell was a consensual affair. (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. 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. 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. Guidepost and the SBC are two of 12 total defendants named in the lawsuit that revolves around allegations that David Sills sexually abused Jennifer Lyell starting in 2004, when Lyell was. He said that he is "brokenhearted over the reality" of the situation. Police is an important part of Lyells narrative. 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. Sills was a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary until his resignation on May 23, 2018. "Dr. Sills was out of the country traveling internationally. 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. Our policies and procedures are clear and are consistently applied. BNG has obtained documentation showing this section of the legal filing misrepresents the context of a quotation attributed to sexual abuse survivor Jennifer Lyell a fact available to the three tweeters because they apparently had access to the original email from which it was drawn. 1. "David Sills was repentant and obedient to the rules of the SBC," the complaint alleges. 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. She did so after learning her abuser, a former Southern Baptist seminary professor, author and missionary, had recently returned to ministry. Ascol, Buck and Basham are not newcomers to critiquing Lyell and Smietana. Lyell told RNS she did not initially report what . 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. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 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. 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. All rights reserved. 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. Ascol retweeted her, insisting: Exactly. Lyell came to us with an allegation of abuse and should have been cared for throughout the entire process. 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 . BNG has confirmed Midwest Christian Outreach was working with Ascol, Buck and Basham in the background into 2022. The Louisville, Ky., church where Sills was a member, Lyell said, also took action following Sills resignation. 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. After Baptist News Global broke the news that former seminary professor David Sills and his wife, Mary, filed a defamation lawsuit against the Southern Baptist Convention and 11 other defendants, three high-profile Southern Baptists took to Twitter to highlight one specific section of the 31-page legal document. If I were not to come forward with this [statement], a church or ministry who receives Dr. Sills [resume] and does an internet search for him would have no way to know the truth behind his resignation. That post cited the biblical story of David and Bathsheba to ask what constitutes a consensual sexual relationship versus rape. 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. 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 was not writing to a professional journalist with a national news organization; she was writing to two bloggers who run a small nonprofit that investigates cults and preaches against the Enneagram. Because this is a personnel matter, we cannot comment further.. Hes wrong. 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). It interwove Lyells story with this discussion. 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.. Ascol, Buck and Basham had collaborated with the source of the original quotation that Sills took out of context in his recent lawsuit. We hope you will! They also risk losing their relationships with everybody else who has a relationship with that person because when the chips fall, you dont know how theyre going to fall.. 2023 Baptist News Global. 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. 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. 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.. Though 30 pages in length, the key facts allged are right on the first page. Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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.. How did Saddleback get kicked out of the SBC? That was untrue. The campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship seminary for the Southern Baptist Convention, located in Louisville, Kentucky. Buck, like Ascol, holds no official role in SBC life and has no direct connection to her claims of abuse from Sills. The lawsuit centers on allegations that Sills sexually abused Jennifer Lyell starting in 2004 when Lyell was a student and Sills was a professor. 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. He said it is often easier for churches to blame victims than to look at the way they have empowered abusers. 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. 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.. 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. 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. ", "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 BP trampled on a survivor and shielded a VIOLENT sexual predator who then sought new employment." She continued: Last year, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor David Sills resigned from his position without much of an explanation. 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.. 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. Lyell said she no longer trusts the convention, feeling like key leaders betrayed the faith she put in them. One of Lyells advocates over the past three years has been Mohler, who has publicly stated he believed Lyells story as she has told it. 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. As such, Jennifer Lyell seems to be someone who is the victim of horrendous sexual abuse. To date, none of the named defendants has issued a public comment on the lawsuit. Sills local church, Ninth & O Baptist Church in Louisville, confirmed to Baptist Press that Sills is no longer a member and that the church acted swiftly and firmly after hearing the accusations. By the time Lyell had come forward publicly with her story, she had been in counseling for over two years. The church said it acted swiftly and firmly and that Sills is no longer a member. In her statement, Lyell says that it began when she was a student. Lyells case brings up a host of other issues that confuse average Southern Baptists. Lyell urged denominational leaders as well as pastors to recognize the responsibility they have to protect survivors from more harm when they come forward. I am also grateful for the bold leadership of Grant Gaines, Ronnie Parrot, and Todd Benkert. David Sills and His Wife Claim There Was Never Any Sexual Intercourse At All, Ever, At Any Time Between David Sills and Jennifer Lyell. David Sills (Photo via Baptist Press) Lyell wrote that she first shared her story with her boss at LifeWay and then with Mohler. And the incidents Lyell describes would have caused the creation of police reports. Louisvilles Ninth and O Baptist Church told BP it is the congregation referenced in Lyells statement. 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. This wasnt by accident; I believe it was by design, Lyell wrote. The court filing addresses this issue: This court has personal jurisdiction over the defendants. 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. . She graduated from Southern with a master of divinity in 2006 and enrolled in an SBTS doctoral program for one year after that. 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. The implication of Ms. Lyells statement was that Dr. Sills had acted criminally. Sills was a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary until his resignation on May 23, 2018. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 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. 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. And Christian theology about sin and about the roles of men and women often makes it difficult for survivors who come forward. 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 . 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. She describes being shocked and blaming herself despite that she had not initiated the encounter. 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.. Lives in: Mayfield KY Used to live: Mayfield KY AKA: Anthony White, Anthony Scott Jackson, Anthony Scott Jackson, Anthony S Jackson Related to: Lindsey R Jackson, Akia T White, Antonio D Jackson, Carlos L Jackson, Darrell Albert White View Details 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. He resigned from his trustee post, and as a result from the search committee, in May 2018. 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. In a filing made in the Mobile, Ala., Circuit Court, David and Mary Sills allege "defamation, conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and . 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