Thereafter, Ms. Lyell engaged in an effort to restore her reputation and preserve her powerful position of doling out lucrative book deals, while affirmatively and skillfully dismantling the reputations, careers, and family life of David Sills and Mary Sills, the court filing states. He also said churches often believe survivors were participants in their abusers sins. 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. "[O]ur policies and procedures work and we work hard to make certain that they are up to date with best practices. Jennifer Lyell . (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. 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. And because they, in a sense, represent God, they have more power than almost any other professional person that works with other people.. Denhollander, who has represented Lyell, pointed out that it took months for Baptist Press to retracte that article. All rights reserved. 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. Please click the "Register" link below to create a new account. We say that we are not this hierarchy but in reality, we function like we are protecting the barracks of the Vatican, she said. Reid, 59, SEBTS senior professor of . Since Mohler made a public comment just a few days ago, surely, he now has an obligation to answer this important question. How did Saddleback get kicked out of the SBC? George resigned on May 3 while Sills resigned on May 23, the Biblical Recorder reported. 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. 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. Lyell wrote that she first shared her story with her boss at LifeWay and then with Mohler. This is why the most egregious, cruel lies do not leave me without hope when those asserting them are reckless enough to do so in a form that not only allows my witness but provides a clear means by which it will be formally provided., Sills files suit against SBC and 11 other defendants, claiming his relationship with Lyell was consensual and he became a scapegoat in the SBCs sexual abuse crisis, Not everyone believes theres a sexual abuse crisis in the SBC, No, we will not take down an article you dont like | Opinion by Mark Wingfields, Guidepost report documents pattern of ignoring, denying and deflecting on sexual abuse claims in SBC, SBC Executive Committee publicly apologizes to sexual abuse survivor, SBC report shows how five words turn abuse victim from survivor to whore| Opinion by Marv Knox. 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. The full context of the email is this: Thank you again for replying and taking the time to find a scenario with which you are willing to talk with me. Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. She has alleged Sills abused her over a multi-year period. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 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 . So she wrote up a statement detailing the abuse and shared it with a reporter from a Christian news organization. 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. at the height of awareness of SBC scandals.' However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 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. Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. told Baptist Press he could not disclose why Sills employment at the seminary ended. And these men couldnt even lift a finger when she was defamed and crushed and destroyed. Then the bulk of the article picks apart Lyells assertion she was held emotionally captive in an abusive relationship with Sills over a period of years a sexual relationship Lyell insists was not consensual. Photo via Baylor University. According to Baptist Press, Lyell was involved in the relationship with Sills from the time she was 26 until she was 38. The Capstone Report reached out to verify the audio and for comment about the provenance of the audio. 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. ", "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. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Want to help your child build lasting, meaningful friendships? Things made a little more sense last Friday when a woman named Jennifer Lyell (below) released a statement explaining how she had been engaged in an "inappropriate relationship" with Sills for nearly a decade, beginning when she was his student. Photo by Karen Race Photography 2019. Lyell still attends a Southern Baptist church, in large part because of the friendship and support she has received from her pastor and his wife. 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. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. 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. 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 cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". One details Lyells complaint that the video of her interview with Midwest Christian Outreach that was supposed to be kept confidential had been shared with others, including Basham. 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. 2023 Baptist News Global. Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell, Lost Boys of Sudan: St. Johns Baptist Charlotte, Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church, Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center, Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio, Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), No, we will not take down an article you dont like, SBC report shows how five words turn abuse victim from survivor to whore, West Virginia religious freedom bill headed to governor, Religious schools can build a community of faith without discriminating. The SBCs public relations service, Baptist Press, misrepresented her statements about the situation, which eventually led to a public apology and a financial settlement from the SBC Executive Committee, which runs Baptist Press. Instead, from this news story (with details not included in the Guidepost Report), you can see that the sexual relationship between Jennifer Lyell and David Sills first occurred when Jenn was 26 and David Sills was 49. For Sills, no reason for his resignation was stated by Southern. 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. The leaders who had the information and ability to correct the inaccuracies supported her privately but were publicly silent. 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. Man At Center of Massive SBC Sex Scandal Sues Denomination, Along with 11 Prominent Southern Baptists For Lying About Him The Soap Opera Plods On 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. Last year, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor David Sills resigned from his position without much of an explanation. Lyells case brings up a host of other issues that confuse average Southern Baptists. 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.. She lost her reputation, her job and even her health in the process. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. 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 . You've read 0 of 5 of todays most popular posts. What Ascol, Buck and Sills share in common is adherence to an extreme version of Reformed theology, known as hyper-Calvinism, that has been on the resurgence in the SBC over the past 30 years. Lyell mentions police at her house and Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary calling the police. This and so much more is contained in a roughly 2-and-a-half-hour audio interview never released that hit the Internet today. 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. 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. That was untrue. Lyell told Baptist Press she has attempted to contact the Louisville Metro Police Departments Special Victims Unit. The Complaint does not hid and it does not disappoint. 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. 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. Things changed, however, once the abuse became public. He unsuccessfully ran for the SBC presidency in June. 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. And the incidents Lyell describes would have caused the creation of police reports. In the lawsuit, David Sills contends that he never even had sex with Jennifer Lyell during this twelve year long affair which he admits was inappropriate. Lyell was even commended in an SBC Resolution for her bravery in standing against sex abuse. He did call the police. Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell, Lost Boys of Sudan: St. Johns Baptist Charlotte, Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church, Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center, Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio, Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), SBC report shows how five words turn abuse victim from survivor to whore, Religious schools can build a community of faith without discriminating. 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