jennifer lyell david sillsjennifer lyell david sills

The suit was filed in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Ala., on Monday, Nov. 21. 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. George's resignation was "due to a personal moral failing," Midwestern told the Recorder on June 1. 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. The Sillses contend neither Mohler nor the SBC nor Guidepost did sufficient investigation to find out the truth of the matter. 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. 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. Lyell came to us with an allegation of abuse and should have been cared for throughout the entire process. At SBTS, Mohler assured that the institution's biblical and moral standards "aren't up for any renegotiation. 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. But he didnt make it public disclosure, Lyell said. All rights reserved. David Pooler. 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. 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. ", Follow Samuel Smith on Twitter: @IamSamSmith. Im also fine to answer any questions you or the other gentleman has to ensure you have clarity and believe me. In the spring of 2018, after more than two years of therapy, 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. According to documents obtained by BNG, however, Ascol, Buck and Basham had collaborated with the source of the original quotation that Sills took out of context in his recent lawsuit. 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. Pooler said church members often become nonprotective bystanders, whose inaction enables abuse to continue and abusers to go unpunished. Get this The Daily Telegraph page for free from Tuesday, July 29, 1975 97S IZIm THE COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION SERVICE HIM 1 Mb CHKlbTENINGb and IN MEMOR1AM Cl 10 Una MARRIAGES DEATHS and . 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. Mohler did that. 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. I stand behind her in [her public statement] and believe she is acting righteously, he told BP. (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. 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. And that retraction happened only after Denhollander had publicly criticized the SBCs treatment of Lyell during a major conference on abuse in the fall of 2019. Buck, like Ascol, holds no official role in SBC life and has no direct connection to her claims of abuse from Sills. Lyell told Religion News Service she wished she had never gone public. 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 opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Denhollander, an abuse survivor whose testimony led to the conviction of former national gymnastics doctor and serial abuser Larry Nassar, said evangelical theology had created a kind of porn culture in churches. Ascol is a Florida pastor who leads Founders Ministries, a group of Southern Baptist Calvinists. The group maintained a shared online file of their correspondence. In a release to Baptist Press (BP) and others, Jennifer Lyell, now 41 and director of the books ministry area at LifeWay Christian Resources, alleges Sills initiated sexual contact with her on a mission trip in 2004. Her story has already helped countless other people around the country, in ways that she may not even know about. Its complicated. The Capstone Report reached out to verify the audio and for comment about the provenance of the audio. If so, when so that press can verify this element of the story that is now so obviously a glaring contradiction in the narrative. Baptist Press reporting did, in fact, mislead people. 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. 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. David Sills, the professor, and his wife, Mary Sills, allege defamation, conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and wantonness in connection with untrue claims of sexual abuse made by Jennifer Lyell in 2021. 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. 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. 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. 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. Things changed, however, once the abuse became public. 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. David Sills For example, why did Lyell continue the relationship with the alleged abusers after graduating from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS)? "As the official news service for the Southern Baptist Convention, Baptist Press should be known for integrity, truth and accuracy. 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. He resigned from his trustee post, and as a result from the search committee, in May 2018. Jen came forward at incredible personal cost to herself, to defend those who had no voice, Denhollander said. A clergy person has enormous power. 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Lyells experience reveals the difficulty survivors often face when they try to speak up about their experiences. 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. 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. 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 We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 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. Jennifer Lyell, 2006 graduate of SBTS, says in her statement that 2004 was the first time Sills acted against her. Why Midwest Christian Outreach was interested in such a deep dive into Lyells story is not clear. 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. And we met with him within hours of his arrival back in the United States since our policies call for an immediate conversation. Jennifer Lyell Lyell is a former vice president at Lifeway Christian Resources, the SBC publishing house. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. 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. at the height of awareness of SBC scandals.' All rights reserved. Reid, 59, SEBTS senior professor of . "She relayed to me what had happened to her. Why so much outrage over the burning of an LGBT Pride flag? Want to share a story? 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. 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. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". 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. Based on the credible [Baptist Press report], which I learned of on Friday evening, we suspended inclusion of Sillss book on our site as we did more investigation, InterVarsity Press Publisher Jeff Crosby told CP in an email. 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. She claims . Lyell was even commended in an SBC Resolution for her bravery in standing against sex abuse. By Lyells previous accounts, Sills cultivated a relationship with her. Within days, the professor had been confronted and resigned. RELATED: At Caring Well conference, SBC leaders hear criticism of abuse response. 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. 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. The Complaint does not hid and it does not disappoint. The Southern Baptist Convention would pass Resolution 6 which acknowledged Jennifer Lyell as an abuse survivor and therefore labeling David Sills as an abuser. 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.. That was not accurate. In a filing made in the Mobile, Ala., Circuit Court, David and Mary Sills allege "defamation, conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and . NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. She said she was motivated to tell her story following the account of Megan Lively, who was raped by a fellow student at a Southern Baptist seminary in 2003 and then counseled by the president of the seminary to not report the incident to police. The case as outlined by David and Mary Sills directly contradicts the narrative told by Lyell and widely accepted as truth. 2023 Baptist News Global. ", 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.". These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Survivors dont just lose their trust in that one person, she said. 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. 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. Though 30 pages in length, the key facts allged are right on the first page. And for so long, people have been unable to understand those categories., RELATED: The cost for coming forward one survivors life after #MeToo. Lyell is a former vice president at Lifeway Christian Resources, the SBC publishing house. 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. You've read 0 of 5 of todays most popular posts. 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. Sills was a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary until his resignation on May 23, 2018. For Sills, no reason for his resignation was stated by Southern. But we must not be silent. Upon hearing Lyells claims last May, SBTS immediately took action. To date, none of the named defendants has issued a public comment on the lawsuit. Mississippi lawyer Don Barrett, one of the attorneys representing David Sills and his wife, Mary Sills, said that part of the complaint was in error, the story said. At its simplest level, it is abuse because it is not consensual, he said. "[O]ur policies and procedures work and we work hard to make certain that they are up to date with best practices. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. "Defendants saw him as an easy target; a bona fide scapegoat." . If not, why not? Jennifer Lyell serves as Vice President of Book Publishing & Merchandising at LifeWay Christian Resources where she leads the second largest business segment of Lifeway's ten Ministry Areas. We must clearly tell the truth so that our churches and ministries are safe and as pure as they can be.. First, the defendants widely circulated their herein-described defamatory lies about Dr. and Mrs. Sills throughout Mobile County and the state of Alabama. But I am a victim nonetheless.. 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. It also claims Sills ended the relationship with Defendant Lyell who nevertheless persisted her pursuit of Sills and undertook efforts to reach Dr. Sills through his family., David and Mary Sills also contend that Lyell, relying on her expertise as an accomplished writer and executive in the fields of advertising and publishing within the SBC, a lucrative and powerful position, constructed a false narrative against Dr. Sills and Mrs. Sills, at the height of awareness of SBC scandals..

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