. Sills files defamation suit against SBC, Lyell, others November 29, 2022 By Baptist Press 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. Mohler did that. Christian leaders need to remember that they are called to be shepherds in the model of the Good Shepherd, she said, protecting the sheep even if the wolves include their fellow leaders., A woman holds signs about abuse during a rally outside the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex on June 11, 2019, in Birmingham, Ala. RNS photo by Butch Dill. In his lawsuit filed Nov. 21, Sills claimed Lyells allegedly false claims were repeated in SBC media as an opportunity to improve the appearance and reputation SBCs handling of abuse cases and made him a bona fide scapegoat.. We were horrified by what she shared with us. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. That was untrue. . Lyells case is of particular interest because Guidepost did not talk to some described as corroborating the allegations of abuse and because SBC Elites declared on their own authority that this was a case of Sex Abuse. At SBTS, Mohler assured that the institution's biblical and moral standards "aren't up for any renegotiation. Except the pattern of inappropriate sexual activity continued throughout the relationship., Lyell wrote that when she presented her claims to Mohler, she also shared the responsibility" for being compliant at times and for idolizing the idea of a whole family., I protected [the family] despite what was happening within it, she wrote. All rights reserved (About Us). So, now the question turns to: Did SBTS President Al Mohler call the police on David Sills as alleged by Lyell? By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. She has alleged Sills abused her over a multi-year period. It looked idyllic on the surface. Lyell said she no longer trusts the convention, feeling like key leaders betrayed the faith she put in them. I am also grateful for the bold leadership of Grant Gaines, Ronnie Parrot, and Todd Benkert. And there were aspects of it certainly that I think is something that an abuser can use., Abuse advocate and attorney Rachael Denhollander said that Lyells story reflects a bigger problem with a complementarian culture that defends male leaders but views women leaders and survivors of abuse as expendable., Abuse survivor Rachael Denhollander, right, discusses the Southern Baptist Conventions history of addressing sexual abuse with ERLC President Russell Moore at the Caring Well conference in Dallas, on Oct. 4, 2019. This led to a general understanding that what happened between Dr. David Sills and Ms. Jennifer Lyell was a consensual affair. RELATED: Southern Baptist leader, experts say churches should address the abuse of adults. 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. The Complaint does not hid and it does not disappoint. By admitting to having sinned and asking for forgiveness, they can mitigate the consequences of their actions and preserve a future in the church. 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 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. 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. 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First, the defendants widely circulated their herein-described defamatory lies about Dr. and Mrs. Sills throughout Mobile County and the state of Alabama. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. After BNG reported on the Sills lawsuit, Ascol tweeted: Wow. To date, none of the named defendants has issued a public comment on the lawsuit. Buck is an East Texas pastor who shares Ascols beliefs and is aggressive on Twitter in spreading his commentaries and accusations. 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. He said people often turn to clergy when they are at their most vulnerable. 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. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor David Sills resigned last year. Denhollander, who has represented Lyell, pointed out that it took months for Baptist Press to retracte that article. There are plenty of reasons to stay silent in a situation such as this. It does not store any personal data. Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. Just over two years later, she stated the allegations to then-LifeWay Senior Vice President Eric Geiger and Mohler. 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. For Sills, no reason for his resignation was stated by Southern. Sills files defamation suit against SBC, Lyell, others 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. Geiger, senior pastor of Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif., confirmed to BP that Lyell shared her allegations with him. 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. 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.. He did call the police. A reasonable inference is also that Defendant Lyell intended to advance her false narrative by taking a hand in the actual writing of an article by RNS and Smietana, each of whom had previously served as a resource to Defendant Lyell for the purpose of publishing her malicious allegations against the Sills Plaintiffs. The same day, Geiger and Lyell contacted Mohler, he said. 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. 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. The court filing addresses this issue: This court has personal jurisdiction over the defendants. But that's not quite what we see. Ascol is a Florida pastor who leads Founders Ministries, a group of Southern Baptist Calvinists. In that email, Lyell makes the exact statement the lawsuit attributes to communication with Smietana. David Sills, an 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. For example, why did Lyell continue the relationship with the alleged abusers after graduating from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS)? 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. Lyell told Baptist Press she has attempted to contact the Louisville Metro Police Departments Special Victims Unit. 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. But we must not be silent.. The article was eventually retracted, but the damage was done. Sills also served as an International Mission Board (IMB) trustee and a member of the IMBs presidential search committee. . And Christian theology about sin and about the roles of men and women often makes it difficult for survivors who come forward. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Jennifer Lyell claims she never wanted the attention her abuse allegations created nor to harm the family of David Sills, her alleged abuser. Although the lawsuit was filed in Alabama, David Sills lives in Mississippi. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Jen came forward at incredible personal cost to herself, to defend those who had no voice, Denhollander said. That post cited the biblical story of David and Bathsheba to ask what constitutes a consensual sexual relationship versus rape. The Southern Baptist Convention would pass Resolution 6 which acknowledged Jennifer Lyell as an abuse survivor and therefore labeling David Sills as an abuser. The Capstone Report reached out to verify the audio and for comment about the provenance of the audio. 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. (June 15, 2020) Letter from David S. Crawford, Streetscape Coordinator, St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association (EX.Supp . Baptist Press reporting did, in fact, mislead people. What happened instead was a controversy over what kind of relations are consensual and nonconsensual and who gets to make that determination and challenges to the veracity of Lyells account. Basham frequently tweeted and replied to tweets about the issue, at one point portraying herself as an investigative reporter who was just asking the questions no one else would ask. But her feelings toward the denominations beliefs about gender roles have shifted. Photo via Baylor University. No thinking person with a backbone takes them seriously., Exactly one year before Basham published Southern Baptists #MeToo Moment, Midwest Christian Outreach, a small online apologetics site run by Don Veinot, highlighted Lyells case. "[O]ur policies and procedures work and we work hard to make certain that they are up to date with best practices. 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