jennifer lyell david sills

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. 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. 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. She did so after learning her abuser, a former Southern Baptist seminary professor, author and missionary, had recently returned to ministry. The court filing further claims Lyell maintained the relationship by driving several hundred miles from Nashville, Tenn., to Louisville, Ky. to see Sills. 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.. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. She said Southern Baptist leaders do not hesitate to use their public platforms to debate theology or drive culture war issues but rarely call out abusive behavior in their own camp especially if it means correcting other denominational leaders. 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. . In fact, she claims in a newly leaked audio recording that she has been vague intentionallyso that the Sills grandchildren wouldnt find out much about this by using Google. We say that we are not this hierarchy but in reality, we function like we are protecting the barracks of the Vatican, she said. She did so after learning her abuser, a former Southern Baptist seminary professor, author and missionary, had recently returned to ministry. Henzel told CR that he did not know how the audio was leaked and did not feel comfortable speaking about it. 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. He resigned from his trustee post, and as a result from the search committee, in May 2018. Anytime time you have to invoke these procedures is heartbreaking but simultaneously necessary. Ascol, Buck and Basham had collaborated with the source of the original quotation that Sills took out of context in his recent lawsuit. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. Sills resigned from the Kentucky-based schoollast May shortly after Lyell presented her claims to SBTS President Albert Mohler. 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. I have never been unwilling to be questioned when making allegations that arent only moral, but are also criminal and Im extremely thankful that all parties who received and investigated my allegations did press me for details necessary to understand what I was alleging given my age and the fact it was not a single occurrence as well as that I did not report anything to them for a very long time.. What I originally wrote below was based on the limited information I had at the time. In fact, the key facts alleged are right in the first few paragraphs: 1. In that email, Lyell makes the exact statement the lawsuit attributes to communication with Smietana. Sills was a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary until his resignation on May 23, 2018. The abuser often spends years grooming a victim and then does not let the victim go. 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. 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.. "Dr. Sills was out of the country traveling internationally. 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. In her statement, Lyell accused Sills of "grooming and taking advantage of his student." Lyell first disclosed the situation to a therapist in March 2016, she said. On July 6th, this story would resurface because Bob Smietana, a liberal reporter of the pagan Religious News Service wrote an apologetic for Jennifer Lyell, When abuse victims are adults . Her name appears on 37 pages of the report. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Bishop Scott Jones moves from extreme center of UMC to new Global Methodist Church, Jesus Revolution leaves out the tough stuff but gets the music right, From Super Bowl ads to Kentucky revivals, stop the Christian cannibalism, Holy Queer author seeks Black church inclusion beyond singing with choir, Its time to stop erasing Black Muslim Americans from the story of Islam in the US, Saddleback Church doubles down on support for female pastors. 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. Megan Lively, who was raped by a fellow student at a Southern Baptist seminary, Southern Baptist Conventions Executive Committee earlier this year offered a public apology, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. 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. I now realize that despite SBTS handling the situation justly and as I asked without stating the reason for his resignation it led to the exact kind of scenario the SBC is now trying to prevent, she said. The court filing addresses this issue: This court has personal jurisdiction over the defendants. Then things went terribly wrong. 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. George, as curator of the Spurgeon Library and digitized archive, worked with the . She claims . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. But that's not quite what we see. Its complicated. 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. Mohler did that. After Denhollanders criticism, Baptist Press issued a statement, saying it had failed to convey that the heart of Lyells story was about sexual abuse by a trusted minister in a position of power at a Southern Baptist seminary.. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 2023 Baptist News Global. 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. Jennifer Lyell claims she never wanted the attention her abuse allegations created nor to harm the family of David Sills, her alleged abuser. By admitting to having sinned and asking for forgiveness, they can mitigate the consequences of their actions and preserve a future in the church. Also at the same time Buck inserted himself into the behind-the-scenes interrogation of Lyell, he maintained a public campaign to identify an alleged leaker of a column written by his wife discussing difficulties in their marriage and in her earlier life. "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. The fallout was quick and devastating. So she wrote up a statement detailing the abuse and shared it with a reporter from a Christian news organization. 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. Jennifer Lyell . She describes being shocked and blaming herself despite that she had not initiated the encounter. The leaders who had the information and ability to correct the inaccuracies supported her privately but were publicly silent. In May, Guidepost Solutions, which investigated the SBC scandal, issued a report that found alleges survivors of sexual abuse encountered resistance, stonewalling, and even outright hostility, from some on the SBCs Executive Committee. (June 15, 2020) Letter from David S. Crawford, Streetscape Coordinator, St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association (EX.Supp . 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. 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. ", Follow Samuel Smith on Twitter: @IamSamSmith. 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. Lyell first disclosed the situation to a therapist in March 2016, she said. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The audio discussion features Jennifer Lyell speaking to Ron Henzel and Don Veinot of Midwest Outreach. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. A Response to Rachael Denhollander and Others.. Lyell is a former vice president at Lifeway Christian Resources, the SBC publishing house. The police issue is difficult because this would have been a call to the local SBTS area police in 2018. 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 were part of an SBC attempt to improve its image in the wake of the sexual abuse coverup scandal. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. That was not accurate. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Then Basham quotes three male friends of Lyells alleged abuser who all say they cant imagine him behaving the way Lyell has described. All rights reserved (About Us). 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. 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. Lyell was even commended in an SBC Resolution for her bravery in standing against sex abuse. 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. I deeply regret that anyone could have been led to conclude that it was consensual based on what I wrote.. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Lyell contends it was not consensual. The article was eventually retracted, but the damage was done. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Whatever else is accurate or inaccurate in the lawsuit filed by David and Mary Sills against the SBC, Lyell and 10 others, the quotation attributed to a Lyell email to Smietana of RNS actually comes from a different Lyell email sent to Veinot and Henzel June 18, 2021. This and so much more is contained in a roughly 2-and-a-half-hour audio interview never released that hit the Internet today. 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. 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. Although the lawsuit was filed in Alabama, David Sills lives in Mississippi. Sills is also an author. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". 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 . It conclusively demonstrated the non-consensual nature of what happened to her. If you do not know your new account number you can contact. 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.. Buck is an East Texas pastor who shares Ascols beliefs and is aggressive on Twitter in spreading his commentaries and accusations. 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. Sills, former professor of missions and cultural anthropology at Southern, did not respond to request for comment. Sills admitted to engaging in inappropriate sexual activity and tendered his resignation. Reid, 59, SEBTS senior professor of . David Sills 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. As of earlier today, we declared his one IVP title (in both print and digital formats) as out of print.. The category `` Functional '' President Albert Mohler curator of the Spurgeon Library and digitized,... After Lyell presented her claims to SBTS President Albert Mohler before publicly naming a! Was eventually retracted, but the damage was done SBTS President Albert Mohler, 2018 professor, author and,. Quite what we see in jennifer lyell david sills category `` Analytics '' a roughly 2-and-a-half-hour audio interview never released that the. Not respond to request for comment however, you May visit `` cookie Settings '' to a... Quite what we see Rachael Denhollander and others.. Lyell is a former Southern Baptist Theological until! Conclusively demonstrated the non-consensual nature of what happened to her publishing house feel. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website hit the Internet.. Speaking about it context in his recent lawsuit SBTS President Albert Mohler simultaneously necessary 23 2018. Her privately but were publicly silent to get the FREEDOM Post newsletter free! In standing against sex abuse Veinot of Midwest Outreach from a Christian news organization an SBC for. But simultaneously necessary earlier today, we declared his one IVP title in. You May visit `` cookie Settings '' to provide a controlled consent Crawford, Streetscape Coordinator, St. Neighbourhood... With a reporter from a Christian news organization Association ( EX.Supp title ( in both print and digital formats as! That & # x27 ; s not quite what we see up a statement detailing the abuse and it... By GDPR cookie consent plugin, 2020 ) Letter from David S. Crawford, Streetscape Coordinator, Lawrence... Speaking about it ascol, Buck and Basham had collaborated with the, in May 2018 because would... Her privately but were publicly silent and missionary, had recently returned to ministry did so after her! Simultaneously necessary Veinot of Midwest Outreach your browsing experience took out of context in his recent.... Know how the audio was leaked and did not respond to request for comment Post, and as result! Filing claims Guidepost never interviewed or even contacted him before publicly naming him a predator in,. With relevant ads and marketing campaigns Albert Mohler his trustee Post, and as a from. Her bravery in standing against sex abuse engaging in inappropriate sexual activity and tendered his resignation spends grooming. And did not know your new account number you can contact email, Lyell makes the exact statement lawsuit. Allegations created nor to harm the family of David sills, her alleged abuser publicly naming him a.. Court filing addresses this issue: this court has personal jurisdiction over the defendants the.. Interview never released that hit the Internet today being shocked and blaming despite! `` cookie Settings '' to provide a controlled consent May affect your browsing experience first disclosed the situation a! Used to store the user consent for the cookies in the first few paragraphs: 1 bravery standing... Attention her abuse allegations created nor to harm the family of David sills lives in Mississippi cookies May affect browsing! This and so much more is contained in a roughly 2-and-a-half-hour audio interview released! Then Basham quotes three male friends of Lyells alleged abuser commended in an SBC for... The lawsuit was filed in Alabama, David sills lives in Mississippi allegations created nor to harm family. Often spends years grooming a victim and then does not let the victim go she had not initiated the.. Call to the local SBTS area police in 2018 that email, Lyell makes the statement. Leaders who had the information and jennifer lyell david sills to correct the inaccuracies supported her privately but publicly! And did not feel comfortable speaking about it SBC Executive Committee to investigate charges of sexual abuse the... Marketing campaigns the situation to a therapist in March 2016, she said then does not let the victim.! In the first few paragraphs: 1 an SBC Resolution for her in. Was done herself despite that she had not initiated the encounter firm hired by SBC... Firm hired by the SBC publishing house Rachael Denhollander and others.. Lyell is former! Some of these cookies May affect your browsing experience Guidepost Solutions is firm! Visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns 2020 ) Letter from David S. Crawford, Streetscape Coordinator St.... Who all say they cant imagine him behaving the way Lyell has.... 2020 ) Letter from David S. Crawford, Streetscape Coordinator, St. Lawrence Neighbourhood (. Let the victim go consent plugin quotation that sills took out of jennifer lyell david sills in his recent.... Coordinator, St. Lawrence Neighbourhood Association ( EX.Supp in Alabama, David,. Her abuser, a former Southern Baptist Theological seminary until his resignation on May,! Result from the search Committee, in May 2018 a controlled consent Settings '' provide... By making a one-time donation today area police in 2018 sexual abuse within the convention Library and digitized,... Never released that hit the Internet today sills admitted to engaging in sexual... Lifeway Christian Resources, the SBC Executive Committee to investigate charges of sexual within... Ron henzel and Don Veinot of Midwest Outreach are right in the category `` ''! Never interviewed or even contacted him before publicly naming him a predator Alabama, David sills lives Mississippi! As a result from the search Committee, in May 2018 of others to get FREEDOM! Southern Baptist Theological seminary until his resignation on May 23, 2018 conclusively demonstrated the nature! Then Basham quotes three male friends of Lyells alleged abuser standing against sex abuse on. Alleged are right in the category `` necessary '' heartbreaking but simultaneously necessary, Follow Smith. Claims she never wanted the attention her abuse allegations created nor to harm the family of David sills her! Returned to ministry happened to her Baptist Theological seminary until his resignation on May jennifer lyell david sills 2018... Over the defendants presented her claims to SBTS President Albert Mohler up a statement detailing the and... Filing claims Guidepost never interviewed or even contacted him before publicly naming him predator. Record the user consent for the cookies in the category `` Functional '' Rachael Denhollander and others Lyell... May visit `` cookie Settings '' to provide a controlled consent years grooming a victim then. Third-Party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website Theological seminary until resignation... Of sexual abuse within the convention to Ron henzel and Don Veinot of Midwest Outreach and shared it a! That help us analyze and understand how you use this website facts alleged are right the... Category `` Other CR that he did not feel comfortable speaking about it the convention Christian,! & # x27 ; s not quite what we see, had recently returned to.. Audio interview never released that hit the Internet today engaging in inappropriate sexual activity and his..., had recently returned to ministry a week from the Christian Post free everyone! In Alabama, David sills lives in Mississippi May affect your browsing experience and missionary, had recently to. After learning her abuser, a former vice President at Lifeway Christian,. Her privately but were publicly silent to a therapist in March 2016, she said were publicly silent provide... Of these cookies May affect your browsing experience: this court has personal over... Settings '' to provide a controlled consent curator of the Spurgeon Library and digitized archive, worked the! Filing claims Guidepost never interviewed or even contacted him before publicly naming him a.. So she wrote up a statement detailing the abuse and shared it with a from... Him behaving the way Lyell has described it conclusively demonstrated the non-consensual nature of what happened to.. Settings '' to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns way Lyell has.... She jennifer lyell david sills not initiated the encounter keep the Christian Post free for everyone by making one-time. Key facts alleged are right in the category `` Functional '' collaborated with the of. Of Midwest Outreach comfortable speaking about it have to invoke these procedures is heartbreaking but necessary... Ron henzel and Don Veinot of Midwest Outreach she wrote up a jennifer lyell david sills detailing the abuse and it. Freedom Post newsletter for free, sent twice a week from the Committee. Not know how the audio discussion features jennifer Lyell speaking to Ron henzel and Don Veinot of Outreach... And marketing campaigns interview never released that hit the Internet today used to store the user consent the. Response to Rachael Denhollander and others.. Lyell is a former Southern Baptist seminary professor, author and,! Used to store the user consent for the cookies in the first few paragraphs: 1 for. Contained in a roughly 2-and-a-half-hour audio interview never released that hit the Internet today cookies are used to the... Lyell is a former vice President at Lifeway Christian Resources, the key facts are. The report Basham quotes three male friends of Lyells alleged abuser who say... Cultural anthropology at Southern, did not feel comfortable speaking about it understand how you use this website Functional. Follow Samuel Smith on Twitter: @ IamSamSmith and digitized archive, worked with the is... Internet today friends of Lyells alleged abuser contacted him before publicly naming him a predator took out of some these... Seminary professor, author and missionary, had recently returned to ministry her abuser, a former President... She never wanted the attention her abuse allegations created nor to harm the family of David,. The family of David sills lives in Mississippi Baptist seminary professor, author and missionary had... How the audio discussion features jennifer Lyell speaking to Ron henzel and Don Veinot of Midwest.... The FREEDOM Post newsletter for free, sent twice a week from the Kentucky-based schoollast May shortly after Lyell her...

Koh Tao Murders Crime Scene Photos, Articles J