Sills resigned from the Kentucky-based schoollast May shortly after Lyell presented her claims to SBTS President Albert Mohler. It takes years and years to recover from trauma, and no one should be in the position of having to explain it to the whole public while theyre still trying to do that, she said. As such, Jennifer Lyell seems to be someone who is the victim of horrendous sexual abuse. 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. Lyell explains why she had not confronted Lumpkins because of Lumpkins history with Lifeway and her personal issues. He did call the police. The leaders who had the information and ability to correct the inaccuracies supported her privately but were publicly silent. At its simplest level, it is abuse because it is not consensual, he said. 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. Ascol ran for SBC president on the slogan Change the direction.. They may, at best, support survivors or criticize fellow denominational leaders in private but will not use their power to do the same in public, she said. The lawsuit centers on allegations that Sills sexually abused Jennifer Lyell starting in 2004 when Lyell was a student and Sills was a professor. Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. Then Buck retweeted Basham to highlight her commentary about Sills and the SBC investigation. She said she was a 26-year-old Master of Divinity student when it began. Hope youll give us another try and check out some other articles. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 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. 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.. "David Sills was repentant and obedient to the rules of the SBC," the complaint alleges. So that's not up for renegotiation," he explained. Here's how. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. 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.. The church needs a way of understanding sin and violence that enables Gods grace without giving abusers back their power, their access and their good regard, she said. David Pooler. [I] became an aunt to their grandchildren, and their grown children became like siblings to me, she wrote. David Sills | MOODY PUBLISHERS She has alleged Sills abused her over a multi-year period. 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. A clergy person has enormous power. On page 18 of the Sills lawsuit, Sills and his attorneys present their accusation as fact. 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. That was not accurate. But her feelings toward the denominations beliefs about gender roles have shifted. Lyells experience reveals the difficulty survivors often face when they try to speak up about their experiences. Mohler should have said, Now, Jennifer, thats not a promise I can make you like, we need to do whats right for the kingdom, Lyell said. 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. This wasnt by accident; I believe it was by design, Lyell wrote. 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. Scarsella, who also works with a nonprofit that advocates for abuse victims, noted that clergy abusers also often know how to use the theology of sin for their advantage. Jennifer Lyell . She has alleged Sills abused her over a multi-year period. At SBTS, Mohler assured that the institution's biblical and moral standards "aren't up for any renegotiation. Heaven will be diverse. We hope you will! Ascol, Buck and Basham had collaborated with the source of the original quotation that Sills took out of context in his recent lawsuit. They didnt they just kind of defaulted to me, and then realized later, Oh, crap, we shouldnt have done that., SBC Elites cite distinguished lawyer and Southern Baptist Matthew Martens; however, Martens has written persuasively, Supporters of a constitutional amendment to ban women pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), New intel points to Covid origin in a lab leak, remember when this was a, NAMB PR VP Mike Ebert emerges as key witness in McRaney v. NAMB What will, Leaked audio interview with Jennifer Lyell hits, featured in a new documentary on sex abuse in the SBC, David raped Bathsheba promoter involved in new SEBTS abuse class, SBC Abuse Expert Rachael Denhollander Sided with Amber Heard, SBC Elites defend credibly accused standard to ruin lives, Bart Barber flipflops on pledge to bring vote to ban Women Pastors in SBC, Evangelical Elites lied you to about the origins of Covid, Woke SBC Elites Delete History To Hide Their Schemes. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. All rights reserved. at the height of awareness of SBC scandals.' However, not everyone has believed a sexual abuse crisis exists in the SBC. 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.. When I shared what had happened to me with my boss at LifeWay [Geiger] and then later with SBTS President Dr. R. Albert Mohler, I was quick to also share the responsibility I bore for being compliant at times, for not telling immediately and for so idolizing the idea of a whole family that I protected it despite what was happening within it, Lyell said. "Defendants saw him as an easy target; a bona fide scapegoat." . He unsuccessfully ran for the SBC presidency in June. According to Baptist Press, Lyell was involved in the relationship with Sills from the time she was 26 until she was 38. And Christian theology about sin and about the roles of men and women often makes it difficult for survivors who come forward. Such people have no fear of God, no interest in truth, no regard for justice, & no love for people. 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. 1. 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. The fallout was quick and devastating. Lyell mentions police at her house and Dr. Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary calling the police. . The BP trampled on a survivor and shielded a VIOLENT sexual predator who then sought new employment." She continued: Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Abusers in the church have figured out that if they are willing to admit partial, limited wrongdoing and if they are willing to perform apology, repentance and intention to do better, she said, behaving in sexually violent ways doesnt actually diminish their prospects for leadership in the church. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. And for so long, people have been unable to understand those categories., RELATED: The cost for coming forward one survivors life after #MeToo. 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. Lyell spends some of the recording taking about a blogpost written by Peter Lumpkins (likely this post.). The Capstone Report reached out to verify the audio and for comment about the provenance of the audio. 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. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. By admitting to having sinned and asking for forgiveness, they can mitigate the consequences of their actions and preserve a future in the church. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Anytime time you have to invoke these procedures is heartbreaking but simultaneously necessary. 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. 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. 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. 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. If the claims in this suit are true, then it would seem that he is as culpable as any of the other defendants., To which Basham replied: Note, Religion News Service reported that Sills admitted to abuse, though Sills told me through an intermediary that RNS also did not reach out to him before that story was published and he never admitted anything like this., Basham also tweeted a link to the BNG story with this comment: Ive read David/Mary Sills filing against SBC, Guidepost, & number of SBC leaders. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. This article has been updated with a statement from Lyell. I had discussions on our boards here with people who were convinced by the reporting that David Sills and Jennifer had an "affair" and that he was held responsible for it while she was not. 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. (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. Want to help your child build lasting, meaningful friendships? How did Bob Smietana avoid being named in this lawsuit? Things changed, however, once the abuse became public. Although the Sillses live in Mississippi and Lyell lives in Tennessee, the lawsuit was filed in Mobile County Circuit Court because former SBC President Ed Litton, who is among the defendants in the suit, lives in Mobile County and the SBC, the conventions executive committee and other SBC entities own and maintain property, employees and/or agents in Alabama, including Mobile County Alabama, the suit stated. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The abuser often spends years grooming a victim and then does not let the victim go. Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here. 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. Defamation?! As of earlier today, we declared his one IVP title (in both print and digital formats) as out of print.. Lyell feared he would once again have the opportunity to abuse others and wanted to stop that from happening. By Lyells previous accounts, Sills cultivated a relationship with her. 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 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. 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.. 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. 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. Been updated with a statement from Lyell SBC president on the slogan Change direction. 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