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. RELATED: At Caring Well conference, SBC leaders hear criticism of abuse response. Part of Lyells reason for being "compliant at times" and remaining silent for as long as she did, she stated, was because she became like part of [Sills] family and feared the collateral damage that telling would cause for those around him. In her statement, Lyell accused Sills of grooming and taking advantage of his student.. 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. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Based on the information we now have I retract any suggestion that Jennifer Lyells physical relationship with David Sills was consensual. Mohler assured that he stands behind Lyell and her statement. 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", Follow Samuel Smith on Twitter: @IamSamSmith. Lyell feared he would once again have the opportunity to abuse others and wanted to stop that from happening. Lyell tells the story in her own wordsso people can finally judge for themselves the particulars of the case. As Veinot explains on the website: Our mission is to give clear answers, and a solid defense of the orthodox biblical faith, to all types of unbelievers atheists, agnostics, as well as members of cults and new religious groups such as the Jehovahs Witnesses, Mormons, the International Churches of Christ, and so on. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Henzel told CR that he did not know how the audio was leaked and did not feel comfortable speaking about it. 11 - Motion to Introduce Report moved by Councillor Jennifer McKelvie (Carried) That the Report from Meetings 14 and 15 of the Scarborough Community Council listed on the Agenda of Council be presented for consideration. Ascol, Buck and Basham had collaborated with the source of the original quotation that Sills took out of context in his recent lawsuit. Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here. Hilary Scarsella, assistant professor of ethics and director of women and gender studies at Colgate Rochester Crozier Divinity School, said survivors of clergy abuse can feel trapped because they know publicly disclosing the abuse may have consequences, both to their own faith and their place in the community. I am not a sinless victim. He resigned from his trustee post, and as a result from the search committee, in May 2018. Her case has become one of the most high-profile illustrations of the larger reckoning over mishandled knowledge of sexual abuse within the SBC. The Sillses contend neither Mohler nor the SBC nor Guidepost did sufficient investigation to find out the truth of the matter. ", "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. Attorneys misidentified an email from Lyell, which was sent to a pair of ministers, not to RNS. Some especially a group of Calvinist pastors questioned Lyells account and accused her of trying to make a consensual affair look like abuse. 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.. She graduated from Southern with a master of divinity in 2006 and enrolled in an SBTS doctoral program for one year after that. The suit was filed in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Ala., on Monday, Nov. 21. But we must not be silent.. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. After various mischaracterizations, misstatements, and a contrived investigation by defendants, the plaintiffs, David Sills and Mary Sills, have been wrongfully and untruthfully labeled as criminals and shunned by the SBC.. Lyell was not writing to a professional journalist with a national news organization; she was writing to two bloggers who run a small nonprofit that investigates cults and preaches against the Enneagram. The fallout was quick and devastating. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) Jennifer Lyell was trying to do the right thing. It was a Zoom call conducted June 6, 2021. Lyell was labeled on social media as an adulteress rather than an abuse survivor, with users leaving scores of vile comments about her on Lifeways Facebook page and the Baptist Press website. 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 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. At its simplest level, it is abuse because it is not consensual, he said. 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. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. Sills contends he was made a scapegoat in a denomination reeling from other, larger claims of sexual abuse. There are plenty of reasons to stay silent in a situation such as this. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 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. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. However, Baptist Press, the SBCs in-house news service owned by the executive committee, incorrectly reported that Lyell had admitted to being involved in a morally inappropriate relationship with her former professor. 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. As of earlier today, we declared his one IVP title (in both print and digital formats) as out of print.. The leaders who had the information and ability to correct the inaccuracies supported her privately but were publicly silent. The hundreds of titles that the Books business team has acquired, developed, or managed under Jennifer's leadership include more than a dozen New York Times bestsellers, as well as CT . Lyells attorney suggested to Baptist Press that Sills filing the lawsuit in Alabama appeared inappropriate. She describes being shocked and blaming herself despite that she had not initiated the encounter. Of course, Lyell spoke to multiple media outlets and is featured in a new documentary on sex abuse in the SBC. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. David Pooler, professor of social work at Baylor University, said sexual misconduct by clergy and other religious leaders is often labeled as having an affair. But that description misses the power imbalance at play. However, according to media reports none of the local police had any reports regarding these alleged incidents. It does not store any personal data. He said that he is "brokenhearted over the reality" of the situation. Help keep The Christian Post free for everyone by making a one-time donation today. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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 . Lyell decided to make her allegations public, she said, when she learned that Dr. Sills had been appointed as a missionary with a non-SBC missions agency.. Yet victims who are not minors must decide for themselves whether to contact authorities, he said. at the height of awareness of SBC scandals.' Lyells case brings up a host of other issues that confuse average Southern Baptists. Lyell previously was a vice president at Lifeway, which is located in Nashville, Tenn. She voluntarily agreed to an interview with Baptist Press in 2019, by her account hoping her story would encourage other survivors of sexual abuse to come forward. David Sills and Mary Sills contend they have been smeared repeatedly in the process and seek monetary damages. In essence, defendants saw an opportunity to improve the appearance and reputation of SBCs handling of abuse cases, long under fire, even though there had not been any legitimate and proper investigation into the allegations, nor was Dr. Sills adequately informed of the specific nature and extent of accusations made by Lyell.. Three Southern Baptist seminary faculty members have recently resigned their positions. The case as outlined by David and Mary Sills directly contradicts the narrative told by Lyell and widely accepted as truth. 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. 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. That happened three months prior to release of a bombshell report from an independent investigation that found widespread mishandling of known cases of sexual abuse in the SBC and its churches. 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. The plaintiffs have requested a jury trial. In a filing made in the Mobile, Ala., Circuit Court, David and Mary Sills allege "defamation, conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and . She did so after learning her abuser, former Southern Baptist seminary professor, author, and missionary David Sills, had recently returned to ministry. 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. Upon hearing Lyells claims last May, SBTS immediately took action. 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