Lyell is a former Reaching and Teaching International board member. The subsequent criticism from abuse advocates eventually led to calls for an independent investigation into how SBC leaders had treated abuse survivors. 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. But I am a victim nonetheless.". But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. A former Southern Baptist seminary professor who resigned following accusations of sexual abuse has filed suit in Alabama against the Southern Baptist Convention and 11 other defendants claiming defamation of character and conspiracy. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. No one knows. Lyell eventually resigned from Lifeway, citing backlash from the article and harassment. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. "If I were not to come forward, a church or ministry that gets his resume and does an internet search would have no way to know the truth behind his resignation, she said. Lyell said Sills first acted sexually against her on a mission trip in 2004, establishing a pattern of abuse that continued for more than a decade. A former Southern Baptist seminary professor who resigned following accusations of sexual abuse has filed suit in Alabama against the Southern Baptist Convention and 11 other defendants claiming defamation of character and conspiracy. Norton Hall houses the presidents office at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. RNS photo by Adelle M. Banks. Sills resigned in 2018 after being confronted with the allegations, but the reason for his resignation was not initially made public. He was born on November 1, 1953, to Willard Norman Sills, Jr. Investigation uncovers hundreds of sex crimes in Southern Baptist Convention. Mohler told Carolyn McCulley, the director and writer of the documentary Out of Darkness, that Lyell from the start had alleged Sills had been sexually abusive. Last year, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor David Sills resigned from his position without much of an explanation. Your daily news briefing from the editors of CT. She said when she reported what happened to Mohler and her boss at Nashville, Tenn.-based LifeWay Christian Resources, she accepted responsibility for being compliant at times and not reporting the allegations sooner. Here's how. Subscribe to CT 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 . M. DAVID SILLS (B.A., Belhaven College; M.Div., New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary; D.Miss., Ph.D., Reformed Theological Seminary) is professor of Christian Missions and Cultural Anthropology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. This past summer, Mohler issued a statement, saying that the abuse allegations had been investigated and confirmed. Sills made his NFL debut in a Week 7 victory over the Carolina Panthers. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has followed best practices in this matter and has nothing to hide, he said. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Photo via Baptist Press, David Sills was repentant and obedient to the rules of the SBC, the complaint alleges. Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. Professors. Sills was a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary until his resignation on May 23, 2018. We will make this truth clear in any forum necessary and we will do so vigorously.. In February 2022, the SBC Executive Committee reached a financial settlement with Lyell and, Sexual Abuse Task Force released the results, Disciple Now weekend in Mississippi sees dozens of confessions, baptisms, SWBTS accepts City of Fort Worths $11 million offer for purchase of Carroll Park, GA woman turns from very dark life to serving Christ full time in ministry, Gateway Seminary GoGrant to fund missions trips for all students, Start a new subscription at the group rate. She graduated from Southern with a master of divinity in 2006 and enrolled in an SBTS doctoral program for one year after that. When prominent author and professor David Sills resigned last May from the seminary, President R. Albert Mohler Jr. issued a vague statement saying it was committed to the "highest standards of . Southern Seminary, in a statement to the Biblical Recorder, said SBTS President R. Albert Mohler Jr. "received the resignation of Dr. David Sills from the Southern Seminary faculty on May 23, 2018. David Sills has resigned from leadership positions as president of Reaching & Teaching International Ministries, professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS) and member of the search team for a new president of the International Mission Board (IMB). 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. In her statement, Lyell accused Sills of "grooming and taking advantage of his student.". New details of former SBTS prof's resignation alleged Baptist Press reported Sills' resignation in June 2018 based on reporting by North Carolina's 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." If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. 2. Though Lyell asked that the article be changed, Baptist Press officials and leaders at the SBC Executive Committee initially refused. At the time, Lyell maintained that she faced opposition when seeking justice through the SBC. While the Southern Baptist Convention would go on to pay in a defamation suit brought by Jennifer Lyell over one million dollars, nothing of her retconned claims have been remotely close to proven.The SBC has a lot riding on Jennifer Lyell's victim status. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. cancel. Bill Cook, and executive pastor, Jeff Elieff, said in an email that Sills is no longer a member there. The Sillses seek monetary damages from the named defendants: the SBC; the SBC Executive Committee; former SBC President Ed Litton; current SBC President Bart Barber; Lyell; Lifeway Christian Resources; Eric Geiger, a former executive vice president at Lifeway; Willie McLaurin, interim president of the Executive Committee; Rolland Slade, former chairman of the Executive Committee; Southern Seminary; Al Mohler, president of Southern Seminary; and Guidepost Solutions, the firm that conducted the independent investigation. In a release to Baptist Press and others, Jennifer Lyell, now 41 and director of the books ministry area at LifeWay Christian Resources, alleges sexual contact with Sills began on a mission trip in 2004. ", BP reported Sills' resignation in June 2018 based on reporting by North Carolina's Biblical Recorder newsjournal, 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. Lyells case was cited in the SATF report. He has planted and pastored churches in both the United States and Ecuador, and he is the founder and president of Reaching & Teaching International Ministries . Who will pay for the SBCs abuse reforms over the long term? It further stated, "Southern Seminary is . Leaders at the SBC Executive Committee tried to head off the investigation and, when they could not do that, tried to derail it. I do not need to be under oath to tell the truthand there are no lies that will shake my certainty about what is true, she said. The resulting Guidepost investigation and report found that SBC leaders had mistreated abuse survivors for years and downplayed abuse in the nations largest Protestant denomination. Southern Baptist leaders mistreated abuse survivors for decades, reports says, How the apocalyptic Southern Baptist report almost didnt happen, Jennifer Lyell wanted to stop her abuser by telling her story. David Sills. A former Southern Baptist Convention seminary professor accused of sexual abuse by a student has filed a defamation lawsuit against the SBC and several other entities, claiming he was an "easy target" and a "bona fide scapegoat" in the sex abuse scandal surrounding the denomination. Hes wrong. Yet victims who are not minors must decide for themselves whether to contact authorities, he said. Baptist Press identified the church as Ninth & O Baptist. Defendants saw him as an easy target; a bona fide scapegoat., RELATED: Southern Baptist leaders mistreated abuse survivors for decades, reports says. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". Conversions credited to women evangelists sharing the good news one-on-one in conversations. 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 lawsuit reinterprets a widespread understanding that, rather than bolster the SBCs credibility in preventing sexual abuse, the denominations treatment of Lyell has been a public relations disaster. Bangor Worldwide is hosting a lunchtime talk by Prof. David Sills on Wednesday 18th October in Hamilton Road Presbyterian Church. 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. David Sills in an undated photo. Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. This article has been updated with a statement from Lyell. Become a Courier Journal subscriber today to support stories like this one. Questions? Statements made by Sills in the course of our confrontation clearly confirmed the allegations of abuse, he wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. In August, the SBC announced the Justice Department is investigating multiple arms of the denomination over mishandling allegations of sexual abuse. Instead, Baptist Press wrote its own article about her experience. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/andreww. Join thousands of others to get the FREEDOM POST newsletter for free, sent twice a week from The Christian Post. David Sills is associate dean of Christian Missions and the A. P. and Faye Stone Professor of Christian Missions and Cultural Anthropology at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I believe it was by design.. Find your friends on Facebook. Aderholt, 46, is a former International Mission Board missionary who worked in central and eastern Europe. A former Southern Baptist Convention seminary professor accused of sexual abuse by a student has filed a defamation lawsuit against the SBC and several other entities, claiming he was an "easy target" and a "bona fide scapegoat" in the sex abuse scandal surrounding the denomination. Baptist Press eventually retractedthe article. conan exiles compost heap not working. While tens of thousands flocked to campus, school officials met in a storage closet to make decisions that would honor what is happening.. The campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship seminary for the Southern Baptist Convention, is located in Louisville, Kentucky. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Jennifer Lyell, who now works as an executive for LifeWay Christian Resources, posted a confession . On May 22, the SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force released the results of the Guidepost investigation that affirmed widespread mishandling of known cases of sexual abuse in the SBC and its churches. Aug 2016 - Dec 20165 months. An online biography of Sills indicated he is a member of Ninth & O Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky. Mohler also released a statement defending its handling of allegations against Sills. the SBC Executive Committee said. Because this a personnel matter, we cannot comment further.. Page, 65, initially announced he was retiring to spend more time with his grandchildren. 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