In a complaint filed Nov. 21 in the Circuit Court of Mobile, Alabama, David Sills, a former professor of missions and cultural anthropology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, admits he lost . "We will make this truth clear in any forum necessary and . Carroll Park property from the Fort, Debbie Verrelli is among an army of Southern Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers who help survivors reclaim their lives and restore their homes after natural disasters, Gateway Seminary President Jeff Iorg recently announced a major gift received by the school to fund short-term missions trips for students. If you're interested in submitting a Letter to the Editor, click here. Facebook/The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Bible teacher Jen Wilkin addresses criticism of her views on sending children to public schools, Teen, 21-year-old man indicted for murder of Memphis pastor, Deion Sanders' prayers are constitutionally protected, lawyer tells University of Colorado, Revival at Kentucky college faces hurdles from school leadership, moves worship off-campus. David Sills. Attorneys for Sills claim that Guidepost never contacted their client, who is mentioned repeatedly in the Guidepost report. Why women rule Louisville courtrooms. (RNS) A former seminary professor and missionary who admitted sexual misconduct has sued a group of Southern Baptist Convention leaders and entities, claiming they conspired with an abuse survivor to ruin his reputation. In an email, Lyell declined to elaborate on her statement or the reaction to it so far. for less than $4.25/month. A former Southern Baptist Theological Seminary student has come forward to detail how former professor David Sills, who resigned last year, engaged in an inappropriate and "abusive" sexual relationship with her that lasted for over a decade. David Sills in an undated photo. ", 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.". With over 1.3 million professors, 7,000 schools & 15 million ratings, Rate My Professors is the best professor ratings source based on student feedback. Sills, considered an expert at training pastors in the developing world, also lost his job as president of a missionary group called Reaching and Teaching, and was disciplined by his Louisville, Kentucky, church. However, he said that false allegations of abuse are harmful to efforts to protect women. Professor of Music Performance MU 413C. Lyell eventually resigned from Lifeway, citing backlash from the article and harassment. George, curator of Midwestern Seminarys Spurgeon Library and its digitized Spurgeon Archive, had edited two volumes of previously unpublished sermons by Charles Spurgeon in a planned 12-volume series, The Lost Sermons of C.H. They did so, according to the complaint, as a public relations stunt, aimed at improving the SBCs reputation during a national sexual abuse scandal. A mainstay on the practice squad the past three years, Sills makes plays every summer in camp and he came up big in preseason game No. Aderholt, 46, is a former International Mission Board missionary who worked in central and eastern Europe. Sills, a leading Southern Baptist missiologist and author of several books about missions, notified the organizations of his immediate departure in late May. ", Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. This wasnt by accident, she said. Who will pay for the SBCs abuse reforms over the long term? In a complaint filed Nov. 21 in the Circuit Court of Mobile, Ala,, David Sills, a former professor of missions and cultural anthropology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, admits he lost his job in 2018 due to what he called "morally inappropriate consensual intimate" conduct with a student. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. See Photos. Success! Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Southern Seminary is committed to the highest standards of both principle and policy. 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.. Clarkson finally relented. Crossgates Baptist Church, Brandon, baptized 107, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary accepted a non-binding agreement for an $11 million acquisition of 15 acres of the B.H. Your daily news briefing from the editors of CT. In a complaint filed Nov. 21 in the Circuit Court of Mobile, Alabama, David Sills, a . "The SBC Executive Committee apologizes for all the hurt it has caused, is grateful for Ms. Lyell's perseverance and engagement. When confronted about the relationship after Lyell presented her claims to SBTS President Albert Mohler, the lawsuit says, Sills resigned from his post at Southern Seminary. David Sills, a former professor of missions and . At the last minute, the story was changed to say Lyell had had an inappropriate relationship with Sills. Patterson, who had been a towering figure in the nation's largest Protestant denomination, with 15 million members, was fired last May. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The complaint names Southern seminary and Mohler, as well as the SBCs Executive Committee, SBC President Bart Barber, and his predecessor Ed Litton as defendants, along with several other leaders. In June, BP reported Sills also had resigned as president of Reaching and Teaching International Ministries, a missions organization that engages in discipleship and theological education internationally. And prays for her complete healing from the trauma she has endured." 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 . The lawsuit filed by Michael David Sills and Mary Sills in Mobile County, Alabama. Lyell claimed she was groomed then abused by the professor for more than ten years. Defendants saw him as an easy target; a bona fide scapegoat.. An IMB representative said in a statement to the Recorder that, in compliance with bylaws, Sillss position would not be filled on the IMB presidential search committee to replace David Platt. 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.. Our policies and procedures are clear and are consistently applied. David Sills. from Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.; and an undergraduate degree from Samford. Sills, considered an expert at training pastors in the developing world, also lost his job as president of a missionary group called Reaching and Teaching, and was disciplined by his Louisville, Kentucky, church. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. David Sills is a professor in the Anthropology department at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary - see what their students are saying about them or leave a rating yourself. Let's not forget that, Why revival must be tethered to Scripture, Revelation 9: The pit, the smoke and hideous demon creatures, Ex-SBTS prof. accused of 'grooming' former student in decade-long abusive relationship, SBC leaders apologize for mishandling Jennifer Lyell's sex abuse case, DOJ investigating 'multiple entities' within Southern Baptist Convention, leaders say, SBC head rejects claim ex-president Johnny Hunt has been restored to ministry after abuse allegation. All rights reserved. Aug 2016 - Dec 20165 months. Sills caught Daniel Jones passes of 12, 20 and 14 yards on . 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. Lyell first came forward with allegations of abuse against Sills in 2018, reporting them to her then-supervisor Geiger and to Mohler and other seminary leaders. 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. She graduated from Southern with a master of divinity in 2006 and enrolled in an SBTS doctoral program for one year after that. The SBC Executive Committee and several other SBC leaders did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The complaint names Southern seminary and Mohler, as well as the SBCs Executive Committee, SBC President Bart Barber and his predecessor Ed Litton as defendants, along with several other leaders. "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. There are plenty of reasons to stay silent in a situation such as this, she said. 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. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. By the time I shared about my abuse, I had been in counseling for more than two years, which had given . Raymond Kilburn. Our policies and procedures are clear and are consistently . Lifeway was made aware of the lawsuit last week. I am not a sinless victim, she said, but I am a victim nonetheless., More news: Prosecutor who had sex with murder detectiveaccused of misleading FBI, She praised Mohler and the seminary for taking immediateaction against Sills after he admitted inappropriate sexual activity and for handling the situation justly and as I asked.. George also was on Midwesterns faculty as assistant professor of historical theology and is a former faculty member at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee. Dr. David Sills is the founder and president of Reaching & Teaching International Ministries as well as A.P. and Faye Stone Professor of Christian Missions and Cultural Anthropology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. David Sills admitted to misconduct but claims he has been falsely attacked by Southern Baptists and their investigative firm. David Sills, a former professor of missions and cultural anthropology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and his wife, Mary, filed a complaint on Nov. 21 in the Circuit Court of Mobile, Alabama. The campus of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the flagship seminary for the Southern Baptist Convention, is located in Louisville, Kentucky. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Sign up for our newsletter: The Louisville, Ky., church where Sills was a member, Lyell said, also "took action" following Sills' resignation. I believe it was by design.. Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor David Sills resigned last year. Things made a little more sense last Friday when a woman named Jennifer Lyell (below) released a statement explaining how she had been engaged in an "inappropriate relationship" with Sills for nearly a decade, beginning when she was his student. The Sills claim they have been "wrongfully and untruthfully labelled as criminals and shunned by the SBC. 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 . Louisville's Ninth and O Baptist Church told BP it is the congregation referenced in Lyell's statement. "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. Gary Friedman/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. The case has long been used by critics to show the SBCs tendency to mishandle such allegations. Old login credentials will no longer work. Georges resignation was due to a personal moral failing, Midwestern told the Recorder on June 1. Reaching and Teaching International told BP in a statement that they are aware of a statement by Lyell regarding her allegations involving an inappropriate relationship and "are committed to ensuring a culture of transparency and accountability. This was even after the Convention's news service, The Baptist Press, misreported that Lyell admitted to having an immoral relationship with former Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Professor David Sills. Sills was recently appointed as a missionary at a non-SBC missions agency, which led Lyell to realize she needed to tell her story publicly - in order to avoid someone accused of . These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Bangor Worldwide is hosting a lunchtime talk by Prof. David Sills on Wednesday 18th October in Hamilton Road Presbyterian Church. There are plenty of reasons to stay silent in a situation such as this. Its lead pastor, the Rev. Other recent departures include the May 28 resignation of DavidSills, professor of missions and cultural anthropology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Sills joined Southerns faculty after serving as an International Mission Board missionary in Ecuador as a church planter and general evangelist among the Highland Quichua people in the Andes and as a seminary professor at the Ecuadorian Baptist Theological Seminary. 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. Every generation is tempted to augment or diminish, even nuance or redefine the mission of the church. In February, the SBC's Executive Committee also expressed regret for its response to Lyell's claims, saying SBC leaders failed to "adequately listen, protect, and care for" Lyell when she came forward to share. Get the most recent headlines and stories from Christianity Today delivered to your inbox daily. 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. Bob Smietana November 29, 2022. 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. Have the latest local news delivered every morning so you don't miss out on updates. Piano and Organ Faculty. Statements made by Sills in the course of our confrontation clearly confirmed the allegations of abuse, he wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. 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." #LeaveYourMark For the past few years, the Southern Baptist Convention has contended that David Sills is a sex abuser and Jennifer Lyell was a victim. 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. David Sills | MOODY PUBLISHERS The lawsuit centers on allegations that Sills sexually abused Jennifer Lyell starting in 2004 when Lyell was a student and Sills was a professor. It does not store any personal data. David Sills is an employee working in University Of Western Ontario, according to the data provided by Province of Ontario, . Southern Baptists oust Rick Warrens Saddleback Church for naming a female pastor, Beth Moore tries to untangle her all knotted-up life in new memoir, Copyright 2020, Religion News Service. Statements made by Sills in the course of our confrontation clearly confirmed the allegations of abuse, he wrote in a statement posted on Twitter. We have changed software providers for our subscription database. At its annual meeting last June in Dallas, the Southern Baptist Convention passed a resolution affirming the dignity and worth of women in their distinctive God-assigned roles and condemning all abusive behavior as unquestionably sinful and under the just condemnation of our Holy God., The resolution also called upon all Southern Baptists to encourage, cultivate, and celebrate the diverse gifts, callings, and contributions of women in biblically appropriate ways., Read this: Male judges are 'close to extinction.' We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Lyells case was cited in the SATF report. At the time, she was a 26-year-old master of divinity student, and the alleged relationship continued until she was 38, spanning a period in which Lyell moved from Louisville, Ky., to Chicago and then to Nashville, she told BP. 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