Because this is a personnel matter, we cannot comment further.". Sign Up. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson thinks he redeemed himself. Log in or sign up for Facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. David Sills: Returns to New York. Clarkson finally relented. Sills, former professor of missions and cultural anthropology at Southern, did not respond to BP's request for comment. Photo via Baptist Press, David Sills was repentant and obedient to the rules of the SBC, the complaint alleges. She graduated from Southern with a master of divinity in 2006 and enrolled in an SBTS doctoral program for one year after that. 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. But Mohler confirmed that Lyell shared allegations with him in May 2018 and that Southern, as Lyell stated, "immediately took action. 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. Sills claims the situation was consensual and alleges that SBC leaders, including Southerns president, Albert Mohler, turned his confession against him, labeling him as an abuser. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The SBC Executive Committee apologized repeatedly to Lyell and reached a settlement with her. For the past few years, the Southern Baptist Convention has contended that David Sills is a sex abuser and Jennifer Lyell was a victim. 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). James Helton. In addition to the Sills' lawsuit, the SBC is facing two other lawsuits that reference Guidepost's report, Baptist Press reported. 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. Lyell eventually resigned from Lifeway, citing backlash from the article and harassment. 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. 765-285-3390. David Sills. The SBC Executive Committee and several other SBC leaders did not immediately respond to requests for comment. and Faye Stone Professor of Christian Missions and Cultural Anthropology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Jennifer Lyell, who now works as an executive for LifeWay Christian Resources, posted a confession . 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 interview for a documentary about the denominations response to its sexual abuse crisis. 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. Guidepost declined to comment. Here's how. 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. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. 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 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 . Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. 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. Mohler,in turn, was forced to apologize for supporting the religious leader of Sovereign Grace Ministries, who was accused of covering up sexual abuse at his former church. 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. Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert have provided a . "Southern Seminary is committed to the highest standards of both principle and policy," a spokesperson said. ", The Sills are suing SBC leaders, including Mohler, who has publicly stated he believed Lyell's story; former SBC President Ed Litton; current SBC President Bart Barber; Rolland Slade, former chairman of the Executive Committee; Lifeway Christian Resources, a research and publishing arm of the SBC; Guidepost Solutions and others for "defamation, conspiracy, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and wantonness concerning untrue claims of sexual abuse. 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. She wrote, "Dr. David Sills, then a tenured professor at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, first sexually acted against me on a mission trip in 2004, a pattern that continued and escalated . Those attempts failed. He is a 2000 master-of-divinity graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a doctor of ministry from Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary in Memphis, Tennessee. All rights reserved. Hofstra University is an EO/AA/ADA educator and employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, or religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, physical or mental disability, marital or veteran status in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other . He told Sills IV they could come to . Just over two years later, she stated the allegations to then-LifeWay Senior Vice President Eric Geiger and Mohler. Your daily news briefing from the editors of CT. Associate Professor of Music MI 123. Lyell said in her statement that she asked "very strongly" last May that the seminary not reveal the reason for Sills' resignation because she wanted to protect his family. In May, trustees of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary transitioned President Paige Patterson to the honorary title president emeritus with pay and lodging on the seminary campus. Braselton, Lorraine. However, attorneys misidentified an email from Lyell, which was sent to a pair of ministers, not to RNS. 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. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. In a grievance filed Nov. 21 within the Circuit Courtroom of Cell, Alabama, David Sills, a former professor of missions and [] The SBC Executive Committee apologized repeatedly to Lyell and reached a settlement with her. 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. The case has long been used by critics to show the SBCs tendency to mishandle such allegations. 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. 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.. New details of former SBTS prof's resignation alleged, By DAVID ROACH and SHAWN HENDRICKS, Baptist Press, ANALYSIS: Four things Asbury students want you to know, Weather events prompt state of emergency declaration, Worship service scheduled Sunday in Rupp Arena, It aint about the truck pastor says after gospel encounter, All eyes focus on (another?) Want to help your child build lasting, meaningful friendships? Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. told BP he could not disclose why Sills' employment at the seminary ended. Lyell wrote that she reported the allegations to Mohler last spring, after the disclosure that the president of Southwestern Theological Seminary, Paige Patterson, had lied to his board about a students rape allegation and talked about breaking down the victim of a more recent rape. Her statement was first reported by Baptist Press. 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. President [Al] Mohler received the resignation of Dr. David Sills from the Southern Seminary faculty on May 23, 2018, an SBTS statement said June 1 in an email response to the Biblical Recorder. Dr. David Sills is the founder and president of Reaching & Teaching International Ministries as well as A.P. or. Mohler also released a statement defending its handling of allegations against Sills. An online biography of Sills indicated he is a member of Ninth & O Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky. We will make this truth clear in any forum necessary and we will do so vigorously., RELATED: How the apocalyptic Southern Baptist report almost didnt happen. 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 that the relationship continued until she was 38. Professor of Music Performance MU 413C. "David Sills was repentant and obedient to the rules of the SBC," the complaint alleges. David Sills is an employee working in University Of Western Ontario, according to the data provided by Province of Ontario, . More news: Southern Baptist professor accused of sexually abusing student 'by design' over a decade. 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 a complaint filed Nov. 21 in the Circuit Court of Mobile, Alabama, David Sills, a . However, he said that false allegations of abuse are harmful to efforts to protect women. for less than $4.25/month. David Leonard Sills David Leonard Sills embraced eternity long ago, but passed into it fully on January 1, 2022 in Westminster, Maryland. The truth will come out in this litigation, he said. Yesterday details were made public about a Southern Seminary professor and the circumstances surrounding his resignation. The church said it acted "swiftly and firmly" and that Sills is no longer a member. Sills was a professor at . Sills, considered an expert at training pastors in the developing world, also lost his job as president of a . Other recent departures include the May 28 resignation of DavidSills, professor of missions and cultural anthropology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. That public relations effort, according to the suit, included an investigation by Guidepost Solutions into SBC leaders handling of alleged abuse cases, which was made public earlier this year. Andrew Wolfson: 502-582-7189; awolfson@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @adwolfson. Spurgeon, published by the B&H Academic division of LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Neuro Engineering Rehabilitation and Degeneration Laboratory, Wright State University. Our policies and procedures are clear and are consistently applied. The Genesis 11 story is about pride, but not in the way we think. 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 . cancel. 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. David Sills V, right, began working with QB guru Steve Clarkson at the age of 10. How did Saddleback get kicked out of the SBC? Baptist Press identified the church as Ninth & O Baptist. Hes wrong. All rights reserved. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. David Sills. 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. In her statement, Lyell accused Sills of "grooming and taking advantage of his student.". 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. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". SBC leaders "repeated and circulated false statements" about him, the lawsuit says, causing him to be "cast as a toxic pariah." . The recent Southern Baptist Convention annual meeting in Dallas passed resolutions 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., Addressing what a news release called a months-long slew of firings and resignations within Southern Baptist entities, most for reasons of moral or ethical failure, Southern Seminary President Albert Mohler said during a panel discussion at the SBC annual meeting that Southern Baptists should not circle the wagons in response to what he called the humiliation of the Southern Baptist Convention., The church of the Lord Jesus Christ should be the safest place for anyone vulnerable to come and seek help, Mohler said, according to the release. There are plenty of reasons to stay silent in a situation such as this, she said. 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 . 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.. from Beeson Divinity School at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala.; and an undergraduate degree from Samford. The Sills claim they have been "wrongfully and untruthfully labelled as criminals and shunned by the SBC. 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. 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Dr. David Sills resigned in May 2018. . This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. David Sills and his wife, Mary, filed the suit Nov. 21 in Mobile County circuit court. 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. Geiger, senior pastor of Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif., confirmed to BP that Lyell shared her allegations with him. (RNS) A former seminary professor and missionary who admitted sexual misconduct has sued a group of Southern Baptist Convention David Sills, former seminary prof accused of abuse, sues SBC and Guidepost - Aicren 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. Leaders at the SBC Executive Committee tried to head off the investigation and, when they could not do that, tried to derail it. Dr. David Sills is an internationally known keynote speaker, whose expertise in the area of intercultural interaction, training those in other cultures, experiences of travels and living overseas, and the process of adjusting to life in other cultures from over two decades of serving as missionary, seminary professor, minister, and missions administrator has taken him around the world and . "The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has followed best practices in this matter and has nothing to hide," he said. Return to homepage. Barrett declined to discuss the specifics of the lawsuit. "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. We ought to be the first refuge for anyone who is seeking help, in an abusive marriage, in a situation of sexual harassment or sexual abuse, any kind of abuse whether children or women or anyone vulnerable. Aderholt, 46, is a former International Mission Board missionary who worked in central and eastern Europe. In February 2022, the SBC Executive Committee reached a financial settlement with Lyell and issued a public apology for the Baptist Press coverage. Giants' David Sills V poised to make impact as teammates laud skill set. However, attorneys misidentified an email from Lyell, which was sent to a pair of ministers, not to RNS. Previously: Kentucky Southern Baptist leaders among hundreds accused of sex abuse, Sills, who was a professor of missions and cultural anthropology, did not respond to a request for comment, while Mohler said he supported Lyell's decision to go public as a "brave and right thing to do.". 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