On 11/28/22- Orion captures a unique view of Earth and the Moon. NASA
“My initial response was to sue her for defamation of character, but then I realized that I had no character.” Charles Barkley
It looks like the alleged abuser and his wife are fighting back and are hunting for bear. Sadly, this will be one to watch since it will hurt the victim, Jennifer Lyall, and many of those in the SBC who have sought to defend her. Baptist News posted: Sills files suit against SBC and 11 other defendants, claiming his relationship with Lyell was consensual, and he became a ‘scapegoat’ in the SBC’s sexual abuse crisis.
Lyell’s claim that she was abused by David Sills while he was a professor at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary resulted in a controversial news story published by Baptist Press, the denominational news service, which portrayed the relationship as consensual. Lyell contends it was not consensual.
After several years of dispute, the SBC Executive Committee earlier this year reached a financial settlement with Lyell and issued a public apology for the Baptist Press story.
According to Relevant Magazine in The SBC President Is Defending a Sexual Abuse Survivor From Attempts to Discredit Her Story:
In 2019, Lyell wrote her story of sexual abuse at the hands of a former Southern Baptist seminary professor and sent the story to a Christian news outlet. But when the Southern Baptist Convention’s Executive Committee’s Baptist Press published her story, it did not characterize it as a story of abuse but as a “morally inappropriate relationship.” Online, Lyell was branded as an “adulteress” instead of a survivor of abuse, and “lost her job, her reputation and her health,” according to the Washington Post. It got so bad that, in 2021, she told Religion News Service she wished she had never gone public.
But then the Guidepost investigation and report happened. According to Baptist Press, Jennifer Lyell’s name appeared on 36 pages of that investigation.
Background on what is alleged
The Courier-Journal in 2019 posted Southern Baptist professor accused of sexually abusing student ‘by design’ over a decade.
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.
She said she was a 26-year-old Master of Divinity student when it began.
He was a Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor and was allowed to resign.
Lyell said the reason she didn’t report Sills’ alleged abuse sooner and he was able to continue “grooming and taking advantage” of her for so long was because he made her feel part of his family.
…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.
“I am not a sinless victim,” she said, “but I am a victim nonetheless.”
…She praised Mohler and the seminary for taking “immediate action” against Sills after he admitted “inappropriate sexual activity” and for handling the situation “justly and as I asked.”
She also said Sills’ Louisville church took action after he resigned from the seminary May 23.
What is David Sills doing now?
The Roys Report posted David Sills, Former Seminary Prof Accused of Abuse, Sues SBC, and Guidepost.
Sills resigned in 2018 after being confronted with the allegations, but the reason for his resignation was not initially made public. 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.
Lyell came forward:
When he was hired by a different mission group,
According to the post:
Attorneys for Sills claim that Guidepost never contacted their client, who is mentioned repeatedly in the Guidepost report. They also claim that allegations by Lyell, Mohler and others were part of a campaign to “falsely attack the honesty and the character of David Sills and Mary Sills, casting them as violent criminals.”
Could it be that David Sills has difficulty obtaining another job in his field? I searched and had no success in finding out if/where he is now employed.
Who are the targets of the lawsuit by the Sills?
Lots of people. Baptist Press posted Sills files defamation suit against SBC, Lyell, others.
- The Southern Baptist Convention
- Ed Litton, former SBC president
- Bart Barber, current SBC president
- Willie McLaurin, interim SBC Executive Committee (EC) president/CEO
- Rolland Slade, former chair of the SBC EC
- Jennifer Lyell
- The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (SBTS)
- Albert Mohler, SBTS president
- Lifeway
- Eric Geiger, former Lifeway executive
- Guidepost Solutions, a third-party investigative firm secured in 2021 by the Sexual Abuse Task Force
…It also accuses the SBC, Lifeway, Jennifer Lyell, Eric Geiger, the EC, Ed Litton, Willie McLaurin, Rolland Slade, SBTS and Mohler of “making an example out of SBC member and employee David Sills who, without controversy, had admitted to an affair with Lyell and willingly accepted the SBC requirement that he depart from his position at the Seminary.”
The suit claims these parties “saw an opportunity to improve the appearance and reputation of (the) SBC’s 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.”
The filing also mentions the work of the Sexual Abuse Task Force.
Several articles claim that the Sills are requesting a jury trial.
Some thoughts on this lawsuit
- It was inevitable that such a lawsuit would happen. Alleged abusers often allege the word “consensual” when referring to “what happened.”
- Defamation is very hard to prove. The Sills’ attorneys would need to prove that each of those defendants knowingly lied in order to cause malicious harm to the Sills.
- I believe that everyone, including Guideposts, sought to tell the truth in a complicated situation. My attorney said, “Truth is the gold standard.”
- I find it hard to believe that all of these institutions and individuals knowing lied in order to harm the Sills. The attorneys will have to prove this for each defendant.
- Given the complexity and longevity of this alleged abusive relationship, I’m surprised that Mary Sills is standing by her husband and joining in the lawsuit.
- I have not heard anyone accuse Mary Sills of being a “violent criminal.”
- The details about the decade-long alleged abusive relationship are apt to be embarrassing for the Sills. Why should they put themselves through such an ordeal?
- Such details could impact the ability of the Sills to find gainful employment.
- Given the number of defendants, I bet this will be one costly lawsuit. Is it possible the Sills may ask for a large settlement?
I found this quote by David Sills.
“The general mission of the church is to worship God, glorify Christ, make disciples of all nations, baptize believers and teach them to obey all that Christ has commanded.”
― M David Sills, Changing World, Unchanging Mission: Responding to Global Challenges
I’m not so sure that this lawsuit reflects that sentiment. I might consider “turning the cheek” as a better option. This is going to get ugly.
Another floating, burning dumpster fire…. Sigh
This will not end well for anyone. I too, am surprised at the number of defendants, since as Dee noted, “The Sills’ attorneys would need to prove that each of those defendants knowingly lied in order to cause malicious harm to the Sills.” “Knowingly” is the operative word. Again, as Dee commented, will the Sills ask for a large settlement? Strange.
It took hubris, deceit, bullying, and entitlement for the supposedly good and upright professor to cheat on his wife and violate a student (adult student, but a student nevertheless).
Now he goes after the victim, again with vigor. Why should one be surprised? Hubris, deceit, bullying, and entitlement. Overconfident that he will prevail, because, of course, he always prevails. Supposedly, or so goes the assumption.
Only for the sake of argument, let’s pretend, just for a moment, that Sills is telling the truth, and that the affair was consensual…………
Okay. Sills was an SBC seminary professor …….. who started a adulterous affair that lasted 12 years, with a seminary student while they were on a mission trip to, ahem, spread the Good News!
Hmmmm.
Is there anything wrong with that picture?
Does the truth according to David Sills tell us anything about his “honesty and character”???
You are right that this is going to get ugly. You are right that this is going to cost a lot of money. You are right that David and Mary sills are looking at some very hard times in bringing this lawsuit. What could cause them to want anything to do with this?
We have only heard one side of this story so far. Could it be that there may be some things that come to light that we haven’t heard before?
The whole thing is a sorted tale and a blight on the gospel of Christ. No one should want any of this. However to condemn David Sills as an abuser without hearing his side of the story I do not understand. Does he have a right to be heard? Or should we just condemn him with the testimony of Jennifer Lyell? He is to sit down shut up and accept the opinion of everyone who has condemned him as a terrible abuser of Jennifer Lyell on her testimony alone?
The reporter Megan Basham tried to find the police report that Jennifer Lyell says she reported to a couple of Police Departments in the Louisville Area and the Police Departments had no record. I don’t know why. Maybe there is a good explanation. I will wait before I make any final conclusions.
Did David Sill deserve to loose his job as a Seminary professor? I would say yes. I would think he violated the moral clause of his contract for this relationship with Jennifer Lyell. Did he deserve all of the things said about him? I want to hear his side of the story. Maybe he did deserve it. I guess we will find out.
The “shotgun” approach to an issue: sue everyone that may be considered remotely involved and hope for something, and the act of suing itself sends a message of vindication.
Sad for all involved as nothing meaningful will result . . .
This whole situation is partly the result of the whole”evangelical, industrial complex”, and consequences of its behavior.
I keep coming back to a theme that Max hits on, namely, the example/life of Christ is missing ( given the misuse of the word Gospel, I am not using it)…
While I do not claim to know what it always means to be “Christ -like”, this current situation sure does not seem to be “Christ-like”…
Christlikeness:
“The Spirit produces in human life fruits such as these: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, fidelity, tolerance and self-control. Those who belong to Christ have crucified their old nature with all that it loved and lusted for. If our lives are centered in the Spirit, let us be guided by the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:22 Phillips)
That picture is a snapshot of what cheap grace looks like. There’s been an outbreak of that in the American church … in both pulpit and pew, and yes in SBC seminaries. New Calvinists are perhaps the biggest offenders in the 21st century church … their movement, if left unchecked, will lead to antinomianism – believing that Christians are released by “grace” from the obligation of observing the moral law.
Of course he has a right to be heard. As a supposed Christian, why didn’t he try to tell his story as opposed to suing? I bet many news outlets would love to tell his side. This reeks of payback.
Ken A,
Sadly, you may never know his side of the story. Get ready for possible settlements with NDAS all over them.
When I started blogging in 2009, I predicted this. After my own experience, watching the takeover and “Calvinization” of Chapel HIll Bible Church carefully, I agree. It was supposed to solve sloppy doctrines and sloppy churches. Instead it contributed to the continued flight from evangelical churches.
New Calvinism = sloppy doctrines and sloppy churches
Throw it all at the wall and see if any sticks.
And if even one pays off, WE WIN THE LOTTERY!
(Where I live, suing people has the reputation of Get Rich Quick. There’s only ONE amount you sue for: EVERYTHING THEY’VE GOT. EVERYTHING.)
And it silences the victims, which may be the whole point.
(Just offer to take half they’ve got if you settle out-of-court, just sign all these NDA Gag Orders.)
“We need money. Who do we know that we can sue?”
— Calvin & Hobbes
Sounds CHRISTIAN to me.
As long as $oul$ were $aved(TM), that justifies anything. The more $oul$, the better.
If you’re Calvinist, it’s Is Your Theology Perfectly Parsed, Utterly Correct, and Truly REFORMED.
If you’re a Spiritual Warfare Expert, it’s How Many DEMONS Did You Personally Smell Out and Cast Out?
“Idi Amin and the Shah
And al-Fatah is quite bizarre;
I never could get the hang
Of I-DE-O-LO-GY —
I do the Rock…”
— Tim Curry
Lifeway (in shops in every sizable town here till recently), Mohler, Litton et al should not be lauded every time they make someone smaller than themselves their latest image laundering mascot. This is like King Kong’s left paw snatching the damsel from King Kong’s right paw. They have set Lyell up because she thought she should look to authority.
Name for the New Evangelisation Regulator = Offmessage.
That.
🙂
Which also provides David Sills and his attorneys with the opportunity to question the defendants, asking questions to dig up anything that might damage the character of the defendants, even if the questions end up being withdrawn, etc..
David Sills mightn’t win his lawsuit, but the defendants might (?) lose something….even trivial things about the defendants or what they might or might not have done might cause the defendants harm. Especially given so many of the Evangelical (and some other) churches “teaching”, twisting of Scripture, etc..
That.
To clarify… 🙂
Calvinist or Neo-Calvinist, not a “Calvin and Hobbes” Calvinist. 🙂 🙂 🙂
Some of the current situation could be considered Christ-like when the names of abusers, etc., are brought out into the open. Christ named names….
ION: CricketApologies to regular Wartburgers for the lack of cricket updates while I’ve been grappling with the attempt to become a software developer. I know how much you’ll all have been missing our regular reflections on Wartburg’s national sport.
Straight to it, then. An extraordinary first day in the First Test between Pakistan and England in Rawalpindi saw the tourists close on a record-breaking 506-4, despite only 75 overs being bowled before bad light stopped play. All of the top three batsmen scored centuries; former captain Joe Root, in at number 4, will be kicking himself after being trapped lbw by Zahid Mahmood for just 23; but then abnormal service was restored by Harry Brook, at number 5, who closed on an unbeaten 101. Captain Ben Stokes joined him at the crease and hit 34 – off 15 balls – before stumps. A funny old game indeed.
Nick Bulbeck,
Meanwhile, in ‘real’ football, the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Los Angeles Rams 26-10 to move their season to 9 wins and 2 losses 🙂
Agreed. This arrogant attitude typically found in Mark Driscoll all over again. Very much an malignant narcissist attitude.
So many footballs.
I don’t think this is about the Sills. I think this is about payback on Lyell and really, ultimately, about overturning the SATF / SBC investigation.
This whole thing blew up in 2018/2019. At any point Sills could have come out and sued Lyell et al. At any point he could have said there was no intercourse. This made major religious news headlines for literally years. And now all of a sudden he wants to protest that he’s innocent? About six months after it gets included in the Guideposts report?
None of this makes sense. I would fight like all the demons in hell to clear my name if I were accused of an affair with a subordinate or anyone else. This dude waited way too long and there’s too many other people running interference for him (Meg Basham, CBN folks) to buy it. I don’t think he can prove defamation and I don’t think he can win…so there has to be another reason.
Max,
Everyone: stop thinking of SBC, YRR, resurgents, mega’s, tele’s, superapostles, their ideologues, tools, clients, clones or lookalikes as “christians gone wrong”! “Christian” is a sociological term that means nothing to God.
The resurgents haven’t believed and thus haven’t made themselves of Christ; I’m certain other resurgents ensured they didn’t hear the gospel, that Holy Spirit is Jesus’ twin. They have no moral ground to set themselves up as teachers and mouthpieces. They are trying to copy the Hollywood meme that the word is the thing. But they will never believe that a professor has a moral duty not to prolong or begin such a relationship with a student. And since dismissal has a legal connotation after all, they let their human shield suffer collateral damage from their studied lack of astuteness on her behalf.
Max,
Er, hadn’t you noticed antinomianism arrived when body theology and gender theology arrived. Resurgent missions are very inspiring. In the best light, the Sillses need to punish the Mohlerites for attracting “discern the body before communing” type of students onto field trips and for making the Sillses themselves their proxies. The entire world populace are the Mohlerites’ proxies, isn’t that what the (oops, deniable) dominionism is successful for?
researcher,
The big shots know this is the legal system and they know how to duck it personally and corporately because they are its moral progenitors, and its spiritual sponsors. They clearly leaned on their own Baptist News to get the story wrong needing a further spotlight to be shone to have the report adjusted, with a view to prolonging the affair into this, round three. Mohler, Litton and their publicists have shown how increasingly entrenched their contempt for students is becoming by the day. The unwary think they rose in stature but they sank. The calculation of industrialised religion is not and never has been that of “christians gone wrong” but of the beating hearts of evil.
Nick Bulbeck,
You are taunting the ghost of Ravi with the calling he walked out on in favour of the strangely named “people pleasing” which was his denomination’s highest value. Ravi could have been teaching us to pray the prayer of Daniel ch 9 (the meaning in the Scripture), instead of useless quibbling about Daniel’s dating (quieter academics think some secular datings need adjusting anyway).
Apologies for miswording – I should have written professors who are older and have more study behind them.
Industrialised resurgents’ (and they aren’t only calvinists) modus operandi: ensure everything goes wrong for everybody, then we have perpetual designer outlet melodrama a.k.a eternal life.
Getting converted on an ad hominem basis to, and then going to work for, a lustfully possessive and evil outfit (e.g as a professor) means, sadly, accepting codependence into one’s own life. It wasn’t just a place to give back one’s learning, as it disguises itself as.
Nasty, brutish and very, very long.
Geekyguyjay,
I’m trying to figure this out myself. I think that he is going for a “This was consensual” deal. Eith consensual, he, like Johnny Hunt, can be “restored.” I think this may have something to do with his ability to make a living. Thoughts?
Re cheap grace: (Lutheran and Baptist free grace theology alert lol) Grace is never cheap. That which cost the shed blood of Christ is never cheap, and referring to free grace as cheap grace frankly cheapens the blood of Christ.
But grace is free. The vilest sinner does not have to first clean up their act to get saved, nor do they have to clean up their act to stay saved. In Ephesians we find that salvation is not of works lest any man should boast.
I do believe a saved person will over time be more and more sanctified. Unless that is they lose their faith, enter gross sin, and suffer loss of rewards and consolation of salvation. But even then, according to the Bible if we become faithless He is faithful still. KJV and NET get the translation correct in that we live by the faith OF, not IN Jesus Christ.
He is always faithful. We remain both sinner and saint.
Luther and the old time free grace folks like Zane Hodges got it right, and were called antinomians for it. We can wear that badge with honor.
When grace is properly preached and understood, folks tend to respond with such gratitude that acts do get cleaned up. When “change your act to please God” is preached, folks tend over time to rebel. Who can ever be good enough to deserve to be saved? And if you cannot do that, what is the point of trying?
Many years ago we moved from an area strongly into Lordship Salvation, mostly Baptist. And biggest bunch of sinning hypocrites you ever met. We moved to an area where most people were the very liberal but free salvation proclaiming ELCA. And guess what? That so happy to be accepted in the beloved crowd bent over backwards to show love to Jesus by obeying Him.
Grace is free. It cannot be obtained by good works nor lost by bad works. (That said, I strongly agree that the law and the churches and any and all organizations should deal in this temporal world very strongly to punish evildoers.)
I hope that Guidepost did reach out to Sills, and have the documentation to verify it. Otherwise, Sills will have credibility to move forward.
I agree with Ken A, too. Even if the 12 year interaction was consensual, he should have lost his job teaching at a seminary.
Hard questions need to be asked. I hope the answers are made public.
SBCVoices is going kinda nuts on this topic today.
Hard questions, if/when asked, have been avoided in upper SBC ranks for decades. The elite protect their own, until a potato becomes too hot to handle. Then it becomes “Patterson who?” … “Page who?” … “Sills who?”
Max,
Boy Max that is the truth if I ever heard it!
linda,
I must admit that I’m a little disappointed with Miller’s absolutist take on lawsuits. I think there are significant, and excellent, reasons for believers to sue and am not convinced that the blessed St Paul was advocating for an absolutist interpretation.
May have something?
Surely you jest.
Big religion is one of the most lucrative rackets there is.
Of course he wants to protect his income.
Sounds like you’re advocating for reason, common sense, and pragmatism when dealing with Paul’s letters.
And if so, I agree.
Two years ago, Sills posted this on an internet forum:
“I’m mid-60s and was ‘retired’ two years before I’d planned to. I am getting into real estate investing to generate income for my wife and me. I’ve bought two single family houses (Jackson, MS area) already and am rehabbing them now. At my age and need to generate income for the future, is it wiser to buy and hold or BRRRR, or just flip and resell? Please share your wisdom out there to help me.”
https://www.biggerpockets.com/forums/48/topics/901436-investment-advice-for-strategies
Sills being welcomed into the membership of First Presbyterian Church PCA, Jackson, Mississippi [a flagship church of T4G & TGC pastored by Ligon Ducan until 2013 when he became president of Reformed Th. Seminary, still preaches there occasionally, his successor as ‘Senior Minister’ is a Wee Free import]:
at 20min
https://www.facebook.com/FirstPresJackson/videos/1102618430243372
Some random thoughts:
Is it possible that the Sills and Lyell relationship was consensual?
Mary Sills sued because it has been claimed that she was aware of what was going on and aided and abetted. Is is possible that is not true.
I read the lawsuit. One part that seems accurate to me is the allegation that Mohler, in particular, and the SBC as an institution, was so eager to jump on this because they had been so slow to recognize what was happening with CJ Mahaney and then they got the Houston Chronicle story.
Is it possible that they were so eager that they embellished the account? That they mixed error in with truth?
I never understood the concept of self flagellation and why that would be appealing to medieval Monks and others. I think I understand it now. The SBC has handled this thing so badly at times you can almost see them wanting to destroy themselves. They made the horrible decision to waive attorney client privilege, they have ended up seeing 1/3 of their duly elected Executive Committee members leave because of their unprofessional opinions (Note: I understand that accountants, attorneys, financial planners, people involved in the world of securities, have all resigned because the companies where they work would not allow them to serve given the poor decisions the Executive Committee made. Now, subcommittees in the SBC, for example the Finance Committee, is made up totally of pastors, and now has no financial expertise. They have virtue signaled so badly about how awful they have been, that the US Department of Justice has taken them up on their offer and are investigating them.
The allegations in the complaint regarding conspiracy are really strange. It’s believable that people can get ahead of themselves and start saying untrue things about a situation if they think that will help their cause. But the claim that these disparate actors all planned this out is fantastic.
Given the conspiracy angle, however, the Sills are going to get hold of everyone’s emails regarding this topic. People often lie in emails as they do verbally, so we are not going to see an email that says “now, you say you were abused, I’ll back you up, and the press will report how great we are…” But there may be some interesting finds in those emails and the communications among all the parties.
The emails and texts between Lyell and Sills will be interesting. You would expect written communication between them to reveal an aggressive Sills and a compliant Lyell. I wonder if Guidepost ever asked to see that.
It is inconceivable to me that Guiedpost never picked up the phone and at least tried to contact Sills. That can’t be true. Anyone performing an “investigation” would investigate. A parent, a teacher, a cop, the FBI, when investigating a situation always wants to know “what’s going on? What happened here?” But to never ask the other side to respond? That cannot be right. Surely not.
The lead counsel for the Sills is female. That makes no substantive difference, but in our identity based society, it will present and interesting visual.
There are 3 law firms representing the Sills, one in Chicago?
This thing may all evaporate overnight due to overreach, lack of funds, lack of supporting information once the thing gets underway. Mike Stone filed a lawsuit against Russell Moore, and the thing went away before Moore filed an Answer.
Oracle at Delphi,
Hi Oracle
I always respect your opinion in these matters as well as your expertise. You also understand the workings of the SBC. Thank you for your insight, particularly into Mary Sills. I didn’t know she was accused of aiding and abetting, but I can see how that thought arose. How Sills continued this relationship for years without his wife’s understanding is sure a puzzle.
The one mistake that I believe that Jennifer may have made is admitting she bears some responsibility-sin, etc. I’m sure that will get brought up.
How in the world does one afford three law groups? Is it possible that independent individuals are financing this?
I have to say I think Sills is totally creepy. If that is true, things will come out. This could be embarrassing to the Sills, as well as Lyell. How does a seminary professor justify doing this over a long period? Was he not convicted in his soul? It causes me to wonder if he could be a predator, but I’m sure that claim will be made if this goes to trial.
I suspect a settlement will be in the works. The SBC cannot afford a fight like this in court. Most people listening will support Jennifer, which will get messy, given the DOJ investigation.
It’s nice to hear from you. I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas.
Didn’t that Rabbi from Nazareth also say “What you do in secret shall be shouted from the housetops”?
Get up on the roof; it’s time for the Hour of the Bullhorn.
Christian watchblogs are the 21st century rooftop, with a global bullhorn.
Burwell Stark,
A seminary would wish to employ such. In the new abnormal, I think they would wish to be seen doing so, as well.