But Mohler confirmed that Lyell shared allegations with him in May 2018 and that Southern, as Lyell stated, "immediately took action. Part of Lyell's reason for remaining silent and in the relationship 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." Find & rate your professors or school! Read our republishing, terms of use and privacy policies here. Professor of Mathematics (Associate Chair, Armstrong), Ph.D. (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) Algebraic geometry, mathematics of voting. Gary Hollingsworth, executive director-treasurer of the 570,000-member body, said he accepted Aderholts resignation based on the importance of staying focused on the conventions vision statement of seeing every life saturated and transformed by the hope of the gospel.. Mohler also released a statement defending its handling of allegations against Sills. The case has long been used by critics to show the SBCs tendency to mishandle such allegations. Alvin Reid, an evangelism professor at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary for nearly a quarter century, resigned May 21 to address personal and spiritual issues., Those departures came in the wake of the March resignation of SBC Executive Committee CEO Frank Page. Bob Smietana November 29, 2022. Instead, her life fell apart. It does not store any personal data. (RNS) A former seminary professor and missionary who admitted sexual misconduct has sued a bunch of Southern Baptist Conference leaders and entities, This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. In August, the SBC announced the Justice Department is investigating multiple arms of the denomination over mishandling allegations of sexual abuse. Those attempts failed. 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 . 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. Instead, her life fell apart, FILE - A cross and Bible sculpture stand outside the Southern Baptist Convention headquarters in Nashville, Tenn., May 24, 2022. Professor of Music Performance MU 413C. 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. Though the Sillses are residents of Mississippi and the defendants are based in or reside in several different states, the suit asserts the Mobile Circuit Court has jurisdiction because the alleged defamation happened throughout the state; the SBC Executive Committee and Lifeway own property in the state; and defendant Ed Litton is a resident of Mobile County. I shared how 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 for more than a decade following that trip. David Sills in an undated photo. 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. Stephen Price. 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.. Yesterday details were made public about a Southern Seminary professor and the circumstances surrounding his resignation. Louisville's Ninth and O Baptist Church told BP it is the congregation referenced in Lyell's statement. Defendants saw him as an easy target; a bona fide scapegoat.. The Sills claim they have been "wrongfully and untruthfully labelled as criminals and shunned by the SBC. The Genesis 11 story is about pride, but not in the way we think. 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., The complaint also alleges that Lyell wrote to Religion News Service, asking to review an article being written about the SBC abuse crisis, saying she intended to advance her false narrative by taking a hand in the actual writing of an article by RNS.. Questions? 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). 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. "If I were not to come forward with this [statement], a church or ministry who receives Dr. Sills' [resume] and does an internet search for him would have no way to know the truth behind his resignation. 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. Latest on New York Giants wide receiver David Sills V including news, stats, videos, highlights and more on ESPN No Celebrities Except Jesus: How Asbury Protected the Revival, Southern Baptist Convention Disfellowships Saddleback Church, After Chaos and Crisis, Beth Moore Still Finds Refuge in the Church, Turkish Christians Plead: Dont Distribute Bibles After Earthquake, With Gossip of the Gospel, the Church Grows in Nepal. Lyells case was cited in the SATF report. Conversions credited to women evangelists sharing the good news one-on-one in conversations. Because this is a personnel matter, we cannot comment further.". 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. Now the mystery of Sills' exit has been revealed. Charlotte: QC Family Tree with Greg and Helms Jarrell, Lost Boys of Sudan: St. Johns Baptist Charlotte, Awakening to Immigrant Justice: Myers Park Baptist Church, Hospitality on the corner: Gaston Christian Center, Jake Hall: Gospel Gothic, Music and Radio, Hymns for a Lifetime: Ken Wilson and Knollwood Baptist Church, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window), West Virginia religious freedom bill headed to governor, Religious schools can build a community of faith without discriminating. However, the Giants opted to waive Sills and sign him to their practice squad before adding him to the 53-man roster last week. 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. "Southern Seminary is committed to the highest standards of both principle and policy," a spokesperson said. Other recent departures include the May 28 resignation of DavidSills, professor of missions and cultural anthropology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. 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 was repentant and obedient to the rules of the SBC, the complaint alleges. Sills also served as an International Mission Board trustee and a member of the IMB's presidential search committee. 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.". M. David Sills (DMiss, PhD; Reformed Theological Seminary) is A. P. and Faye Stone Professor of Christian Missions and Cultural Anthropology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he also serves as director of global strategic initiatives and intercultural programs. Baptist Press eventually retracted the article. Geiger, senior pastor of Mariners Church in Irvine, Calif., confirmed to BP that Lyell shared her allegations with him. George, as curator of the Spurgeon Library and digitized archive, worked with the personal library of the famed 19th-century London preacher. Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month. Log In. 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. 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. A password reset link will be e-mailed to you. The lawsuit filed by Michael David Sills and Mary Sills in Mobile County, Alabama. Lyell told BP she has attempted to contact the Louisville Metro Police Department's Special Victims Unit. Our legal team is in the process of reviewing the complaint and we do not have any further comment at this time, said Carol Pipes, director of corporate communications. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our. Every generation is tempted to augment or diminish, even nuance or redefine the mission of the church. 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. Aderholt, 46, is a former International Mission Board missionary who worked in central and eastern Europe. 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. Claim they have been `` wrongfully and untruthfully labelled as criminals and by., terms of use and privacy policies here County, Alabama the Church the! Labelled as criminals and shunned by the SBC announced the Justice Department is investigating multiple arms the... 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