Yesterday details were made public about a Southern Seminary professor and the circumstances surrounding his resignation. Dr. David Sills resigned in May 2018. Baptist Press gave no specific reason for his resignation at that time but alluded that there were moral concerns. In a statement published at lyellstatementonabuse.com, one of Sills' former students gives her account of what transpired, why she waited to tell her story, and why she decided to go public now. Jennifer Lyell, 2006 graduate of SBTS, says in her statement that 2004 was the first time Sills acted against her. She … [Read more...] about Lyell Statement on Sexual Abuse Released, Details Circumstances of SBTS Professor Resignation
Social Issues
Trinity Baptist Pastor Rodney Brown Seeks Forgiveness, Apologizes to SBC, Greear, Victims of Former Staff Member
In a stunning but welcome turn of events, last night Trinity Baptist (Ashburn, GA) pastor Rodney Brown released a statement in the Georgia Christian Index apologizing for his handling of a situation with a staff member accused of sexual abuse. Brown apologized and asked for forgiveness from a number of different people during the course of his statement: David Pittman and the other victims, SBC President J.D. Greear, the entire SBC, and the Georgia Baptist Convention. The situation at Trinity Baptist gained attention when J.D. Greear listed the church in his address to the SBC Executive … [Read more...] about Trinity Baptist Pastor Rodney Brown Seeks Forgiveness, Apologizes to SBC, Greear, Victims of Former Staff Member
The Church, the Gospel, and the LGBTQ+ Community
Following the special called General Conference of the United Methodist Church, Adam Hamilton, pastor of the Church of the Resurrection, held a discussion with his church about the future of Methodism. In the hour-long video Hamilton argues that the Bible contradicts itself on many issues and that it promotes views of marriage and sexual ethics that conservative Christians in our culture would find deviant, especially polygamy. He also argues that certain passages of the Bible prove harmful to certain people, and we should question such passages in light of modern understandings. When asked if … [Read more...] about The Church, the Gospel, and the LGBTQ+ Community
Precedent, Inquiries, and the EC Bylaws Workgroup
The issues surrounding last week’s response to the sexual abuse controversy are incredibly complex. I know a lot has been written already. Yesterday I tried to give an overview of where things currently stand. In addition, there are so many details that deserve to be traced out to fully appreciate how we could have responded and where we go from here. One objection we’ve heard from a number of places (just for an example this comment on a recent post) is that the bylaws workgroup wasn’t equipped or ready for the task they were given. Almost as if it was J.D. Greear’s fault for placing on … [Read more...] about Precedent, Inquiries, and the EC Bylaws Workgroup
Bylaws Committee Statement: Update and Where Things Stand
Last week we saw a considerable outcry against the statement issued by the Executive Committee's Bylaw Workgroup. Several of our writers took issue with the statement, as well as other notable voices like Rachael Denhollander and Ed Stetzer. We've seen responses from a number of people involved, and here are some of the notable developments. First the good and then the ones that aren't so... Several Executive Committee members have responded with support for Greear's 10 Calls to Action and other steps to hear from victims and/or push back against the Bylaws Workgroup statement. EC … [Read more...] about Bylaws Committee Statement: Update and Where Things Stand
The SBC’s New Castle and the Wall
It’s been 31 years since Joel Gregory’s famous “The Castle and the Wall” sermon at the 1988 Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). As the illustration goes, Lord Londonderry owned a castle in Ireland with fine stones that the local villagers began pilfering in order to rebuild broken roads and buildings. Prior to an extended trip, Londonderry gave orders to his agent to enclose the castle with a well-coped wall, six-feet in height. Londonderry arrived several years later to find his castle had disappeared. In its place was a large wall enclosing nothing. Londonderry sent for his agent to learn … [Read more...] about The SBC’s New Castle and the Wall
J.D. Greear’s Address to SBC Executive Committee Last Monday Night, 2/18/19
Members of the Executive Committee and fellow Southern Baptists, I hope you guys are doing great. It’s been a nice, quiet season for me, so I’m just grateful to be here. When I got nominated to be SBC President, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. I told a lot of people that in some ways I felt like the proverbial dog that had caught the school bus--spent all that time barking, “now what?” I knew there was a lot I needed to learn, and only a fool jumps forward in confidence when he should sit back, examine and learn. I’m reminded of the story of a small plane carrying 4 people … [Read more...] about J.D. Greear’s Address to SBC Executive Committee Last Monday Night, 2/18/19
Bylaws Workgroup Statement Charts Course for Return to 20th Century
It may be the fastest decision a Baptist committee has ever reached. A workgroup within the SBC Executive Committee has assured us that most of the churches named in the Houston Chronicle’s sexual abuse exposé do not warrant any further investigation. Late Saturday, the bylaws workgroup released a statement through Baptist Press. Both the content and the spirit of the statement are at serious odds with what we saw last week from the Executive Committee meeting. Last week we saw leadership, particularly from SBC President J.D. Greear, that showed determination to move us forward in … [Read more...] about Bylaws Workgroup Statement Charts Course for Return to 20th Century
SBC President J.D. Greear Outlines 10 Action Steps in Response to Sexual Abuse Controversy
Last night during the SBC Executive Committee meeting, J.D. Greear outlined action steps based on the work of the presidential study group on sexual abuse. A number of reports were coming out from media outlets via social media during the meeting. It was clear that the meeting, from the beginning, aimed to take the situation with the utmost gravity with calls for repentance and lament. The steps Greear laid out were serious and, in some ways, unprecedented for an SBC President. In my view that accords with the leadership we need as we face this issue. Most helpful twitter coverage came from … [Read more...] about SBC President J.D. Greear Outlines 10 Action Steps in Response to Sexual Abuse Controversy
Addressing Abuse in the SBC: A Proposal (by Keith Whitfield & Malcom Yarnell)
Earlier this week, the Houston Chronicle published three articles – “Abuse of Faith,” “Offend, Then Repeat,” and “Preying on Teens” – concerning some 200 ministers in more than 700 abuse cases occurring in Southern Baptist churches over the past 20 years. These articles properly sparked numerous conversations about how Southern Baptists might respond both as local churches and through our cooperative structures. These conversations increasingly call for both immediate and longer-term responses. Immediate Responses As SBC president J.D. Greear urged, our first immediate response must be grief … [Read more...] about Addressing Abuse in the SBC: A Proposal (by Keith Whitfield & Malcom Yarnell)