NASHVILLE (BP) — A key figure in the Southern Baptist Convention’s (SBC) investigation into the alleged mishandling of sexual abuse has died. Sources confirm to Baptist Press that Jennifer Lyell died late Saturday after a significant stroke.

In 2018, Lyell told Baptist Press she had been sexually abused by Southern Baptist Theological Seminary professor David Sills while she was a student at the school. 

In 2022, the SBC Executive Committee issued an apology to Lyell, saying, in part, “The SBC Executive Committee acknowledges its failure to adequately listen, protect, and care for Jennifer Lyell when she came forward to share her story of abuse by a seminary professor. Baptist Press failed to accurately report the sexual abuse Jennifer Lyell reported to two SBC entities and local Southern Baptist churches.”

Executive Committee President Jeff Iorg told Baptist Press Sunday (June 8), “Jennifer Lyell’s death is tragic and heartbreaking. My heart goes out to everyone who loved and cared for her because of the magnitude of their loss today. While her life was marked by much pain and turmoil, now she knows only peace and rest. The eternal good news of the gospel is our only source of hope today, and we are grateful for the sure hope it provides.”

Lyell, a former Lifeway executive, is a co-defendant with the Southern Baptist Convention, Southern Seminary, Lifeway and others in an ongoing defamation lawsuit filed by David and Mary Sills. The case is set for trial in February 2026.

EDITOR’S NOTE — Brandon Porter serves as vice president for communications at the SBC Executive Committee.