Bill Hybels Accused of Multiple Accounts of Sexual Misconduct

churchleaders.com ^ | March 22, 2018 | Megan Briggs

[Gamecock]

Until today, perhaps the most national news-worthy thing Bill Hybels has done is announce his eventual retirement from being the lead pastor Willow Creek Church, a transition which he has planned meticulously. That all changed, though, when the Chicago Tribune published a story about allegations of sexual misconduct leveled at Hybels by prominent current and former leaders at Willow Creek.

Hybels has said he believes those making the claims against him have “colluded” against him in an effort to discredit his ministry.

According to the Tribune, which conducted an investigation into the allegations, the claims of misconduct are numerous.

“The alleged behavior included suggestive comments, extended hugs, an unwanted kiss, and invitations to hotel rooms. It also included an allegation of a prolonged consensual affair with a married woman who later said her claim about the affair was not true, the Tribune found.”

The Tribune interviewed church members (current and former), elders and staff members of Willow Creek, and reviewed hundreds of emails and “internal records.”

After learning of the allegations some four years ago, elders of Willow Creek initiated the reviews. The vast majority of Willow Creek’s congregation was not aware that an investigation had been going on with the lead pastor at the center. However, some privy to the investigation were not convinced it was being conducted properly and “at least three leaders of the association’s board resigned over what they believed was an insufficient inquiry.” Pam Orr, Willow Creek’s highest ranking elder, assures the public the investigation was thorough and trustworthy. Orr says the church hired an outside lawyer to assist in the investigation, and both the lawyer and the church came to the conclusion that there is no clear evidence that Hybels behaved inappropriately.

Speaking to the Tribune, Hybels publicly addressed the allegations and the investigation started four years ago by the elders.

“This has been a calculated and continual attack on our elders and on me for four long years. It’s time that gets identified,” he told the Tribune. “I want to speak to all the people around the country that have been misled … for the past four years and tell them in my voice, in as strong a voice as you’ll allow me to tell it, that the charges against me are false. There still to this day is not evidence of misconduct on my part.

“I have a wife and kids and grandkids,” he added, praising the elders for their work to look into the allegations. “My family has had enough and they want the record clear. And they feel strongly supportive of me saying what I have to say to protect my family and clear my family’s name as well.”

Hybels’ accusers include Vonda Dyer, former director of Willow Creek’s vocal ministry. In 1998, Dyer claims Hybels called her into his hotel suite while they were in Sweden and unexpectedly kissed her and suggested they could lead Willow Creek together.

Another accuser is Nancy Beach, the church’s first female teaching pastor. The Tribune says Beach recounted “more than one conversation or interaction she felt was inappropriate during moments alone with Hybels over the years.” However, Beach was very hesitant to come forward with her experience due to the fact that Hybels helped propel her career in ministry forward.

Among those who claim the church’s investigation was not sufficiently thorough are a few prominent members on the board of the Willow Creek Association, a nonprofit organization behind the annual Global Leadership Summit. John and Nancy Ortberg (Nancy is a member of the board) learned of an allegation from Leanne Mellado, wife of Jimmy Mellado (currently the head of Compassion International, but previously the head of the Willow Creek Association). A woman approached Mellado with a description of an affair between herself and Hybels. The woman has since revised her claims, but Mellado and the Ortbergs are not convinced.

When the Willow Creek Association also decided to drop the investigation against Hybels, more board members decided to walk. “Ortberg, along with Jon Wallace, president of Azusa Pacific University, and Kara Powell, executive director of a research center at Fuller Theological Seminary, resigned from the association board in January 2015, later citing what they deemed an inadequate review,” the Tribune states.

Additionally, Compassion International, a big sponsor of the Global Leadership Summit, has decided to withdraw its support of the conference this year.

John Ortberg also said he tried for nine months to get Hybels to meet with himself, Nancy, Jimmy and Leanne Mellado to no avail. Hybels refused to meet as a group without meeting with each individual first. The Ortbergs and Mellados decided not to meet under those circumstances.

In Hybel’s interview with the Tribune, he denies any participation in each of the allegations being made against him.

[Gamecock]

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Past threads about Willow Creek Church and Bill Hybels:

A Shocking “Confession” from Willow Creek Community Church
Willow Creek Church Invites Muslim to Preach to Saints- Bill Hybels "Islam Not Religion of Violence"
Calling the Sheep to Become "Self-Feeders?" (Willow Creek Alert)

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[jeannineinsd]

This highlights the wisdom of the Billy Graham/Mike Pence procedure of never being alone with a woman, other than his wife.

[Gamecock]

Indeed.

[donna]

Whatever happened to the “Promise Keepers” organization?

[CommerceComet]

This highlights the wisdom of the Billy Graham/Mike Pence procedure of never being alone with a woman, other than his wife.

Absolutely and I don't care if someone wants to call me old-fashioned. I often have to met with coeds in my office. My policy is to keep the door open and if something confidential needs to be discussed, I'll pull the door partially but not completely closed.

I sure hope that the allegations aren't true about Hybels.

[donna]

Make a recording.

As I look back at my life, I realize that there are very few occasions when I was alone with a man not of my family. I think it was just the way girls were raised. We were always with a companion . . . because we wanted to be . . .

Later, when feminism arrived, there were some awkward times at work but I was very careful.

[Bodleian_Girl]

"Another accuser is Nancy Beach, the church’s first female teaching pastor."

1 Timothy 2:12 (KJV)

But I suffer not a woman to teach,
nor to usurp authority over the man,
but to be in silence.

[Southside_Chicago_Republican]

Billy Graham was my first thought when I read this.

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

Exactly! I recall my Pastor speaking years ago, of a time decades before that, when a Chicago newspaper thought it had an ‘exclusive’ about Billy Graham’s extra marital affair. Apparently, at a Crusade event, Reverend Graham had an ajoining hotel room with a Miss Beverly Shea. Eventually, the paper realize that ‘Miss’ Shea’s first name GEORGE, and printed a small retraction, buried deeply in the paper.

Whether Bill Hybels did anything untoward or not, the press is even more anti-Christian now, than it was during the time of Reverend Graham’s supposed ‘tryst’ with ‘Miss Beverly Shea’! Knowingly, or most likely unknowingly, many members of the press are very much under satan’s influence to attack any and all things associated with the preaching of the Word. Of course, the attacks ramp up toward Resurrection Sunday and especially Christmas, as the ‘evil one’ especially hates the opportunities for Believers to share the Gospel at these times of the year.

As President Trump has apparently come to the Lord, or at the very least, overtly supports Christian beliefs, satan’s minions, knowingly or most likely unknowingly, are beside themselves attempting to destroy DJT, Christianity and conservatism. The evil one knows that his time is getting short and is raging like the chained beast that he is. He is filling his followers, those who knowingly or unknowingly follow him, with that same rage, hence the insanity of the Left.

[Hebrews 11:6]

When I designed our company’s offices at multiple sites, I installed office-doors which contained clear upper windows and no blinds. No manager could then “close the door” in order to do anything inappropriate. Beyond its prevention, it sent a signal about expectations. Managers still had opportunities to fool around, but they pretty much had to be off-site.

[Luke21]

The thing that I find interesting is that many of these instances occurred in years past, when men and women were more cordial and affectionate towards each other, not in today’s hyper-Christian, hyper-sensitive, and hyper- feminist era where men and women routinely regard each other as enemies or to be avoided. So he was violating standards apparently in a far less rigid time.

In my office, the females only talk to gay guys and leave the rest of us alone. Nobody cares. We don’t want to talk to them anyway.

[Bonemaker]

Another Jimmy Swaggert caught swinging it.

[The Truth Will Make You Free]

I read a well-known minister say one out of every hundred women in a church wants to sleep with the Pastor. With a church of 24,000 that’s 120, with some of those being very attractive. From the little I know of Hybels, though, this seems like fabrications.

[PAR35]

Pam Orr, Willow Creek’s highest ranking elder

Nancy Beach, the church’s first female teaching pastor.

Ignoring scripture may be the root of the problem.

[Salvation]

**allegations of sexual misconduct leveled at Hybels by prominent current and former leaders at Willow Creek. **

Hmm — they say there is more sexual misconduct in non-Catholic churches than in Catholic Churches.

[Salvation]

**The thing that I find interesting is that many of these instances occurred in years past, **

A repeat of scenes from the Catholic Church.

Ambulance chasing attorneys.