“...Heather Larson, the current executive pastor at Willow Creek, will take on the role of lead pastor over all Willow Creek locations”
What could possibly go wrong???
I don’t know what to think of this, but I know several people who know John Ortberg personally and he is well respected. He helped lead Menlo Park Presbyterian out of the Presbyterian Church (USA) after that denomination fully abandoned biblical truth. This is a very sad situation no matter how it’s sliced.
Hybels is a leader of the seeker church movement: water down the Gospel, mix with pop psychology & kick out traditionalists. No idea about these particular allegations, but antinomianism is common in the seeker churches I have attended.
Harvey Weinstein would be outraged. < /sarc >
I know many pastors, in churches large and small, who will insist that there always be another woman in the room with them when a female is seeking guidance from a male pastor because he'll never know what the female might say later if the two were alone.
In far too many cases, the woman is riveted in her desire for the pastor because he speaks with authority and often humility. When she makes advances and is turned down, she'll invent all sorts of accusations rather than admit her foolishness.
True, there are also clergymen who take advantage of weak women and seek them out.
If this man is a victim of slander or truly crossing the line, nobody can say with certainty but he set himself up for this by not following the famous rule - never be left alone with a woman not your wife.
Do denials mean it really happened?
Why should he speak out if he is innocent?