A friend of mine who suffered under abusive leadership recently said, "I have come to believe that it all comes down to money." Awfully cynical don't you think? Unfortunately, there is little doubt that many organizations, businesses, and churches have become toxic because of just that: money. The God Who created the universe and sent … Continue reading Liberty U: Slaves to Image [& $]
Month: August 2018
Bancroft: The Myths of Abuse
For those who have read or are reading "Willow Creek: Loyalty and the Oppressed," this is intended to help you understand some of the common mistakes in interpreting abuse. Lundy Bancroft in his seminal work on abuse begins his book, "Why Does He Do That?" with, "I have been working with angry and controlling men for … Continue reading Bancroft: The Myths of Abuse
Willow Creek: Loyalty & the Oppressed
Mark Galli, Editor in Chief of Christianity Today, wrote a piece entitled "The Healing of Willow Creek: Misguided loyalty harmed this historic congregation. True loyalty can redeem it." I appreciate his work to present God's grace and a middle-ground step forward. However, I would make two suggestions: Evil needs to be called Evil and Abuse needs to be … Continue reading Willow Creek: Loyalty & the Oppressed
Bill Hybels and the Future of the Church After #ChurchToo: by Chuck DeGroat
The thread has been pulled, and we are all beginning to see the toxicity of narcissistic systems. Our systemic disease is no longer a story for Christianity Today, it’s a story for the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune. Our illness has been exposed and the watching world has taken notice. The icon of … Continue reading Bill Hybels and the Future of the Church After #ChurchToo: by Chuck DeGroat
Witness = Exposure
It seems that the body of Christ thinks our witness to a watching world must involve covering up our sin. Multiple scandals (including Willow Creek) would appear to prove my point. We think that the exposure of toxic Christian leaders is a stain on our Christian witness. We think that, since we preach transformation of … Continue reading Witness = Exposure
Willow Creek Pastors Resign: Taking Responsibility
On the eve of the 2018 GLS, [the Willow Creek Elders and lead Pastor] admitted in a special congregational meeting that church leaders had failed to appropriately handle recent allegations of sexual misconduct against their founding pastor. Lead pastor Heather Larson announced that she was resigning immediately. The church’s elder board announced that its members … Continue reading Willow Creek Pastors Resign: Taking Responsibility
Scot McKnight on Willow Creek Scandal: Bill Hybels Had Too Much Power — BCNN1 WP
Responding to Willow Creek Community Church’s recent apologies for the way the leadership handled sexual misconduct allegations against founder Bill Hybels, New Testament scholar Scot McKnight argued that the victims had no choice but to go public and expose misconduct. McKnight, who attended the South Barrington, Illinois, megachurch for 10 years, argued on his Jesus … Continue reading Scot McKnight on Willow Creek Scandal: Bill Hybels Had Too Much Power — BCNN1 WP
Retooling Ministry: Mark’s Story of Abusive Pastoral Leadership
Mark was a church planter, establishing an off-site satellite campus. He was hired by a large, multi-campus ministry to resurrect a church with less than twenty members, all in their elderly years. When interviewed for the job by the senior pastor and the offsite coordinator, he was told he would be starting to lead services that … Continue reading Retooling Ministry: Mark’s Story of Abusive Pastoral Leadership