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 would also step down in an orderly fashion by the end of 2018.

See more in Christianity Today.

These are encouraging events that I believe demonstrate repentance by taking real responsibility for the failure to lead humbly and responsibly. I am sorry it took a firestorm to bring it to pass, but the elders’ willingness to resign and admit specific failure to those who were targets of Bill Hybels’ abuse is very encouraging.