Bill Hybels accused of sexual misconduct: 4 biblical responses

No evangelical pastor in America has been more influential in my lifetime than Bill Hybels.

In 1975, he founded the Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, now one of the largest congregations in America. The Willow Creek Association he launched has become a global network of strategic pastors, churches, and ministries. His name has been synonymous with vision, leadership, evangelism, and integrity.

Now he has been accused of a pattern of sexual harassment and misconduct by former church leaders.

Christianity Today is reporting that John and Nancy Ortberg, former teaching pastors at the church and very well-known ministers and best-selling authors, are among the group asking that accusations against Hybels be investigated. Leanne Mellado, a former Willow Creek staff member who is married to the former head of the Willow Creek Association, is also in the group, as are several others.

Hybels completely denies all accusations, stating clearly that “all charges against me are false” and calling them “lies.” Willow Creek’s elder board conducted a “thorough and independent investigation” into Hybels’s conduct and cleared him of all charges. The board is accusing Hybels’s critics of making a “coordinated effort to undermine Bill’s reputation.”

Church leaders have sent an email to the entire membership describing the allegations as “false” and calling a “church family meeting” tonight, during which Hybels and the elders will directly address the accusations in the story.

This story will likely make headlines around the world. You may be asked about it by friends and colleagues this weekend and at church. If you’re a pastor or Bible study leader, you may feel the need to address the issue as well.

In that context, I would like to suggest four biblical responses.

Do not judge what you do not know.

I have no idea whether Hybels or his accusers are telling the truth. Unless I had been a leader inside the church when the…