Willow Creek Community Church has confirmed another allegation of sexual harassment—this one against former senior pastor Bill Hybels’ mentor, Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian or “Dr. B.,” according to Christianity Today.
In a Facebook post shared over the weekend, a church member accused Dr. B. of kissing, fondling, and pressuring her with sex between 1984 and 1988. The Willow Creek Elder Board confirmed the allegations in a post online on Tuesday night.
“Over the past years, behavior has been brought to light that is both harmful and unacceptable for a Christ-follower,” said the statement. “This sinful behavior that we believe was demonstrated by Dr. Bilezikian and Bill Hybels was wrong, and we hold any person entrusted with leading at Willow Creek Community Church to a higher standard.
“The team believed the woman’s claim that Dr. Bilezikian engaged in inappropriate behavior dating back to the mid-eighties, including but not limited to hand-holding, hugs, kissing, inappropriate touching, and sending overly personal communication.”
Though Bilezikian was never on staff at the church, he was influential in its inception. “There would be no Willow Creek without Gilbert Bilezikian,” Hybels said in an interview with Christianity Today in 2000.
Hybels reportedly drove to Bilezikian’s house while a student at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and told the professor: “Dr. B., you…
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