Megachurch pastor quits, calls claims ‘lies’
The pastor of a Chicago-area megachurch resigned after a series of sexual misconduct claims he described as “flat-out lies.”
Bill Hybels, 66, founded Willow Creek Community Church more than four decades ago, building it into an eight-campus Evangelical Christian megachurch with a 7,000-seat worship center.
Hybels has been dogged in recent years by a series of investigations into claims of inappropriate behavior with female staffers and congregants.
Accusations of lewd comments and inappropriate touching stretching back more than 20 years are “flat-out lies,” Hybels told the
Chicago Tribune last month.
In a statement released late Tuesday, Hybels said church elders clearly stated that outside, independent investigations found no evidence to support the “allegations brought to their attention.”
“In recent times, I’ve been accused of many things I simply did not do,” Hybels said.
He said he had been “naive” and “placed myself in situations that would have been far wiser to avoid.”
Hybels said that he appreciated the support from within his congregation but that the controversy was a distraction from the church’s mission.
“While most of you in the Willow congregation have listened carefully to and accepted the findings of the external investigations commissioned by the elders, some in the wider Christian community continue to be confused and conflicted,” he said.
Hybels had planned to retire this year to focus his energy on the Willow Creek Association, a nonprofit group dedicated to leadership development that conducts a summit each year.
He said he plans to step away from the association.
“Given my love for both this church and the leadership summit, you can imagine how grieved I have been by the way the controversy surrounding me has impacted both these ministries,” Hybels said in his statement. “But it has been increasingly clear to us that they can’t flourish when the valuable time and energy of their leaders are divided.”
Hybels apologized to the congregation for how he handled the accusations.
He expressed regret for reacting with anger when the claims were made public.
“I apologize to you, my church, for a response that was defensive instead of one that invited conversation and learning,” he said.