Simon Cox Blog: Here’s Who Willow Creek Chose to Investigate Bill Hybels

Tuesday 18 September 2018

Here’s Who Willow Creek Chose to Investigate Bill Hybels

Independent advisory group of four evangelical leaders—two women and two men—hope to complete work by early 2019.

Today Willow Creek Community Church (WCCC) and the Willow Creek Association (WCA) announced who will lead the promised investigation of the numerous allegations that led to the early retirement of their founder, Bill Hybels, and the resignation of his heirs and elders.

The new Willow Creek Independent Advisory Group (IAG) is co-chaired by Jo Anne Lyon, general superintendent emerita of The Wesleyan Church, and Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals.

The other two members are Margaret Diddams, provost of Wheaton College, and Gary Walter, past president of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

Their task:

“Consider allegations related to Bill Hybels as founder and pastor of the church and founder and spokesperson of the association”
“Review organizational culture of the church and association”
“Make recommendations to the church and association for future actions”

Members for the group were nominated by evangelical leaders outside of both the church and the association, which jointly stated:

The IAG will work autonomously. WCCC and WCA have pledged their full cooperation, but neither will be represented on the IAG nor party to the group’s work except for providing information as requested.

The advisory group “has decided to decline press inquiries and interviews while they complete their review and develop their recommendations.” Its members “hope to complete their work in early 2019.”

Willow has also posted an FAQ that explains, among other matters, that the church is not paying Hybels’s legal fees, faces no lawsuits, and has made no financial cuts yet. It notes: