Willow Creek Restarts Search for Its Next Bill Hybels

And then this:

Longtime Willow Creek Member Accuses Bill Hybel’s Mentor, Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian, of Clergy Sexual Abuse

https://julieroys.com/bill-hybels-mentor-dr-gilbert-bilezikian-accused-…

Apart from the theological differences I’ve got with Willow Creek—I don’t believe women can be pastors or elders, Biblically, for starters—it strikes me that this illustrates one of the big dangers of huge churches. When one pastor leaves (or implodes like Hybels/MacDonald/Driscoll/Tchividjian/Schaap/Felten/etc..), you have a huge facility that requires a man of extraordinary gifts to keep it filled and the mortgage paid. You can’t just accept a guy with a “mere” MDiv and decades of faithful ministry without risking a big exodus.

Again, granted, with the fallout from Hybels/Bilezikian/etc.., even a man of extraordinary gifts is going to have trouble putting “Humpty Dumpty” back together again, but the sheer size of the church (and its mortgage) is no help here.

Bert, you points are well taken. A good summary of the challenge. Well done.