The failing and falling of a megachurch pastor
I read yesterday the article on Christianity Today about Bill Hybels of Willow Creek Church and his removal from pastoral leadership. That seems wise and needed, although late, which was alluded to in the article. There were other allusions in the article that I have some thoughts about (and you people are going to read about them, to paraphrase Mr. Costanza).
1. According to this article, he never had a full-fledged affair with another woman. One woman accused him of it, but then recanted (a nice way of saying she was lying).
2. What he did do was look for ways to get his ego stroked by other women. He would meet with them (according to the article, of course) in his hotel room, on his boat, on his private jet, at his summer home), flirt, get too close, touch.
3. Yes, you read #2 right--his private jet, his boat, his summer home. What in the world was he doing with a private jet, a boat, and a summer home? Was this normal for people in the church, so that they weren't surprised by it? Did they even know he had all this? (Maybe they did, and thought it was a status thing to have a pastor that rich--I wouldn't. I would refuse to tithe. No, I wouldn't go to church there.) In fact on the Facebook comments, that was as much an issue of criticism as the stories about women!
4. Which brings me to something that will be unpopular. It takes two to tango. Why were these women allowing themselves in compromising situations? Not all did, but some were. I have to conclude that, assuming they weren't pursuing him, they 1. trusted him because he was the pastor and/or 2. they didn't have good enough Bible teaching to know this was unacceptable behavior for the pastor. Yes, we can go with the metoo thing that a powerful man was taking advantage of women, but . . .
5. Where is his wife in all this? Sad to say, some previous articles in CT lead me to think she wasn't totally in the dark.
6. Megachurches are dangerous. Size makes accountability harder and harder. Megachurches offer a lot to attendees, but they are missing some things.
To conclude: I haven't written in a while; work has been frantic and I've been on the verge of burnout. So I'm working on boundaries, although a very good article today in CT has Rosaria Butterfield calling us out on our boundaries.
1. According to this article, he never had a full-fledged affair with another woman. One woman accused him of it, but then recanted (a nice way of saying she was lying).
2. What he did do was look for ways to get his ego stroked by other women. He would meet with them (according to the article, of course) in his hotel room, on his boat, on his private jet, at his summer home), flirt, get too close, touch.
3. Yes, you read #2 right--his private jet, his boat, his summer home. What in the world was he doing with a private jet, a boat, and a summer home? Was this normal for people in the church, so that they weren't surprised by it? Did they even know he had all this? (Maybe they did, and thought it was a status thing to have a pastor that rich--I wouldn't. I would refuse to tithe. No, I wouldn't go to church there.) In fact on the Facebook comments, that was as much an issue of criticism as the stories about women!
4. Which brings me to something that will be unpopular. It takes two to tango. Why were these women allowing themselves in compromising situations? Not all did, but some were. I have to conclude that, assuming they weren't pursuing him, they 1. trusted him because he was the pastor and/or 2. they didn't have good enough Bible teaching to know this was unacceptable behavior for the pastor. Yes, we can go with the metoo thing that a powerful man was taking advantage of women, but . . .
5. Where is his wife in all this? Sad to say, some previous articles in CT lead me to think she wasn't totally in the dark.
6. Megachurches are dangerous. Size makes accountability harder and harder. Megachurches offer a lot to attendees, but they are missing some things.
To conclude: I haven't written in a while; work has been frantic and I've been on the verge of burnout. So I'm working on boundaries, although a very good article today in CT has Rosaria Butterfield calling us out on our boundaries.
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