An independent advisory group of evangelical leaders has found that the sexual misconduct accusations lodged against former Chicago-area megachurch pastor Bill Hybels by several women are credible. The women’s allegations of “sexually inappropriate words and actions” by Hybels would have been sufficient to prompt disciplinary action against the pastor if he had not already retired from Willow Creek Community Church last year, the group concluded in a 17-page report published Thursday. “The credibility of the allegations is not based on any one accusation or accuser but on the collective testimony and context of the allegations,” said the report, which was commissioned by the church. In addition, the advisory group found that Hybels, who started Willow Creek Community Church 43 years ago, had “verbally and emotionally intimidated both male and female employees.” While Hybels’ “power, influence, and management style” helped his evangelical church expand, the report said they also contributed to “dysfunction” in the church’s ability to “consistently implement policies, manage personnel, and handle an unexpected crisis.”John Gress / Reuters Willow Creek Community Church, an evangelical megachurch outside Chicago, during a Sunday service in November 2005. Charles Dharapak / ASSOCIATED PRESS Bill Hybels, then senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, speaks in Washington in July 2010.

Source: Huffington Post March 01, 2019 19:41 UTC