Josh Benner

Category: News

  • Reaction: Bill Hybels steps down

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    Bill Hybels stepped down as the pastor of Willow Creek Church in suburban Chicago yesterday. This came a few weeks after a Chicago Tribune report which talked about decades of sexual misconduct: lingering hugs to females, kissing women staffers, inappropriate comments, inviting women back to his hotel room on trips. The 66 year old pastor had planned to step down this October but moved his retirement up following the Tribune story.

    In a statement on Tuesday night, Hybels said:

    “I realize now that in certain settings and circumstances in the past I communicated things that were perceived in ways I did not intend, at times making people feel uncomfortable. I was blind to this dynamic for far too long. For that I’m very sorry…I placed myself in situations that would have been far wiser to avoid…I was naive about the dynamics those situations created. I’m sorry for the lack of wisdom on my part.”

    I don’t know if these allegations are true or not.

    The Tribune article and some other pastors I respect say that there’s smoke behind this fire. Willow Creek says that they had already had these matters investigated by a third party.

    I just don’t know what’s true. But I do know it’s a very sad situation. Willow Creek is one of the largest churches in America and has been extremely influential in the 40 years since Bill Hybels founded it. It’s the third largest church in America with over 20,000 in weekly attendance.

    No matter what, this is a sad story.

    It’s sad that some will indict Christianity in general for this (when we don’t know the facts). It’s sad for people impacted within Willow Creek. It’s sad for the women involved. And it’s sad for the people who are Willow Creek attendees, because this effects them too.

    For many Christians, this story will undoubtedly be discouraging, because these stories are far too often from within the church. We live in a world that is not as it should be. And unfortunately, we see that even in churches. One way or another, someone isn’t being honest in this story. But regardless of the failings of people, God is still God.

    “Look among the nations, and see;
        wonder and be astounded.
    For I am doing a work in your days
        that you would not believe if told.”

    -Habakkuk 1:5

    I think it’s important to pray for Willow Creek, for those in leadership at that church. I also think it’s important to pray for the truth. I think many who follow this story will be tempted to jump to a side.

    When there’s so much spin and outright falsity, I feel like it can be hard to find the truth. But truth is inherently good and something we should always desire.

    Hybels is one of the most influential leaders of American Christianity over the last 40 years. He’s one of the founding fathers of the “seeker sensitive” movement. Willow Creek, which was founded by Hybels is one of the largest churches in America, with over 20,000 in weekly attendance.

    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.

  • No charges filed in Alton Sterling death

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    Of the many deaths we have footage of where police have used deadly force, there’s few that appear as egregious as the 2016 killing of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

    In the video, the officers have him held down. They’re on top of him. Sterling allegedly reached for his pocked (he was armed at the time). From the video, it’s hard to see if he was reaching for a weapon. He appears to be immobilized. But what’s not hard to see is an officer on top of him, with Sterling pinned to the ground repeatedly shooting him

    The State of Louisiana announced today that they are not going to charge the officers who were involved in Sterling’s death.

    As with so many of these other cases, no one is going to be held accountable.

    I think it’s important to acknowledge that this event was a tragedy. That the officers were trigger happy. That this death was unnecessary and senseless.

    I think it is important to look at cases like this and other incidents where African American men were killed by police officers and where no one was ever held to account, where no one was ever sent to prison, and to stop trying to save face or find justifications, or attack the character of the victim but to look at these situations and to have empathy for the anger and frustration that African Americans have over these events. It should be an anger and frustration which everyone has.

    For many in this country, it’s not even a surprise that this is the outcome. And when groups of people can count on justice not being served, it’s a sad day for America.

    When these shootings happen, and there’s an outcry, there’s so often this call to “get the facts, let’s get it sorted out.” But after that happens, it is so common for nothing to materialize legally.

    Police have an extremely difficult job. No one would argue that. And the vast majority are wonderful public servants. But there are times when people go too far and when they do not act appropriately. A system cannot be just if those who enforce justice can act unjustly.

    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.

  • Megachurch pastor accused of sexual misconduct

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    A long investigative story from the Chicago Tribune reports on several allegations of moral filings from Bill Hybels, the founding pastor of Willow Creek, a suburban Chicago church which is one of the largest churches in America.

    The article says:

    The alleged behavior included suggestive comments, extended hugs, an unwanted kiss, and invitations to hotel rooms. It also included an allegation of a prolonged consensual affair with a married woman who later said her claim about the affair was not true, the Tribune found.

    –Chicago Tribune

    I visited Willow a few times when I was in seminary. I like the church. I truly hope that these allegations are not true. But the most important thing is the truth. Unfortunately, it seems that these types of sins are often swept under the rug. Some of these allegations go as far back as the 90s. Willow Creek did an internal investigation through an outside party who cleared Hybels of any wrongdoing after conducting 29 interviews and reading through hundreds of emails.

    I hope it’s not true.

    But where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. The Tribune article includes on the record statements of several people who allegedly misconduct. The group also included former pastors and staffers at the church, notably former Willow Creek teaching pastor John Ortberg who’s now pastoring a church in the Bay Area.

    I’m sometimes skeptical of church internal investigations. In megachurches, a founding pastor, especially one as dynamic as Hybels, is crucial to the health of the organization. It can be crippling to the entire congregation’s longterm viability to lose the pastor, especially amid scandal.

    I guess I don’t understand why other respected leaders would say that there’s truth to these allegations if they didn’t think that. I don’t think there’s a massive conspiracy from within the Christian community against Bill Hybels or Willow Creek for no reason.

    In society, it’s become something of a punchline: well known Christian leaders having and/or pursuing affairs. It’s tragic. Just a couple days ago, a megachurch pastor in Tennessee (rightfully) stepped down/was pushed out after revealing a sexual assault perpetrated by him in 1998.

    Stories like these should be a reminder to all church leaders (and to all Christians) to continue to walk in integrity daily, to live out what we believe, and to fight temptation and compromise. The truth matters. Victims of assault deserve the truth to be brought to light.

    I pray for the people of Willow Creek, and for the victims.

    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.

     

  • Thousands sign petition for national holiday in honor of Billy Graham

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    There’s an online petition that’s gathered thousands of signatures in favor of doing just that. The petition currently has over 71,000 signatures and the numbers are surging.

    Billy Graham’s ministry and life revolved around pointing people to Jesus.

    It was a man telling the world about someone greater than he.

    So the idea of having a holiday named after Graham doesn’t honor his legacy. It goes against what he stood for. It’s too aggrandizing.

    From reading comments on change.org, many people talk about Graham’s impact (indisputable) and have this sense of Graham “deserving” this honor.

    If you want to honor Billy Graham and what he stood for, tell someone about Jesus.

    The petition says:

    Lets get a National Holiday for Billy Graham!! Mr. Graham preached the Gospel to more people in live audiences than anyone else in history—nearly 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories—through various meetings, including Mission World and Global Mission. Hundreds of millions more have been reached through television, video, film, and webcasts. Mr. Graham’s counsel was sought by presidents, and his appeal in both the secular and religious arenas is evidenced by the wide range of groups that have honored him, including numerous honorary doctorates from many institutions in the U.S. and abroad. Help us with our cause of setting a national holiday to remember this great man.

    Undoubtedly, many non-Christians oppose this arguing “separation of church and state.” And to their point, I think it’s highly unlikely that this holiday would come to fruition.

    But even for Christians, we should not be concerned with lionizing mere men.

    Josh Benner is the associate pastor at Cornerstone Evangelical Free Church in Fergus Falls, Minnesota and has a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He enjoys writing about faith and culture. He lives with his wife Kari in Minnesota.

  • Great American evangelist Billy Graham dies at 99

    In an era when so many churches are rocked by sin and scandal, Billy Graham was respected by both Christians and non-christians for his integrity.

    In an era where sexual harassment is rampant in seemingly every sphere of life, Billy Graham vowed to never spend time alone with a woman who was not his wife, mother, or daughter.

    In an era where many of our most famous pastors live in mansions, Billy Graham vowed to not live lavishly. (more…)