willow creek association – Page 2

The Global Leadership Summit Appears to Be Shrinking

At the beginning of 2018, the Willow Creek Association proclaimed that they had 700 venues participating in the simulcast of the Global Leadership Summit.

Today, on the conference website, two claims are made. On the front page, organizers say over 600 venues are available.

However, if you click on the link which allows you to find a venue near you, a different number comes up.

The entire list comes up along with this message:

A significant erosion has happened. The GLS started the year with 700 locations and now the organizers claim “over 500 locations nationwide.”

However, there is a problem. If you click the “show list” link and count the number of venues, only 494 are currently listed. I suspect, Willow Creek Association knows this but hasn’t changed the website again because less than 500 doesn’t sound as spectacular as “600+” as the front page of their website currently boasts.

What would a leader do?

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Churches Back Out of Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit Over Handling of Bill Hybels

Churches and speakers have dropped out of one of largest evangelical leadership gatherings of the year. Will it make any difference to Willow Creek?

Coming August 9-10 is the Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit. This international event has in the past involved over 600 locations in the U.S. and some of the biggest names in Christianity. Over the years, millions of Christians have watched on location at the church near Chicago or at a simulcast venue.

However, this year some changes in the speakers and the venues have happened as a result of the scandal which has engulfed the church since Bill Hybels announced in October 2017 that he would retire in 2018. Then in March of this year, the Chicago Tribune published a story with the disclosures of women alleging misconduct against Hybels. The next day Hybels denied the allegations and then in April he stepped aside from all Willow Creek activities, including the Leadership Summit.

Numerous observers have faulted Willow Creek’s leadership for their handling of the allegations before and after they became public. In reaction to the situation, three speakers who had planned to speak to the GLS — Denzel Washington, A.R. Bernard and Lisa Bodell — pulled out. You can see the full line up remaining here.

Churches are Dropping Out

Even though the show is going on, a unknown number of churches and venues have pulled out. According to Australian Benjamin Ady, 120 churches have canceled involvement in the GLS since April. Ady told me that altogether over 200 churches have backed out of hosting the event but he hasn’t confirmed the reasons. Ady contacted all the venues he could find to ask them to consider pausing their involvement to show support for the women who disclosed their experience with Hybels.

One church, Life Center in Tacoma, wrote me to say they indeed had canceled in response to the recent events. Other churches have made announcements pointing to Hybels and Willow Creek Church as the reason. For instance, Dave Rodriguez of Grace Church in Indiana preached a sermon regarding their decision to pull out. The Vineyard Church in Cincinnati recently pulled out as well, announcing the move on their website:

Many of you know that we have been a host site for Willow Creek’s Global Leadership Summit for 14 years. Some of you may have heard that the pastor of Willow Creek Church, Bill Hybels, has recently resigned amid allegations of misconduct with women perpetrated over many years. (See CHRISTIANITY TODAY ARTICLES)

After much thought and prayer, we have decided that Vineyard Cincinnati Church will not be a host site of the Global Leadership Summit this year.

We are reminded from Scripture that God calls us to defend the vulnerable — the orphan, the widow, the oppressed and those who suffer under the misuse of power.

In short, God cares deeply how those who possess power use that power. We pray that women everywhere who have suffered would see that God’s people stand with them and love them and care for them.

Another large church pulling out is Christ Church Oak Brook (IL) with this explanation:

In light of the allegations now swirling around the former senior pastor of the Willow Creek Community Church AND the larger national movement drawing needed attention to the stories of women treated in harmful ways, this message comes to inform you that Christ Church will not serve as a host site for the Global Leadership Summit (GLS) this coming August. For those of you who have registered for the conference or planned to bring others, I know this may be a shock or an inconvenience. I apologize for that. This is why I am writing to you.

I wrote the Willow Creek Association to find out if the drop outs have hurt their registrations or projected attendance. After a day, I have not received a reply. I have not been able to independently confirm that all 120 churches have pulled out.

WCA did make one response to the controversy which was to inform their members and constituents that the conference would go on without Hybels, Denzel Washington, A.R. Bernard and Lisa Bodell (Read the letter here).

According to the website, there are plenty of locations if one must be schooled in Willow Creek methods of leadership. However, it may be worth reflecting on what leadership would look like in this situation. Some leaders have decided that the best lessons might come from not attending.

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Willow Creek Association: A really big tent

Researching the relationship between Canyon Ridge Christian Church and the Willow Creek Association, I corresponded briefly with WCA’s Executive Vice President, Steve Bell. I reported the initial statement provided by Mr. Bell regarding their relationship with Canyon Ridge in Salon on July 2:

The 10,000 churches that belong to Willow Creek Association are aligned by their mutual agreement with a statement of faith that reflects a historic, orthodox understanding of biblical Christianity. WCA membership does not imply that the WCA supports or agrees with a church’s position on social or political issues. Willow Creek Association’s goal is not to interfere in the political processes of other nations. Rather, its sole mission is to provide resources and training to church leaders around the world that will assist them as they minister to people in their communities and help them find a deeper understanding of God.

I followed up with questions regarding their stance on the Anti-Homosexuality Bill and the participation of Canyon Ridge in the upcoming Global Leadership Summit. Mr. Bell wrote back quickly to clarify WCA’s positions.

WCA membership does not imply that we support the social or political positions of our member churches. We align with them theologically and we take that very seriously. But we don’t try to judge or interfere with their social and/or political positions (example: Episcopal churches). And we don’t take outright stands on political issues within countries. Our goal is to influence and support faith-based communities, not governments.

To be specific and clear, Canyon Ridge will be a host site church for the Global Leadership Summit in August. However, that does not mean the WCA supports their position vis-à-vis Martin Ssempa, anymore than our relationship with Episcopal churches implies our advocacy for homosexual pastors.

I take from this response that some churches in WCA support the ordination of gay clergy. To be a member in the WCA, one must pay a fee and agree to their statement of faith.

One may locate a WCA church from their website. Seekers are greeted with this disclaimer:

While we do not oversee the ministry expressions of individual churches, WCA Membership is intended solely for churches that hold an orthodox understanding of biblical Christianity. All WCA Member Churches have affirmed the central doctrines of the Bible reflected in the WCA Statement of Faith and also presented in the historic creeds of the Christian faith. WCA Membership is open to churches of any size or denomination that are marked by a deep commitment to furthering the cause of Christ.

It appears that WCA does not make stances on cultural issues a condition of membership. They seem to want to be a big tent where many different perspectives are included. From the sound of Mr. Bell’s response, gay affirming or non-gay affirming churches may join. On this point, I am curious to know how any WCA gay affirming churches would regard Canyon Ridge’s support for Martin Ssempa. On the other hand, I wonder how other non-affirming churches regard the inclusion of Episcopal churches who affirm gay ordination.

Can a tent be too big?

I am conflicted a bit on this. I am generally a big tent person. I like to fellowship with believers of various opinions and perspectives where the focus is on the core elements of the faith. However, I do think that some issues cry out for leadership and I think the Anti-Homosexuality Bill is one of those issues. I do not believe that the bigtentness of the WCA should prevent them from expressing a critical view of the bill or of those who support it.

The WCA’s position statement regarding stands on social issues has not stopped Willow Creek Community Church pastor, Bill Hybels, from taking a stand on immigration. Pastor Hybels recently introduced President Obama’s speech on immigration at American University (video on his favorably remarks). His wife, Lynne, offered support for immigration reform on behalf of herself and Rev. Hybels before the Senate Judiaciary Committee back in October, 2009.

I suspect WCA does not monitor member churches on immigration reform, but I do wonder what they would say if one of their churches supported doing violence to undocumented people.

Those in leadership with the WCA have evaluated the work of Martin Ssempa on the Anti-Homosexuality Bill and come to a different conclusion than member church Canyon Ridge. However, I do not think it would do harm to their big tent if they went a step further and made explicit their concerns about the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. Saddleback Church pastor Rick Warren started where WCA is now but soon determined that a clear condemnation was needed. Will Willow Creek do the same?

NPR reports on Canyon Ridge Christian Church and Martin Ssempa

Barbara Bradley Hagerty reported today on the ties between Canyon Ridge Christian Church and Martin Ssempa. The audio will be up at 7:00 pm but the transcript and a bit more is up now on their website.

Hagerty provides the facts: Canyon Ridge has supported Ssempa since 2007 and Ssempa has become the face of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill. She also has interviews with Change.org’s Michael Jones, Canyon Ridge pastor Kevin Odor and me. The interview with Rev. Odor is important for those following this story. Here are excerpts:

Ssempa’s turnaround satisfied Pastor Odor, and he sees no reason to condemn the minister. Nor does he think he should denounce the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

“Why do we, as a church in America, need to say something about a bill in Uganda?” he asks.

The turnaround referred to is what seems to be a shift in Ssempa’s thinking about the penalties for aggravated homosexuality — from death to 20 years in a rehab facility. Odor continues to say that his church has compassion for gays.

Pastor Odor says his church has “a heart” for homosexuals. He notes that Canyon Ridge participates every year in a march for people with AIDS, and for the past two years the church opened its campus for HIV Testing Day.

“We love everybody, including people with AIDS,” he says. “There are two things: How you got AIDS and that you have AIDS. That you have AIDS is a matter of compassion. The church should be compassionate for people with AIDS.”

I suspect they do experience a desire to reach out but what they miss is the incongruity of what they support in Uganda with what they express here. As I note in the NPR segment,

“If you preach compassion here, you have to support compassion elsewhere.”

Odor says that his church is being crucified for simply wanting to help people with AIDS.

I am interested in reader reaction to that claim.

Go read the segment; Audio is below. If the player doesn’t load, click here.

February 1 – Canyon Ridge Christian Church issues statement on support for Martin Ssempa

June 10 – Canyon Ridge Christian Church in conversation with Martin Ssempa

June 20 – Canyon Ridge Christian Church hosts National HIV Testing Day

June 23 – Southern Nevada Health District to evaluate relationship with Canyon Ridge Christian Church

July 1 – Las Vegas newspaper covers Canyon Ridge controversy

July 2 – Salon article: Canyon Ridge, Willow Creek Association and Martin Ssempa

Also see this article on Salon.com:

Church loses partnership over “kill the gay” bill

Salon article: Canyon Ridge, Willow Creek Association and Martin Ssempa

This morning Salon published my article reporting on the evolving relationships between Canyon Ridge Christian Church, the Willow Creek Association and Uganda’s Martin Ssempa.

Canyon Ridge is a member of the Willow Creek Association of churches and continues to see Martin Ssempa as being misrepresented by the media. Willow Creek apparently disagrees to the point that they would not have given him a 2007 award had they known his views. The Willow Creek folks apparently understand the nature of Martin Ssempa’s support of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill but are going to continue partnering with Canyon Ridge for next month’s leadership summit. Furthermore, Willow Creek Association declined to directly condemn the AHB, following Rick Warren’s initial path regarding the bill.

For much much more and video of Ssempa marchers calling for the death penalty, go on over to Salon. If you are so inclined, leave them a comment as well.