How Did We Get Here? Part 1 Discern the Paradigm
Change the paradigm
As mentioned in my post on learning from the past (Have the Elders kept their Promises? Part 3 Learning from the Past), Willow Creek Community Church (WCCC) never discussed how we got here, so it is not clear if they have spent any time trying to discern the causes of the problems. It is critically important to discern and understand the past to correct the path to a positive future. However, the past is just one element of getting at the underlying causes of the problems the church has experienced. Discernment must include digging deep to understand the real problem and then going even further into the core or root of the problem. I don’t pretend to know all the answers. I intend to present thoughts and ideas based on my experience, observations, and prayerful consideration of God’s Word. I hope this is a catalyst for others to join the discussion.
In my previous posts, I have pointed out some specific evidence of sin and mistakes by the current Elders. My intention was not to denigrate any one person or group. My purpose was to show that the Elders and other leaders of WCCC have continued the same pattern of behavior that brought the church to where it is today. These patterns and systems are also known as a paradigm. The leaders at WCCC, similar to those of other organizations, often hinder change because they are oblivious to the paradigm. Real transformation can only come through objective awareness and acceptance of the truth.
The crises at WCCC should have been enough to shock the system into real change. Regrettably, that has not happened. The truth has been presented from both inside and outside the church. The resistance to change is significant, but we cannot give up. The Elders and leaders can repent; we all can change. It will take everyone, the whole church, to break the paradigm. We must get radical. Radical is often only thought of as being extreme, and this is one aspect of the word. However, the origin of radical is the Latin word radix, which means root. We must use extreme effort to get at the root of the problems so we can change the paradigm.
Where are we?
Before we delve into the cause of the problems, it is beneficial to look at the state of WCCC today and how we got here.
The public allegations of sinful behavior against Bill Hybels in March of 2018 exposed the crises at WCCC. The Elders and Senior Pastors of the church mishandled their response to the information and resigned in August 2018. In January of 2019, the current group of Elders came into leadership. Shortly thereafter, two reports were published indicating the allegations against Bill Hybels were credible and also showing that the crises existed for decades. Also, in January 2019, a former Pastor of the church returned and told his story that corroborated the history of problems. In addition to sexual misconduct, issues of power abuse, lack of accountability, and leadership ineffectiveness became evident. Over the ensuing twelve months, the current Elders perpetuated the problems by failing to keep their promises (see the series Have the Elders kept their Promises?). So, where are we?
A lot has changed at WCCC, but the way I see it, not much has been resolved. The recommendations from the Independent Advisory Group and the Governance Review are not complete. The church has not reconciled with the men and women who were abused by church leadership. Finally, the Elders and Pastors failed to identify, communicate, and address the cause of problems that existed for decades and still exist today. Until everyone faces the facts, there will be no real change, and we will, as Steve Gillen put it, “waste a good crisis.”
Where do we go from here?
We all have unique perspectives on the problems that occurred at WCCC. Several people have shared their views publicly; some of the narratives have been informative; some are polarizing and unhelpful. Much of the writing, including my own, was done to share the facts. Some writers have delved into the causes and effects, and even potential solutions. While there have been some astute analyses and recommendations for improvement, I don’t believe any have reached the core of the problem. I would like to add to these ideas through a root cause analysis of the of the crises.
I use the word “crises,” plural, because it was not just the crisis of the allegations against Bill Hybels. It is also the crisis of the way the church handled those allegations and the events that followed. It would be easy to chalk up the problems to the sins and mistakes of one person, or even to the missteps of several people. The causes certainly include issues of structure, accountability, policies, and procedures; however, I believe the ultimate cause goes much deeper. The root cause is spiritual.
In the blog, Our Life in Christ, my first post, titled First Things First, outlines my career experience evaluating significant problems and developing effective solutions. I am attempting to approach the problems in the church with the same methods and rigor as I did in my work experience. I had a bit of a head start in this regard before the events of 2018.
During my last two years at WCL I was involved in improving the “spiritual formation” efforts of the church. In other words, we were developing ways to help Christians grow in their knowledge, faith, and walk with God. As part of these efforts, I researched how Christians were living their faith and the problems that may be keeping them experiencing the fullness of life in Christ. I spent significant time in surveys, books, articles, observation of Christian thought and behavior, and, most importantly, God’s Word. This research, along with my own faith experiences, led to the development of several root issues.
When the allegations against the church surfaced in March 2018, I continued to use problem-solving and innovation techniques to help understand and solve the problems. For a brief history of my involvement, see my post A Second Row Seat to the Crises.
There are many ways to get at the core of a problem. One simple but handy tool is the “Five Whys.” Plainly stated, if you have a problem and ask and answer the question “why?” iteratively, you will eventually arrive at the root cause of the problem. Here is my use of this method in evaluating the crises at WCCC.
Problem: Willow Creek Community Church is reeling from crises of leadership in the church.
1. Why? Many people in the church have committed and perpetuated wrongful behavior
2. Why? They live in a flawed culture in the church
3. Why? They individually live in a distorted perception of Christianity
4. Why? They have an unsound understanding of their Christian identity
5. Why? They misunderstand the Bible regarding our life in Christ
It is an understatement to say that this is a complex problem. This list is my subjective view of the problems, but I based the sequence on objective evidence. I developed each of the “whys?” over the past several years, even before the crises became public. This is because the issues surrounding the crises were some of the same as those generally affecting the spiritual formation of Christians.
These issues are not isolated, so the discussion will combine and overlap each of the topics. The next several posts will delve into each of these “whys.” It will start at the root (number 5) and work up to number 1. It is essential to start at the root so we can develop an understanding of how we got here and then implement real change.
This series will primarily focus on WCCC but will present some information applicable to all churches and Christians. My blog, Our Life in Christ, will go into more detail on each of the topics to give a deeper perspective on issues that affect all Christians and the church.
In Part 2 of How Did We Get Here?, we will see how the Biblical narrative at WCCC supports a flawed view of our identity in Christ. This is the first step in discerning how we got here and how to correct the root of the problems at WCCC. I hope you will join me in prayerful consideration of the discussion. Please feel free to write me with your questions and comments. You can reach me through the Contact page of the website.