Have the Elders kept their Promises? Part 2 Transparency
Continuing the Review
This is the second post discussing the current Elder’s promises and whether they are staying true to their word. In the first paragraph of the very first Elder Update, they promised to be transparent. Why is transparency important? As Christians we bring the truth to light, not to denigrate, but to share each other’s pain and to bear one another’s burdens. We confess our sins to one another to be healed (James 5). We love each other; and when wronged, we are willing to forgive and help each other.
Part of the reason the church is still in a place of hurt is because of the obfuscation of the truth. Hopefully, the Elders and other leaders of Willow Creek Community Church (WCCC) can see that fulfilling their promise to be transparent is what is best for the body of Christ.
Promises to be Transparent
Following statements about the importance of transparency, along with promises the current Elders made to be transparent. These are examples and are not necessarily exhaustive. NOTE: much of the information below was shared with the Elders and they have not responded:
1. “The consequence of failure to publicly acknowledge sin in a recognized leader or teacher is to allow rumors, gossip and false information to seriously erode the credibility of the ministry. Information and misinformation regarding the sin eventually surfaces that contradicts, excuses or contains half-truths designed to “protect” the leader but is at the expense of the ministry.” (The Elders Statements of Willow Creek Community Church, Updated as of January 1, 2017, Discipline, page 2)
2. “Our desire is to move forward into this new season with transparency acknowledging that truth coming to light can oftentimes be difficult and painful.” (Elder Update: February 28, 2019)
3. “Moving forward, we will provide Elder updates regarding our efforts to bring healing to the past, along with the necessary changes to governance and management. We believe this will enable us to honor Jesus Christ and His testimony in and through our church with excellence and integrity. We pledge to do all of this prayerfully, humbly, and transparently.” (Elder Update: March 2 & 3, 2019)
4. "The Elders believe that in matters of the local church, it is their biblical mandate to seek truth and bring it into light. They believe Scripture is clear regarding this mandate, and that the burden and responsibility for handling such concerns belongs to the duly appointed Elders rather than to those outside their church." (Willow Creek Response Frequently Asked Questions, FAQs 3. No longer available on the WCCC website).
5. “We are working with various experts on church abuse and reconciliation and have been reminded again of the care that leads to healing. We desire to listen and learn, to seek and extend forgiveness, to look back at our failings and forward to our future. We ask for prayer as we continue this work, and we ask for understanding as we pursue this work privately rather than publicly. We will provide general updates when appropriate.” (Elder Update: Servant Leadership, October 24, 2019)
6. “But according to Bishop Tutu, this is what healing demands. Behavior that is hurtful, shaming, abusive or demeaning must be brought into the fierce light of truth. And truth can be brutal. In fact, truth may exasperate [sic] the hurt, it might make things worse, but if we want real forgiveness and real healing we must face the real injury.” (Elder Update – July 19, 2019, Shoji Boldt on video at 23:14)
Before I discuss the promises, it is important to say a few words about the Elder Statements referenced in the first promise above. If you are not familiar with this document, the title can be a little ambiguous. In the church’s own words “The Elder statements of Willow Creek Community Church summarize the core of our beliefs and interpretations. Elder statements combine biblical integrity and guidance to solve issues that may arise in our church.” It may appear that this isn’t a promise, but the Elders have also pledged to uphold the beliefs and values of the church, thus making these Statements promises they must keep.
Regarding Promise 1 above, the Elders have not fully and publicly acknowledged the extent of Bill Hybels’ sin in the matters of the crisis. Information about Bill Hybels and the church has come from sources other than the leadership of the church. For example, last summer an Elder reported to an All Staff Meeting of WCCC, that Bill had ordered the destruction of computer equipment after the allegations were published. This information has not been publicly reported by the Elders but did come out in a blog by one of the women hurt by the church.
Another example is the recent allegations and investigations regarding Gilbert Bilezikian. The Elders knew about this information for 10 years and failed to disclose it. Even amid the crisis with Bill, the Elders knew about the situation with Dr. B. They acknowledged their belief that he had sinned, but only after information was publicly revealed by others. Again, the Elders have violated their statement about transparency.
In a different aspect of transparency, the Elders have repeatedly stated they are pursuing the process of reconciliation in private, but have given no good reason for this, especially when the sins of the church were very public. Several of the victims have hoped and asked for an open forum to detail the wrongs that were perpetrated and to pursue healing. The current Chair of the Elders stated: “We wound some [of the women hurt by Bill and the church] by what we don’t say” (Jeff Mason, Listening Session at Willow Crystal Lake, November 3, 2019).
Also, regarding reconciliation, the Elders have promised to give general updates on the process. There have been no mentions of the process or the outcomes in any Elder Updates to date. The only public discussion of the process, that I am aware of, came at a Listening Session at Willow Crystal Lake on October 27, 2019. When a question was asked about whether the women feel reconciled with the church, Jeff Mason (Chair of the Elders) said “no.” This is a prime example of the Elder’s lack of transparency. The Elder’s may make comments in small meetings or one-on-one conversations, and in response to specific questions, but they do not convey this information to the entire church. The church only finds out about them in the many blogs that are doing what the Elders have promised to do – bring the truth to light!
These are a few examples of the Elder’s failure to be transparent. There are others. Transparency is implied in all the promises the Elders have made. Perhaps the Elders have good reason to change their minds about what they said they will do. Sadly, if this is the case, they have failed to tell the church, in other words, again, they have not been transparent.
Why this Information is Important
It is apparent from The Elder Statements that the church recognizes the effects of failure to be transparent and truthful – it can do significant damage to the ministry of the church. If the Elders fail to keep their promise to be transparent they continue to hurt the ministry of the church. Many people do not understand the full extent of the sins and problems at WCCC, which has led people to still be defensive of Bill and the church. Failure to tell the truth is detrimental to the repentance and healing that needs to take place.
By failing to be transparent about reconciliation, the Elders are failing to assure the church is healing the relationships between fellow Christians, our brothers and sisters in Christ. This too hurts the church. The world will know Jesus was sent into the world and that we are His disciples by the way we love each other, this means other Christians (John 13:34-35, John 17:20-23). The world is not getting an accurate picture of God’s love when we fail to show love to each other.
The Elders may think they are protecting the church by keeping quiet and by doing things privately, but this is opposed to what they promised and what is right. More and more people are losing trust in the leaders of Willow Creek.
One of the saddest things I heard in the last year was Pastor Mike Breaux’s revelations about his problems at WCCC, which eventually led to his resignation (Journey Through John: Come and See | Mike Breaux, January 27, 2019 starts at 15:55). As I watched this again in preparation for this post, I was even more saddened because Mike said the reason he came back to teach was that he felt that authenticity had returned to the church (23:21). He had hope for a new day. He sensed a genuine commitment to authenticity (24:33). Mike talks about the importance of telling the truth and being transparent (25:00). Regrettably, a month after this message, the current Elders published their first Elder Update. It contained promises that they have failed to keep, including a promise to be transparent, thus dashing the hope Mike had conveyed; a hope so many of us shared.
Recommendations for Action
I recommend the congregation and Elders read the section on Discipline in The Elder Statements of Willow Creek Community Church. While there is some wrong theology in this section, it conveys the importance of the Elder’s promise to be transparent.
I also recommend everyone, especially the Elders, watch Mike Breaux’s message linked above. specifically, watch his reflection of why he left WCCC (starting at 15:55). Later, (at 25:00) Mike conveys why it is essential to be truthful and transparent. I would have quoted his words, but it would not have done them justice. Please watch and listen and continue to hope. Remember though, our hope is in God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. Through this hope and God’s Word, we also expect the Elders to keep their promises and to do what is right.
As I stated in Part 1 of this series of posts, I am not sure of how best to help the Elders understand the importance of keeping their promises. However, that is why I am writing this blog. My hope and prayer are that when more people understand the facts they will be more inclined to act. I believe It will take a significant movement of the congregation to get the Elder’s attention. Please continue to pray for the Elders, and think how you can beseech them to keep their word and do what is right. The Elders serve the church and they must be trustworthy and transparent.