Vonda Dyer Tells of Trauma Suffered After Exposing Bill Hybels' Abuse
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ธ.ค. 2019
- Vonda Dyer shares her story of being labeled a liar after coming forward with accusations of sexual misconduct against former Willow Creek Community Church Senior Pastor Bill Hybels. Dyer gave this message at the No More Silence conference, sponsored by the Hendricks Center at Dallas Theological Seminary.
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I remember one day I was standing alone in our church kitchen. Our pastor started to walk in and he stopped in the doorway and asked me if I was alone. When I said I was he abruptly turned and left. I thought he was crazy but now I understand why. Leaders need to be held to a very high standard.
I think this is a key point. Church leaders need extensive accountability, and should avoid even the appearance of impropriety.
As a member of Willow Creek Community Church for 10 years,serving in the Orchestra there as well as leading New Believer groups,this video shattered me.I knew Vonda as a lovely,genuine authentic worship leader,and her story had me weeping.This was a church my husband and children came to faith in,and my husband and I were baptized by Bill Hybels.I even kept a note from him for many years thanking me for getting up in front of the congregation speaking of why I believe and trust in God.The body of Christ is severely damaged by such brokenness, secrets and cover ups.May God give us the courage and integrity to hold our leaders up to Biblical standards.
All people are sinners. King David is an excellent example. Should we hold our leaders up to the standard set by King David?
@@bjones9338 Whoever still becomes a pastor today must be a mentally deranged masochist
What's been most sad to me, is ACTUALLY NOT Bill Hybels' sin, cause of course we are all sinners saved by grace. However, what DOES DEEPLY SADDEN ME....has been Bill Hybels' DEAFENING SILENCE!!!! His lack of public repentance!!!! This man had a platform & influence that was world wide!!!! It's NOT about throwing stones, but him humbly repenting!!!!
@@bjones9338Yes but God was using his behaviour as a example of wot not 2 do. The pit falls of coverin up sin n the deep of the selfishness of men's hearts unless examined.
@@bjones9338 But let's NOT dismiss the fact, that a) David repented!!!! (But it still took Nathan to help David to c his sin) And David also suffered harsh consequences!!!
Thru out Scripture, there's 1 of many principles threaded thru all of Scripture, "What you sow, you will reap." And also God does hold leaders to a higher standard!!! That's another thru line thru the Bible. I GLEANED SO MUCH from the Leader Summits as a young leader starting a new ministry. I will always be thankful for Willowcreek & Bill Hybels' for that!!! BUT I think what hurts ppl, me included, the 1 thing that Hybels taught, thru the 10 yrs, I attended the Conference & 1 oth conference, he led during the yr, he'd say, "The LOCAL CHURCH is the HOPE of the WORLD!!!" His leadership & influence, I recall, when Willowcreek members were SO not on the women's side, & I get it, he was their, ur Pastor!!! BUT Bill Hybels' influence was GLOBAL!!!! I BELIEVE in grace & forgiveness, BUT for a Xian leader who claimed to LOVE THE CHURCH so much, not just the local church but the whole church as a whole, I have felt more disillusioned, honestly, b/c if Bill Hybels' was true to what he believes, he would NOT remain quiet!!! He'd APOLOGIZE publicly!!!! I've only seen in the last few mths, b/c I was curious I thot maybe Bill Hybels' has now?!?! But this came up & oth things, & it was all old stuff. I saw this clip & decided to listen. I wz an listening to a podcast, where Rick Warren addresses Bill Hybels' kind of in passing. It was the 1st time I heard a Pastor of his peers say something. I say Rick Warren, in large part, b/c Rick Warren or John Maxwell, know him!!! And have been a part of the Mega Church Movement. I hated when I'd hear Bill Hybels' being judged b/c he was a the Lead Pastor of a Mega Church.
I don't think it's fair to judge him b/c somehow it was the fault of being a leader of a mega Church. BUT it's disheartening that he hasn't shown accountability or humility, given what I did deep down think Hybels' believed!!!
This is so so good. I hope this goes viral in this day and age. She covers it so well. Even appealing to the perpetrators.
Thank you DTS for giving this woman a platform.
Thank you Vonda for having the courage to share your story, and for highlighting the very low percentage of false accusations and call to action steps for church leadership.
If I told my husband something like this the perpetrator would have been in some real trouble and would not have walked away quietly.
I gave my life to Jesus at WCCC in 1989, and attended there for years, playing in the Orchestra and being involved with student ministries before moving south. I actually just read about this today, but I'm not surprised any longer at any high-profile "pastor" that is exposed. The Lord is preparing His bride and this includes extreme cleansing from all filth and hypocrisy. I will pray for BG to repent and get healed, this is a sick, deep-seated sin, but Jesus is the miracle healer and can do all things. I'm so sorry that Vonda and others went through that experience and I'm glad they spoke up.
Really, I wonder who you are, I was there at the same time. Dick swemen performed my wedding. Today everyone is a victim.
Thank you for your bravery. This is widespread and seldom believed.
Where is this woman’s cape!?!? She’s a hero mama bear, what an awesome human being! Proud to call you my sister in Christ!
Thanks for posting this, Julie. I'll share that carrying the pain of child rape for over 50yrs, I found it becoming increasingly lighter after telling the Greek Orthodox priests they are woefully ignorant about the trauma inflicted on innocent children by selfish rapists. My brother is a volunteer at a large GO church in Memphis, I told his priest. I heard all the same ol' 'pray for you' yet I continue to demand they express moral indignation toward my rapist instead of calling me a liar with no evidence to support such a ridiculous claim. Silence has consequences, and with child rapists, the results of the broader community keeping its collective heads in the sand are dyer. Took me almost a year to get one GO priest to say "I believe you" ... oh well, one step at a time, and I am pushing forward regardless of their ignorance. As with Vonda, silence is not an option for me any longer, either. And speaking out eases a heavy burden imposed on every victim. Embarrassment of shame is the rapist's to feel , although he may actually be totally numb to real emotions. Anyway, he can have his dirty secret back, I've carried it far too long. Thanks again.
Very brave. God's strength to you in this.
💔💔💔 I am so sorry!!! Thank you for sharing so bravely!
I am so sorry you went through this. I have experienced something similar in a church by someone was a manipulator and put on a really good show. It was all about his image. When this person was let go because of what me and others witnessed about them, the tables were turned on me and I was seen as the problem. Narcissistic types thrive in this type of environment. The more people wake up to this type of behavior, the less damage they can do.
Pornography is the on-ramp to this activity. In this society saturated by constant sexual imagery to an insane unprecedented level, the church has to talk A LOT about pornography, arm our kids, arm our adults, thoughtfully, carefully, consistently. It’s really uncomfortable to talk about, for many people, but plans must be laid and carried out vigorously.
Pornography isn't the problem. The problem is the growing number of people who are okay when humans are trafficked so they can be repeatedly raped for the stimulation of others. It's a caste system, some people aren't fully human and are dispensable. There would be no porn industry if there were no customers ready to pay for porn.
Use the work LUST! Pornography scares men away... it freaks guys out and w ego into a shell until the lightning and thunder passes...
What's really shocking is how often that abusers are given a platform to continue, even after admitting (in a self serving fashion - "I made a mistake" not "I'm a sexual predator") and everyone flocks around to say it's ok they're forgiven, as if that deletes the massive hurt they inflicted on so many and the shame they brought to their church... It's almost like people forget how offensive it is that a respected, trusted leader who is supposed to be an ambassador for God has done these things :(
Exactly! And no acknowledgement of the harm inflicted or any attempts to make reparations. Just trying to protect the self.
Amen! It seems the perpetrators become the victims while the true victims are never heard or ministered to.
I am so sorry that this lady experienced what she did. All you people who keep saying well why didn’t this person come forward with allegations, why did they wait? Look at the cost this woman has had to pay because of what one sick man did and all the people around him who did their best to protect him and make it as hard as possible for victims to hold him accountable. Thank you brave lady, God knows how you have sacrificed for the body, for the bride.
Exactly.
Aptly said!!!!
I was abused by 2 Methodist ministers in a row while still in my twenties and they both in their fifties and the damage was severe. I noticed the same personality traits and leadership style in Bill Hybels and wasn't in the least bit surprised when the allegations against him surfaced. So terribly sad.
I am sorry about what happened to you. Praying for you.
God heals
I’m so sorry for what you went through!
I was there the night the church met to defend Bill. I found his explanation full of holes. When the congregation stood to give him a standing ovation, my husband and I sat in our seats as did others. What makes me sad is Hybels has never publicly admitted what he did. The church went from calling his accusers liars to saying they now believed them. Willow has never fully addressed the issues about Bill's actions to the congregation. They never held him accountable. After two years, my husband and I decided to leave Willow and are now at another church. The new pastor seems determined to renew Willow to its former hey day. I caught him plagiarizing from other sermons three times That was enough for me to decide Willow still doesn't get it.
it is not plagiarizing to re-use a powerful message. SMH. Imagine how entitled you have to feel to make that statement. you sided with the victims to the point you thought that the other 9,000 members of your church "were not worth it" and you ran. be honest. yes, Bill has fault and should be held accountable, but you ran. end of story. keep running each time they make you mad why forgive, forgiving and bearing your cross is for fools.
@@andyarellanoChannel Some things and some places have a season and that goes for church too. Victim shame much??
@@SeeCSeesCC dont tell me, you are a runner too. why forgive or understand that the church is greater than any one man. run, you fool.
@@andyarellanoChannel There's nothing wrong with deciding to attend a different church, especially for reasons like those described in this video.
@@thomascampbell5633 each has to choose, but I wonder if our mentality and propensity to run affects four families, marriages and friendships? To me it seems we run too much and will not humble ourselves, forgive others or learn to suffer and carry our cross. I do not think running is the answer, you and others do, but there may be truth to both arguments. I have a feeling that the majority of the time, the vast majority what I am saying is true. Do you have the courage to admit that at all or will you just turn your eye and pretend that families are not broken and churches destroyed because people run and will not humble themselves and learn to forgive and bear with patience and humility. Look those words up and think about what the speakers meant.
Gosh, this sounds just like what's happening currently with IHOPKC and Mike Bickel. Same devil, same deception, different victims. May this exposure bring conviction of sin and repentance. Thank you Vonda for choosing truth over fear!
Oh gosh. That's exactly what I was thinking.
When I first became a believer in Christ back in 2016, I began attending willow creek and a youth leader at impact kept making fun of my facial features and hurled racial slurs at me. Paulo Plaza, a leader at impact, liked a girl and he thought that girl liked me so I suppose he was jealous. When he finally realized that girl never liked me, he stopped hurling racial insults at me. This indicates that he was being very covetous. Clearly, the leadership at willow creek is comprised of covetous people. Looking back, I wrongfully judged a church based on the actions of one leader, yet it turns out more of their leaders are covetous as well. Although my experience at this church was nowhere near as bad as the women abused, we should not be afraid to speak out against abuse of any kind. Covetous people need to be removed from positions of power because evidently, they abuse them.
It’s now been five years and the pastor Vonda is talking about has suffered zero consequences, and the ten women she references have never gotten reparations for him ruining their lives. He lives a life of a multimillionaire, gallivanting around his many homes around the globe, enabled and still praised by his family. I used to love reading his daughter’s books, and it sickens me every time she talks about another vacation in the Bahamas or at the lake with him. How was he ever allowed to just say, I’m not going to deal with this. I don’t get it. Heartbroken for all the women, there were probably more than the ten that Vonda mentions. Thank you for your courage to speak up. I used to watch WC online, I don’t anymore.
When this came to light I was a supporter of bill... I had been attending since mid eighties took a break in 90’s ( found a church closer to my home) but came back in 00’s cause it just felt like home ... I vividly remember a message where bill had told the congregation in a service where he would never put himself in a one on one with a woman... he said he would always have a third party present to act as chaperone for both parties... I’m an extremely political person and me too movement was gaining in popularity, I thought it was more out to harm reputations of churches and spiritual leaders... When this got out I defended the accusations against bill , after all he told us he would never be in a situation with a woman present alone so I completely supported him ... but I sat in church and was present for a church family meeting and afterwards I was dubious of bill ... When he got his chance to speak things didn’t add up in my mind and he showed no emotion whatsoever in my opinion... but what bothered me was the elders had knowledge of this years before and we never knew of any of it ... what sealed the deal for me and I became a believer of the women was when it was disclosed about Michigan and he was going to meet with the publisher of his books and she drove there to meet him , he was on his boat and alone ... and they were going to have dinner and I think he asked her to pick a bottle of wine up on the way to picking him up ...I could not believe he as intelligent as he was would be so STUPID!!! But far and away the worst thing that the church suffered at least in my opinion is we had a young unbelievable pastor named Steve carter and he left the church... he was the most prolific teacher and related to every single person who he met ... he had a passion that was so genuine and generous and he had just been made for teaching pastor position... and when the real truth came to light he had been scheduled to teach on Sunday morning at 9 am and Matt lundgren came on stage and said that carter was in back sick with stomach flu and he would do message instead ...Steve was sick of the lies and couldn’t stand to be in the church for even one more day ... he left THEY LIED !!! and he was gone !!! and I believe that was the worst part of this whole situation... we lost the best teacher we ever had ...!!!... Me too hit us big time...
Respect and support from Croatia!! Expose these monsters, they are everywhere
The holy spirit in me testifies for you, Vonda. I believe you. Thank you, you are brave!
It is a very good thing that the epidemic of sexual harassment and abuse in the church is being exposed. At the same time, we need to understand that emotional and spiritual abuse is rampant, too, and also needs to be exposed. Not all abuse is physical in nature.
Exactly.
I want to thank this woman for her message. I am not a church leader but am in a position where i could easily abuse my position and influence. This message spoke to me very powerfully to be on guard from my own human weaknesses. I must do my work as if God is watching and he is. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thankyou for this. I was wondering where the men were in this comment section. And finally I saw not only a man biologically, but because of your comment it seems that you have the humility of a true servant of Christ.
@@Loveispatient76 The last thing I would want to do is hurt Christ’s name as a result of my failures. He deserves better from me. I have made mistakes and am grateful he is merciful, patient and kind. I’ve needed plenty of all three.
I found this woman totally credible
I can't believe how long this goes on before these goons get called on the carpet.
Thank you so much for being so brave and helping the wounded who have been crushed through abuse - you’re my new hero!!
I respect your courage to come out.God bless you.
Thank you for your bravery.
I am so impressed with her courage!
This is a shocking story about the insidious way the devil destroys believers and the church through abuse by clergy. I am a pastor myself and I am now aware of the trust church leaders receive. This is sacred.
We need to call out sin and stop protecting pastors who abuse their position.
Bless you Vonda ,I myself have been through this abuse many times with Church pastors and tha with my husband ,unbelievable how Evil sexual sin thrives in our churches and the hurt one goes through when the women come forth with the abuse …it’s so sad that the women that are victims become victims again (sex ,hate ,jealousy ,believe me are running through our churches to the place where one pastor in our town got a young women pregnant and murdered her and buried her in his yards (her body was found 5yrs later ) Evil is taking over the minds of pastors and men in our church’s (the men defend the me. because so many of them are into pornography or affairs ,lies ,God is angry and God himself opened wide the evil my husband was doing in secret and his sins were unbearable …God opened up the evil going on in my home ….I have so many story’s of sexual abuse in churches ,it hurts when you the victim has to leave the church and the evil sex addict gets to stay and the people Pat him on the back ,say he can change ,no he can’t change because he thrives on what he’s doing and secretly getting away with it (Evil must be put out of our churches or God will not honor these buildings (so called Gods house ) they are not Gods house because God hates Evil ,and tells us to have nothing to do with Evil ,not to even eat with Evil people ….prayers 🙏my lady for strength ,and love for whoever God puts in your life ……When God fights with you ,you have Victory ……
I believe you Vonda😢💔 Courage is the Hardest and Most right thing you must walk through. What I'm most impressed with is your Pure Devotion to Jesus! That's Beautiful! May God continue to use you and May the Lord richly bless your Family🙏🔥in Jesus name By the Blood!
Bravo!! This was good. 💕💕 And is still relevant to 2024!!
I would have left the church over the 1999 issue. Not sure what Scripture would lead me to another conclusion. I would not have remained on staff to allow myself to be subjected to further abuse.
This girl should be commended for her standing strong against abuse in the church. It has been hidden too long.
Recently I've been asking other pastors why we always leap to protect and believe the pastors rather than protecting the sheep. A deep dive into 1 Peter 5 has totally renovated my thoughts in this space. Peter didn't exhort elders and leaders to lead a worthy life, he explicitly WARNED us to live a life worthy of being imitated by those we lead as an example of a Christ-like walk!
I believe every word your saying and what’s sad is that many women don’t believe other women or blame them for it
Thank you for sharing your experience! I pray that God continues to give you grace.
The elephant in the room, however, is the idol that both the Catholic Church and the modern Evangelical Church have created: men as the sole leaders. Whatever anyone feels about women in the pulpit, there is absolutely no reason why women should have to go to a male pastor, male deacon, or all-male committee to give the details of their abuse or for guidance on how to deal with abuse and/or grooming. There should be all-female options, and I'm talking about women with the actual power to do something. Do you know how many women never report their abuse because they don't want to have to run that all-male gauntlet? In reality, probably most of them. And the second elephant in the room is the Evangelical rejection of personal counseling and marriage counseling. There are many Christian psychologists and LCSWs, and the church should never make women (or anyone) feel ungodly for seeking professional help. I have been a devout Christian for decades, and I am also a victim of sexual assault, once by a church member when I was a teen and once as an adult, not church-related. Instead of hiding those incidents for decades, I can tell you what I would do now, I don't care what my pastor and deacons say. If something illegal is done, I'm going to the police. No Matthew 18, no forgiveness until the perpetrator faces the consequences for his actions. I will then seek counseling, and not from anyone related to my church. Finally, if my husband abuses me physically, sexually, emotionally, financially or spiritually, I will leave him and I will not return until I deem it safe to do so, no matter what the pastor, elder, deacons, etc. say I should do. The church has set women and children up for abuse, and now it's reaping the whirlwind. Men without any accountability is the problem.
Women pastors for women and children only.
My heart is broken for each and every brother n sister that has been hurt by representatives of our church or church family
Ok, so why are women so determined to stay in this situation? I don’t get it, seeing as how this isnt 1900 anymore. Are we so delusional that we don’t think if it happened to one person it would happen to others? And yet, they’re still going along and doing their jobs at the church? ONE such violation makes null and void that man’s integrity and his entire ministry. Get out immediately! And where are all the husbands and fathers that should be giving these guys black eyes?! We, as the body of Christ should not put up with this crap for years and then yell foul after the game is over!
The wicked are fearful but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
Proverbs 28:1
Have you ever been groomed? This evil man had been doing this for years. He knew how to do it and do it well. He gained trust. He owned people. She was shocked & stunned & I am sure frozen at what was happening. She is a strong person to do what she did and what she continues to do.
Also, hind sight is always 20/20
Good biblical sound advice. Sad story sadly all too common. We're falling prey to wolves in sheep's clothing but we're not completely blameless. We've sought out leaders who would scratch our itching ears.
Thank you for your courage Vonda
Thank you
I have been preaching for years about false Christianity. If you want to know who someone worships don't let them know that you are a Believer and put down the Bible God and Jesus. They will simply say I'll pray for you it won't really bother them. But then ask them what church they go to and put down the church and their pastor and they will call for your head. They will hate you openly. What Vonda experienced was exactly that. Church people idolize their Church and their pastor they are modern-day idols. I have been preaching this for years and this testimony is living proof.
THE WIFE: Something similar happened to me several times, in little different ways. What shakes me up is that there are so many people who live two lives. Not that they are imperfect. But, they are thoughtfully hiding themselves in order to deceive others. They make a life of destroying the reputation of another. They take the focus off themselves who are guilty, and put everyone's attention on another who is innocent. It is very important that you came forward! God says that we are to expose these things. We also must remember that Hybels held a position where he was to be "above reproach" so we should never feel bad exposing any incident to an elder board. They too, proved themselves to be nothing but hired hands. "They leave because they have no concern for the sheep." This group was only concerned for their own reputations. It sickens me.
Admirable courage!
Vonda, This is profound! You are strong and courageous, boldly speaking truth!
Why is he not in jail?
MS &T he’s rich and has connections I’m sure
Net Worth: 48 million
@Dennis Yen i would leave that church with my family right away.
I was recently coerced into a sexual posistion by a pastor. I can’t help but think how he so arrogantly preaches Gods word every Sunday without any remorse. He hasn’t apologized or anything and I know he hasn’t repented. I know he’s doing this to more women.
The Holy Spirit spoke through you, Vonda, without a doubt!
I was at Willow Creek from 1988 - 2011. I remember that in 2018, right before the Tribune article came out, I read a blog in which most of the comments were saying that Bill Hybels would "never do anything like this." I wrote that I was at Willow in 1998 (the year Bill invited you up to his room and told you that you and he could "lead Willow together), and I wrote that in my opinion if you and Nancy Beach said inappropriate things happened...then...inappropriate things happened! I saw both of you for many years, and I also had the pleasure of having dinner (nothing expensive) with your husband, Scott...who, I could tell was just as authentic as you and Nancy Beach.
95% tbe people who were "pro Hybels" on this blog were not around in 1998, and they did not remember a couple of very important things that Bill Hybels made a "big deal" about in the mid 90's...such as when he openly told Willow that he did not drink...and although he did not find anything "wrong" with drinking per se...for the sake of "Christ and the church" he thought it was better that he did not drink. Also, on many occassions on weekend services Bill Hybels stated that he thought it was "extremely" important that he was never alone with a woman-the Billy Graham rule. So, when you stated that Bill invited you to his room for a drink...red flags went off all over the place. Why? Because Bill was doing the very things that he made such a big deal about "no doing" for many years. That, coupled with what I experienced for years of both you and Nancy Beach as godly, authentic women...made me believe that without a doubt you and Nancy were telling the truth. The next day, the article in the Tribune came out.
I am so sorry that you and the 8 other women involved were "not believed" by a majority of the people who were at Willow when the story started coming out. You strength of character was never in doubt in my eyes, and to watch this video of God clearly and profoundly speaking through you to the No More Silence Conference was a very powerful experience for me. Thank you for your increfible courage, Vonda!
Steve Schreiner
For Willow Creek Community Church Member
Licensed Profession Counselor
I wonder if we will ever know how many people knew what was happening and kept quiet. Systems that reward silence are evil.
Thank you DTS for this relevant in service Didactic to future teaching elders. Perhaps this is a lesson about the superior ecclesiology of Churches remaing small, amd planting other churches when they are large and out of control. Discipleship requires effective church discipline.
Vonda Dyer - inspired by your courage
Sorry, So very sorry! I did not know of these things at Willow Creek Church in Illinois! I'm shocked! [No Lie!] I'm Morris L. Walton - Author of "Welcome to My Journal: Poems for Knowledge, Understanding, Love, and Revelation" - '2010 - '2021 God, I/we pray that you now breathe freely, Ms. Vonda Dyer! 04-24-2021
Thank you for bravely telling us what happened & for outlining much needed tactics in preventing or dealing with sexual abuse or any sinful activity affecting a congregation.
While all those tactics are important, one very needed step nearly everyone, not all, but most have forgotten, especially WCCC, is repentance. Without repentance, true reconciliation cannot occur. Reconciliation is not the same as forgiveness. The Bible offers numerous examples of what repentance & reconciliation looks like. Joseph & his bros. is a great example. He didn't seek reconciliation with his bros. until he learned whether they had repented of their actions against him. Once Joseph determined they had repented, only then did he seek reconciliation with them.
WCCC, including Hybels has much to repent of. Hybels ego is a problem, which may prevent him from ever repenting. We must pray that he allows God to work on his heart so that he ultimately does the right thing by all his victims, by Christ & the church he claims to love. Repentance means you recognize the wrong you have done & seek to make amends. I pray WCCC sincerely & prayerfuly considers the need for repentance and pursues it. Only then will they & Hybels' victims be able to truly reconcile & move on from the nightmare caused by Bill Hybels.
Thank You For Sharing ❤️
🤔 ☹️ 🤨 👀
Why are Bill Hybels youtube videos still up?
not everybody believes her
"I LOVE this church....and I love God too." I heard Bill say that in a sermon the one time I visited this church. That immediately turned me off so I'm not surprised at all by this.
I can only imagine the shock, betrayal & other feelings Vonda felt during that attack.
Years ago I read and was inspired by his book, "Too busy not to pray". Looking back, I realized he was preying... Preying on women. Sadly, Ravi Zacharias, another gifted preacher was doing the same thing behind closed doors
For most of my life, I have purposely had men who will affirm and also call me if they see something in me that is not good. They are close enough to me, and all of us are so transparent that we know when someone shows any slight deviation from God's will.
What also happens in some churches is that the parents force their daughters to marry a member of the church in order to get citizenship
Why would a pastor invite a woman (not married to the pastor) to his room? AND why would she agree to even consider such a dangerous question?
I heard a sermon that Hybels daughter actually held. She said she has a life long male friend that she called to meet him since she was in his area. She said he declined as examined that he doesn't want to give his wife a reason to suspect anything. She saud she respected that and incorporated it into her own life.
BTW, Hybels used to take annual shipping excursions. Fly to Great Britain a take a luxury cruise back. What was happening there?
Wow! Watching this on this last day of the year- Dec 31st, 2023! This needs to be watched by all, especially in light of the IHOPKC mess. #ihopkc
Well Vonda my heart goes out to you. It is a sad but common truth both the manipulation of authority and the way the church treated you. I don't know if you learned a lesson from it or not but I learned a long time ago that these churches in America and probably worldwide are nothing more than corporations and are more like Cults than anything. If you did not learn from that experience you will learn from the next Church you join. I went through dozens they're all the same. That's the problem with modern-day Christianity once saved always saved so there is no repentance anymore there is no fear of God there is no accountability.
Ty you tho . Your very brave!
Julie, thank you for exposing the dark side of the church.
Remember the fruit of the Spirit? Glorious. Galatians 5. Just a few verses before ...
"Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God."
It's amazing how the Scripture juxtaposes good and evil for contrast.
These abuses creep in because big money stirs up greed and covetousness which then lead to a host of other sins. Many church "leaders" in America today are busy implying/insinuating that without big money you can't have church. I wonder what that's all about? No mention of the Cross. No mention of the sufferings of the Saints. No mention of a Suffering Savior. A totally fake Jesus is presented. Surprise. A fake Jesus doesn't solve anything. The REAL Jesus ... "For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross."
You can't have church without the Word of God. The early church (you know the one actually written about) were a poor crowd who had the right to be thrown in jail and have the key thrown away and God showed the glorious mediation of Christ through them. Where was the money? It was virtually non-existent.
Institutions have a way of "circling the wagons" because there are so many people dependent on the institution that when a flaw is uncovered with top leadership, it seems to be in the interest of most involved parties to support the the public face of the institution.
If that happened to me would have left the church. Why would she stay in that ministry with him? Bizarre. As Christian we are called to expose these people.
Because that's the message that is drilled into the heads and spirits of evangelical women - forgive, forgive, forgive. And greatly reinforced when the elders and deacons just ignore their behavior.
I just ask why she went to his room alone? leader meeting in his room doesn't make sense? We have to be wise
and avoid situations that seem sinful. What he did wasn't right but what they did wasn't either.
This is so stupid! What do you do when you trust someome? So easy to say what you say!
Yes I'm so glad you are sharing this! Address sin churches! Thank you
I only hoped that the victim of Dr. Zachariah came forward before his passing as this sister in Christ has done…..just so he would’ve given a chance to repent and make it right with his family and the decades of vital ministries he and his associates carried on! Thank you for your wisdom to be obedient to the call of the Holy Spirit in this! Thank you again.
Wow 🙏
What do I do?? There is this online leader who has silenced me from speaking out against his abuse. He has told everyone that I am crazy etc.
Tell him God sees it all and to eff off.
I believe you Vonda.
Here's a great verse for abuse victims ...
We then who are strong ought to bear with the [a]scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to [b]edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we THROUGH THE PATIENCE AND COMFORT OF THE SCRIPTURES MIGHT HAVE HOPE 5 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Rom 15)
Is this the same Vonda that was a major singer in worship at Willow Creek?
God help us
Were formal charges ever brought against him?
nope. guess you can't charge someone for saying dumb things or kissing
Man I’m soooo sorry this happened to you. When you say you listened to the Holy Spirit .. how did you hear Him? I don’t know of any other way to hear Him except through scripture, was this some kind of audible voice? Some kind of feeling? Thanks ..
I will share: it’s a thought, but inspired. ALWAYS lines up with God’s holy word too.
We had the same thing happening in our church. The church protected the pastor
Hi all:
The issues with Pastor Bill Hybels, Pastor John O, and others, of "Willow Creek Community Church" in Barrington, IL do not invalidate any of the bible scriptures and the writings within any of my text books, [Period!]. Additionally so and of equal importance, those issues do not invalidate the bible [Period!].
"Bless it be the name of the Lord our God!" For: [THE LOVE OF GOD IS ABSOLUTELY, MAGNIFICENT!] - BOOK I, SECTION [4.9]. THE JOURNEYMAN SPEAKS, [Forevermore!], Amen!
Morris L. Walton
05-13-2021
Rare is the church that handles abuse properly though it confesses it has “ Gods word”….This proves behavior is not changed by words in a book, no matter how much you read it, study it or claim God is found in its pages. It’s just not true.
WHY IS A "pastor" DRINKING WINE?????
No wonder she went to the Chicago Tribune.
" those outside the church God judges, remove the Wicked Man from yourselves"
Is the possible that “voice” heard was just your own? And I’m glad you did.
Punishment?
Consecrated - of church or land declared sacred this it what you represent.
My apologies for the abused if you are going to have vocation to religious life you must represent the leadership of the host the body and blood of Christ. Lapses of judgement is to allow sex offender's among teenagers, minors and families in your church family.
There is one sexual sin that scripture alone calls out specifically…adultery. There’s no need or room for further interpretation or translation. Very clever people can rationalize and philosophize the other sexual sins, but adultery is made 100% clear. Adultery and affairs have destroyed more Protestant churches than any other reason, I would posit. As for the Roman Catholic Church, obviously it’s the pedophile priests, and so difficult to understand how it remains to exist.
*Note: Bill Hybels was/is married so I am calling his sin under the umbrella of adultery, although he his actions can be categorized colloquially under sexual abuse, assault, or “misconduct”.
How it remains to exist? How the Catholic Church continues to exist?… or how there may still be pedophile priests who have not yet been brought to account? The Catholic Church has 1.4 billion members worldwide. It’s the largest religion in the world. The early Christians started to use the word Greek word Catholic around the year 100, because Christianity was spreading to different countries and also heresies were arising. So, the word Catholic, which in English means “universal,” was meant to signify that this was the universal standard by which Christian believers everywhere should adhere. This was “orthodoxy,” standard Christian beliefs. So, the Catholic Church is ancient. It’s weathered thousands of years of wars, invasions, persecutions, good popes, bad popes, you name it. Jesus told Peter (whose name is translated “rock”), “you are rock and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” The Catholic Church was established by Jesus Christ and He ordained that His Church would continue and prevail. He also said there would be both wheat and weeds in His Church. Pedophile priests are weeds, obviously and need to be rooted out! Statistically, they are 3%, whereas 97% of priests are NOT abusers. But they need to be rooted out! But 3% bad priests are not going to destroy a Church that God has sustained for 2,000 years. May God bless and strengthen, guide and comfort all His people everywhere.
Protestant churches can all be traced to a specific person who started them … Calvinism (John Calvin of France), Lutheran church (Martin Luther of Germany), …. Anglicanism (King Henry VIII of England), and so forth. The Catholic Church cannot be traced to anyone other than Jesus Christ himself, because it is the original Christian church. … It is accused of being prideful and boastful for saying this, but there is no reason for pride, only humility before God. Jesus was falsely accused of pride and blasphemy for saying He was God. His Church is likewise accused of pride and blasphemy for claiming to be started by Jesus. Jesus said if the world hates me, it will hate you too. 🙏
@@flowergirl-pp7vz That is not even a claim of the Catholic Church, which only claims the papacy back to Peter. That in itself is not even rock solid evidence, pun intended. Literally nothing can be traced back to Jesus Christ, not even his alleged words.
@@DL-rl9bd “which only claims the papacy back to Peter”? Only? What do you mean by that? Are you aware that Peter was one of Jesus‘ Apostles, upon whom Jesus founded His Church? I assumed you were aware of that, but you might not be. Peter was not a man who lived in the 1500’s like Martin Luther or John Calvin, the men who started the Protestant Revolution. I was assuming you knew that. … I am a lifelong Catholic, and the Catholic Church most definitely claims that it was started by Jesus Christ. Peter is the first Pope, not because the Church “made” him the first Pope. Jesus Himself changed Simon’s name to Peter (rock) and said to Peter -- “You are rock and on this rock I will build my church.” Jesus started His church with Peter, and he is our first Pope. That really can’t be any more clear. .. This isn’t something Catholics believe out of pride. It’s history.
@@flowergirl-pp7vz Yes, the key word being “claims”. It’s merely a faith-based claim based upon a massive attempt at extrapolation, and additional interpretation of the concept of “upon this rock”, while ignoring all of the context around it. It’s funny because I guess it’s one time when Catholics believe in sola scriptura. The Roman papacy didn’t really begin until the sixth century as far as historical facts are concerned.
How dare you quote the Weasel as a reference. The guy an utter fraud.
An evil pastor full of alcohol is never a good thing
Man how desperate was Bill Hybels. 😅
I stopped going to church 17 years ago I have been serving the lord for 42 years and it wasn't until I stopped going to church today actually started to blossom and grow. There is nothing more stagnant than a church-going Christian. Hypocrisy of church today it's so obvious that I find success in sharing my beliefs about church to the non-believer and I find myself speaking to an open mind because they see it. Try and digest that truth
As a man i like to apolagize in behalf of my brothers doing.. Its a sin that we all men face to everyday..
Why would you refer to Hybels as a 'brother'? He is a wolf and a fraud, not a Christian.
@@BP-sk7lp so am i though.. Its (sin) what we are struggling everyday if we are honest.. Only then we can win against it.. We all need to admit after all of our sin/weakness..
@@johnsumampau3145
A simple lapse into sin or moral failure is very different from being a play actor (hypocrite), deceiver, and a wolf/predator: one in a position of power over others who deliberately disguises oneself (a wolf in sheep's clothing) to use, abuse, and prey upon the flock of God. Genuinely struggling against one's own sins and seeking God is not the person Hybels demonstrated himself to be. He is a wolf, a fraud, a spiritual abuser, a sexual predator, and a deceiver. I truly hope that you are nothing like him.
@@BP-sk7lp you are so right. These abusers portray themselves as " like everyone else here" and " I just make mistakes" that we are to forgive and move on past. But what made me realize they are very different, is that they have often been willingly and consciously doing these things for years! And they are the top spiritual leaders! This is just on a whole other conscience-searing level. Can you grasp yourself doing what they are doing and managing the coverups as well? The lies? The hypocricy? The destruction to lives you are causing? This is in no way "just mistakes". This is predatory wolf behavior. (in my opinion, the doctrine of OSAS helps excuse and allow this type of outrageous, sinful behaviour. After all, under that doctrine, how can you call a wolf a wolf as long as they are claiming "Lord, Lord!" ? Matt. 7 ).
Vonda, welcome to the club. All who are in Christ will be persecuted. Willow Creek had many problems; Bill Hybels' adultery was only one of those things.
John told us in his 2 John letter over and over again LOVE IN TRUTH. Love is not enough, because without truth, God's truth, love is not love at all. When we do not know THE Word, we do not know Jesus Christ, because He is the Word in the flesh. And, of course, Jesus said, "I am THE WAY, THE TRUTH, ..."
With regard to these days, the antichrist "whose coming...with all deception of wickedness for those who perish, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT RECEIVE THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH SO AS TO BE SAVED. You see, "the truth" is extremely important and we MUST possess it.
Jesus stated in John 17 (His High Priestly Prayer just before going to the cross) v. 17 "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." QUESTION: "Are you being "sanctified" in God's truth?
Jesus stated in John 8:31,32: "IF you continue in My word, THEN you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will KNOW the truth, and THE TRUTH will make you free." Love is the heart of Christianity, but TRUTH is its foundation. The church is not BUILT on love, but on TRUTH. LOVE is our motive, our reason for what we do. But, TRUTH is our standard. Love will not set you free from the law of sin and death, THE TRUTH does.
Jesus did not tell us to "invite unbelievers into the church". He told us to "go out and bring them the Gospel, WITHOUT COST." This church became a church of unbelievers.
I left in the year 2000. The Holy Spirit LEFT this church back then. No one even seemed to notice. The same thing happened to the Jewish people in the Old Testament.
I strongly encourage EVERYONE to dig in and feast upon the Word of God every chance you get. When you read it, it is God telling God's story. Read it from that perspective. Don't you want to KNOW God? Or, are you just wanting to be a part of "something". Open yourself to His Words. They will "come alive" in you as the Holy Spirit indwells you and fills you more and more.
These are the times of THE APOSTASY, the great falling away. The letters to the 7 assemblies in Revelation are for the most part STRONG reprimands TO THE CHURCH, not unbelievers. Read, Hear and Heed the warnings of that book. However, feast upon the whole thing!
"Man does not live by bread alone, but by EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God."
I pray this church would correct EVERYTHING wrong. Bill Hybels was building a "Drucker" church, not God's church. It was an experiment which failed in the business world, and Bill, Schuller, and Rick Warren were attempting to see if the Drucker model would work in the church.
Why didn't the elders see that Rob Bell was a false teacher? A "good husband and father". So was Reinhard Heydrich (according to those who knew him). Would you allow him to teach you? Those in authority at Willow were misleading you. This is VERY shameful! It also proves that the congregation of Willow Creek is not very well versed in the Holy Scriptures. You see, you MUST dig in and know God's word on your own, or you WILL BE misled.
The first thing Jesus says in Matthew 24 is: "See to it that no one misleads you."
Just because you are worldly intelligent does not mean that you are spiritually intelligent.
Regarding wealth: (Willow is filled with "wealthy" people): "Because you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and YOU DO NOT KNOW THAT YOU ARE wretched (wicked, evil), miserable (still caught in your sins), poor (spiritually poor), blind (you still do not have eyes to see), and naked (your sins are still uncovered, rather than covered in the blood of Jesus." -- A church bearing the name of Jesus Christ, but not OF Jesus Christ in reality. This is obvious in a few verses down when it is stated that Jesus is still "standing at the door knocking" saying "anyone who hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him". Beware that this church bears the markings of the church of Laodicea in Revelation (Rev. 3:17-22)
I attended this church for well over a decade. So, I speak as one who was "misled" at one time myself. Don't let that happen to you!
Willow Creek is one large church. Judging on the fruit of Bill Hybels, do you think that he is most likely a true believer? Only God truly knows of course. Also, do you think that Willow Creek Church is a church with very few genuine believers? Joel Osteen's church probably has quite a bit of fake christians.
Sorry this is so long!
Bill Hybels is, at best, a person who has fallen away. But, I cannot honestly tell you if he ever really believed or not.
While in Hawaii, he told the story of Elijah meeting the widow, Elijah asked her to give him something to eat and she made some bread and gave it to him. It was her last bit of flour and oil. She thought her and her son would have their last meal then give themselves over to starvation. But, she prepared it for Elijah and miraculously her portion continued to replenish itself until the famine ended. Somehow Mr. Hybels used this as a story to convince people to build "nice" buildings to hold church in?
I do not believe he understood the story. Which for a pastor of this church? Something is wrong.
Our Lord is into "quality" not quantity. He wants to transform us; not bring us to a point where we merely "show up."
I attended Willow Creek for over 10 years. I only met a handful of real Christians.
They say the "Repentent Sinner's Prayer", but that is not even biblical.
I believe it rose because there was a true "Holy Spirit" outpouring and many were joining in the fun; because it was fun. But, in the early 1990s the "fun" began to diminish and the church was emptying out.
Robert Schuller, Rick Warren and Bill Hybels were using Peter Drucker's concepts for building a community. Drucker is not a Christian. He is a businessman who failed in this experiment in the business world; and wanted to see if ti would work in churches. Thus, Crystal Cathedral, Saddleback, and Willow Creek were born.
God's kingdom is not a "marketable" resource; however, the Willow Creek Association (now renamed, I hear) is attempting to do just that. So, "satellite" churches were formed and now it's an even greater disaster.
When I left, not one person I knew personally to be a strong believer was there anymore, they all left and moved forward.
A guy who headed up apologetics joined the Jehovah Witnesses. Rob Bell, a heretic, who has now denounced his faith, was strongly promoted. All he did was speak in circles (I listened to him on-line to see who he was; as controversy was posted by some).
The Willow Creek Association (again, renamed) is still IN the church doing business and possibly making a lot of money doing it. ($1,000,000 per church that signs up, last I heard).
At first, the teaching was the best I'd heard, to be honest. But, gradually it just fell apart. You may know the "How to ..." messages. With Christ it is not "How to ..." anything. We are washed in the blood of the Lamb. We are the work of His hands.
We are being sanctified in His Truth (thus it must be spoken in its purity and its completeness).
I admit it, I was duped. God rescued me from the lies, distortions, and complacency. I would never go back. It's just a business now.
A Willow Creek Association pastor took over, so I would be hard pressed to believe anything has really changed. There were so many lies and hidden scandals it makes me rather sick to even think about it.
I hope this answers your question. Again, sorry it's so long.
May God Bless you!!!
Another question: Do you think Bill Hybels is straight out lying by denying the allegations or that he just forgot the instances because of how long ago they were?
Straight out lying. He spoke against immorality while he was allegedly having an affair with his secretary and there was an incident with some female house guest as well (I can't say whether these were the same person or not, as I just read about this on-line). This was completely hidden from the congregation because this was back in the 1980s.
Bill is a smart man who most definitely is not afflicted with dementia. I don't think a pastor would ever forget breaking his marriage covenant; nor having any excuse to claim ignorance of the gravity of this sin.
If he was a true Christian, he would have confessed this back in the 1980s and repented long ago. But, instead, he pretty much left the church (to pursue "building churches like Willow all around the world" which further distanced himself from his wife, then this eventually happened with Vonda overseas.
Bill has accepted his sin: "This is just how I am, King David had an affair with Bathsheba," so he is not being broken because of it, on the inside. His sin does not bother him enough to prostrate himself before God and cry out for a renewed mind and a "washing" away of it in the blood of Jesus Christ.
Remember when Jesus said about Judas, "All of you are washed, except for one." Bill is still that "one."
@@Tom-iw3zh If this really is true that Hybels is a fake christian, that is unfortunate. I have heard some other reports of allegations. Vonda's seems to be the most well known perhaps. I wonder if Hybels will wake up roasting in hell? It says in the bible that many will try to enter the narrow road but will not be able to