Bob Smietana reports for Christianity Today:
So far, at least seven women have accused Hybels of improper conduct and abuse of power. They include the first woman teaching pastor at Willow Creek, a former worship leader, several former staffers, two church members, and the former head of a prominent evangelical publisher. One other woman accused him of an affair—then recanted that claim.
Their accounts follow similar patterns: that Hybels pressured women into spending time alone with him.
During the April 10 meeting when he announced his resignation, Hybels apologized for his habit of meeting alone with women in private settings, including in hotel rooms and at his home.
“I placed myself in situations that would have been far wiser to avoid,” he said. “I was naïve about the dynamics those situations created. I’m sorry for the lack of wisdom on my part. I commit to never putting myself in similar situations again.”
Several women who have accused him of misconduct believe Hybels has mischaracterized these incidents, leading some to believe that he was talking about women who were pursuing him.
“People weren’t coming on to him,” said one to CT. “He was coming on to them.”
Read the rest here.
Click here for our previous coverage on Hybels.
I have heard a number of concerns expressed that the reaction to this situation might not be an evaluation of improper behaviors which took place, but instead a retreat by more people to the Billy Graham rule (or, Mike Pence rule, take your pick) where male leaders simply refuse to interact with women colleagues or professionals outside of a large group setting. This would have the unfortunate effect of further marginalizing women within the church as the result of a situation where women were mistreated, thereby adding insult to injury.