The Future of Willow Creek?

Most people who consider themselves part of the church community are already aware of the allegations against Willow Creek's former teaching pastor, Bill Hybels. However, the publicity of these accusations has spread far beyond the megachurch. Through media, the #MeToo movement was a major power player in reviving what the church tried to bury nearly eight years back... but what does any of this have to do with Reverend Steve Carter's sudden resignation?

Let's rewind a bit.

As of four months ago, the Chicago Tribune's article "Hybels steps down from Willow Creek following allegations of misconduct" resurrected the once-smothered conversation surrounding Hybels and previous allegations. Thus, Bill Hybels was not only forced to resign from his leadership positions not only as a leader of the church, but also stepped down from actively participating in the Global Leadership Summit (GLS).

However, how does any of this involve Steve Carter, who used to be the teaching pastor until his resignation was made public on Sunday, August 5, 2018?

In his most recent blog post—fittingly titled "A Diverging Path"—Carter explains how the "recent revelations have also compelled me to make public my decision to leave, as much as it grieves me to go."

The "recent revelations" Carter refers to in his blog post are the allegations made by Ms. Baranowski, Hybel's own assistant of eight years. The NY Times explains the situation aptly in their own article, "He’s a Superstar Pastor. She Worked for Him and Says He Groped Her Repeatedly," which explicitly delves into Ms. Baranowski's testimony of eight years of sexual harassment.

Let's be clear: Steve Carter's reason behind his resignation goes beyond the recent allegation directed at his former mentor. In the blog post he explains how he disagrees with how the leadership has been addressing the situation, stating:

“After many frank conversations with our elders, it became clear that there is a fundamental difference in judgment between what I believe is necessary for Willow Creek to move in a positive direction, and what they think is best. That is not to say that I am right and they are wrong. But I must follow the path that I believe God has laid out for me to live with integrity, and that path now diverges from Willow Creek.”

Carter is not the only ex-pastor who left the church due to disagreements with the leadership. The former pastor of Willow Creek's high school ministry, Student Impact, made his stance public through social media, tweeting, "It's not a good thing to be a good fit for Willow Creek." Later, he elaborated that his statement "was directed towards the leaders at the top who continue to manipulate and wound people to protect their image and their bottom line."

Strong words for a man who left Willow Creek before the allegations arose. It seems like the leadership has been going through some problems for a while—only, their lack of grace has now been publicized through Hybel's misconduct.

So, first, the once-notable Bill Hybel's career is cut short due to multiple sexual allegations. Now, Steve Carter resigns from his position as teaching pastor and leaves executive pastor Heather Larson in the dust.

As someone who has been a loyal follower of Willow Creek for years, I can't help but wonder: in what direction will executive pastor Heather Larson and the elders continue to lead the church? What is the future of Willow Creek?