The highest-ranking elder of northwest suburban Willow Creek
Community Church told the congregation Wednesday that elders owe
apologies to women who made allegations of misconduct against church
founder Bill Hybels.
Pam Orr, the outgoing chair of the
church’s elder board, said it has been the elders’ “top priority” to
reach out to women who have come forward with allegations of
inappropriate behavior.
“We have talked to several of them and are deeply saddened by the
experiences they are sharing with us,” Orr told the congregation during a
midweek worship service. “We do believe that we owe these women some
apologies. The tone of our first response had too much emphasis on
defending Bill and cast some of the women in an unfair and negative
light. We are sorry.”
In a reversal, Orr also apologized for
initial statements that called the allegations lies and castigated
former senior leaders of the church who called for a more robust
investigation.
Willow Creek elders apologize for casting doubt on women's allegations against founder Hybels - Chicago Tribune
No comments:
Post a Comment