DonateFacebook-fX-twitterSearch Search Close this search box.
Podcast
Investigations
Restore 2026
About
About Us
Our Team
Statement of Faith
Privacy Policy
Contact
Donate
Menu
Podcast
Investigations
Restore 2026
About
About Us
Our Team
Statement of Faith
Privacy Policy
Contact
Donate
Back to investigations Willow Creek Community Church Podcasts
Willow Creek at 50: The Extensive Impact & Profound Damage
November 19, 2025 3:07 pm·
8 comments·
Listen To The Podcast
Podcast ·
‘Honoring the Abuser’: John Maxwell Praises Bill Hybels at GLS
August 13, 2025 7:44 pm·
15 comments·
Listen To The Podcast Articles
Church Issues ·
Did Willow Creek Skip Yom Kippur — Again?
By Laura Barringer·
October 10, 2025 11:20 am·
(Opinion) It is the evening of Yom Kippur as I write these words. My Jewish friends are preparing for their holiest day of the calendar…
19 comments·
Evangelicalism ·
What Happens When the Church of the Future Gets Old?
By Bob Smietana·
October 8, 2025 2:20 pm·
In the summer of 1992, a reporter made a pilgrimage to the Chicago suburbs to get a firsthand look at Willow Creek Community Church in…
11 comments·
Leadership Misconduct/Abuse ·
John Maxwell Praises Disgraced Pastor Bill Hybels at Global Leadership Summit, Prompting Sharp Criticism
By Julie Roys·
August 13, 2025 7:50 pm·
Leadership guru John Maxwell publicly praised Bill Hybels at the Global Leadership Summit (GLS) last week, despite credible allegations the disgraced pastor sexually harassed and…
36 comments·
Church Issues ·
Willow Creek Pastor Dave Dummitt to Step Down, Shawn Williams Named Successor
By Bob Smietana·
March 24, 2025 5:52 pm·
David Dummitt, who became pastor of Willow Creek Church at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, announced Sunday that he is stepping down as leader…
8 comments·
Church Issues ·
Willow Creek Community Church Announces Closure of Chicago Campus
By Julie Roys·
February 5, 2024 4:50 pm·
Willow Creek Community Church has announced it’s closing its Chicago campus because the congregation there can’t support its mortgage. In a video announcement today, Willow…
6 comments·
Church Issues ·
Pastor Albert Tate on Leave of Absence For ‘Inappropriate’ Texts and Comments
By Julie Roys·
October 2, 2023 6:35 pm·
Author and well-known pastor, Albert Tate, has been placed on a leave of absence by his church board for “inappropriate text messages and questionable comments.”…
24 comments·
Church Issues ·
Mentee of Bill Hybels, David Ashcraft, Named CEO of Global Leadership Network
By Josh Shepherd·
July 7, 2023 1:20 pm·
The Global Leadership Network (GLN), a nonprofit known for its annual summit started by now-disgraced Willow Creek Community Church founder, Bill Hybels, has named Hybels’…
15 comments·
Ministry Finances & Governance ·
Financials Show Giving Keeps Plunging at Willow Creek Community Church
By Sarah Einselen·
July 28, 2022 6:50 pm·
Newly obtained financials for Willow Creek Community Church show giving has fallen drastically in recent years—even as people filled the offering plates at other megachurches.…
47 comments·
Ministry Finances & Governance ·
Willow Creek Cuts Staff Amid Steep Drop in Attendance
By Sarah Einselen·
May 18, 2022 5:21 pm·
Willow Creek Community Church is cutting staff—again—amid a steep drop in attendance and giving, the megachurch has announced. In a May 9 video message to…
1 comments·
Church Issues ·
Amid Giving Push, Willow Creek Invites Alleged Prosperity Preacher Who Offers Tithe Refund
By Sarah Einselen·
February 23, 2022 1:20 pm·
Facing persistently lower giving, Willow Creek Community Church last Sunday invited Pastor Robert Morris, who some allege is a prosperity preacher, to deliver a guest…
24 comments·
Church Issues ·
Willow Creek Pastor Dave Dummitt Tests Positive for COVID-19 on Heels of Global Leadership Summit
By Bob Smietana·
August 8, 2021 8:45 pm·
The senior pastor of an influential Chicagoland megachurch has tested positive for COVID-19. Dave Dummitt was supposed to preach this weekend at Willow Creek Community…
7 comments·
Leadership ·
Global Leadership Summit Features Speaker Whose Claim to Fame Has Seemingly Been Debunked
By Julie Roys·
June 30, 2021 12:42 pm·
In a little over a month, the Global Leadership Summit—a two-day conference billed as the “premier leadership event of the year”—will livestream to thousands of…
10 comments·
Abuse ·
Opinion: ‘Why is Bill Hybels’ Name Rarely Mentioned?’ — My Response
By Laura Barringer·
June 2, 2021 11:28 am·
Last week, a YouTube video from Willow Creek Community Church dropped. I clicked on it, wondering why Willow Creek watchers responded to it so viscerally.…
30 comments·
Church Issues ·
Rob Campbell Becomes Seventh Willow Creek Campus Pastor to Resign
By Julie Roys·
March 8, 2021 6:17 pm·
Willow Chicago Pastor Rob Campbell this weekend became the seventh pastor of a Willow Creek Community Church campus to resign his position in the past…
24 comments·
Sexual Harassment/Abuse ·
Hybels’ Daughter, Shauna Niequist, Apologizes for Silence about Father’s “Actions”
By Julie Roys·
February 22, 2021 11:26 am·
Shauna Niequist, the daughter of Willow Creek founder, Bill Hybels, and a New York Times best-selling author, apologized today on Instagram for her years-long silence…
28 comments·
Church Issues ·
More than $78.6 Million in PPP Funds Go to Televangelists, Megachurches, & Large Media Ministries
By Julie Roys·
December 16, 2020 5:39 pm·
The federal government issued more than $78.6 million in Paycheck Program Protection (PPP) funds to televangelists, megachurches, and large media ministries this year, according to…
44 comments·
Church Issues ·
Former Willow Creek Campus Pastor Starting New Church Amid Controversy
By J.C. Derrick·
December 10, 2020 11:17 am·
A popular, former Willow Creek Community Church campus pastor is starting a new church, two months after resigning amid a controversial restructuring plan. Amy Mikal,…
33 comments·
Church Issues ·
Willow Creek Campus in Uproar Over Sweeping Staff Cuts & Vision to Centralize
By Julie Roys·
October 31, 2020 12:01 pm·
A campus of Willow Creek Community Church is in an uproar over massive staff cuts—part of a new vision by new Senior Pastor Dave Dummit…
46 comments·
Church Issues ·
Willow Creek Hires Former Harvest Pastor Ed Ollie to Replace Popular Pastor at North Shore Campus
By Julie Roys·
October 30, 2020 5:12 pm·
Willow Creek Community Church has just announced it has hired former Harvest Bible Chapel Chicago Cathedral Pastor Ed Ollie as the next pastor of Willow…
7 comments·
COVID ·
Willow Creek & Harvest Bible Chapel Receive Millions in COVID Relief Funds
By Julie Roys·
July 7, 2020 6:57 pm·
Willow Creek Community Church and Harvest Bible Chapel—two churches rocked by recent scandals—have received millions in COVID relief funds. According to a list released by…
8 comments·
Church Issues ·
Willow Creek Co-Founder Accused of Sexual Misconduct Sues Church & Elders for Defamation
By Julie Roys·
May 28, 2020 3:00 pm·
Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian, a co-founder of Willow Creek Community Church, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Willow Creek and its elders for statements they made…
16 comments·
Evangelicalism ·
Wheaton College Rescinds Dr. Bilezikian’s Title of Professor Emeritus After Investigation Of Allegations
By Julie Roys·
February 28, 2020 4:39 pm·
Wheaton College today announced that it has rescinded Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian’s title of Professor Emeritus as the result of an investigation that revealed “additional allegations…
15 comments·
Sexual Harassment/Abuse ·
Alleged Victim of Bill Hybels Tells Story of How Church Tried to Silence Her
By Julie Roys·
February 28, 2020 7:09 am·
A former senior leader at Willow Creek Community Church, and professed victim of Bill Hybels, yesterday shared on Facebook that an elder and attorney from…
30 comments·
Sexual Harassment/Abuse ·
Willow Creek Co-Founder Breaks Silence, Denies Sex Abuse Allegations
By Julie Roys·
February 26, 2020 1:54 pm·
In an email sent to his son with instructions to “forward at will,” Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian, co-founder of Willow Creek Community Church and professor of…
27 comments·
Church Issues ·
Guest Post: What Happened At Willow Creek?
By Warren Cole Smith·
February 24, 2020 8:30 am·
This in-depth analysis is provided by a special partnership with MinistryWatch.com. In the 1970s and 80s, radio personality Casey Kasem would often punctuate his “American…
26 comments·
Sexual Harassment/Abuse ·
Wheaton College Coeds Say Bilezikian Sexually Harassed Them; College Accused of Mishandling Reports
By Julie Roys·
February 4, 2020 10:44 am·
In the mid-1980s, Ellen Maxwell (now Ellie Cowan) was a young and trusting student at the evangelical flagship, Wheaton College. So, when her professor, a…
28 comments·
Church Issues ·
Willow Creek Acting Senior Pastor Steve Gillen to Resign in March
By Julie Roys·
January 30, 2020 3:37 pm·
The Elders of Willow Creek Community Church today announced that Acting Senior Pastor Steve Gillen will be stepping down from his position on March 17.…
35 comments·
Church Issues ·
Willow Creek Honored as “Living Legend” the Co-Founder It Believed Abused Congregant
By Julie Roys·
January 30, 2020 9:09 am·
UPDATE: Someone just alerted me to a video uploaded in 2011 by the Global Leadership Network (formerly the Willow Creek Association) of Dr. Bilezikian giving…
30 comments·
Church Issues ·
Willow Creek Elders Say They’re “Heartbroken” over “Abuse” of Congregant by Church Co-Founder
By Julie Roys·
January 28, 2020 8:39 pm·
The elders at Willow Creek Community Church tonight sent an email to congregants, stating that the church is “heartbroken” over the “abuse” of a congregant…
8 comments·
Sexual Harassment/Abuse ·
Willow Creek Responds to Abuse Allegations: “We Believe Dr. B Engaged in Inappropriate Behavior”
By Julie Roys·
January 27, 2020 5:58 pm·
Willow Creek acting senior pastor, Steve Gillen, today sent an email to all church staff stating that the church believes that its co-founder, Dr. Gilbert…
26 comments·
Church Issues ·
Longtime Willow Creek Member Accuses Bill Hybel’s Mentor, Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian, of Clergy Sexual Abuse
By Julie Roys·
January 25, 2020 10:11 pm·
Today, Ann Lindberg, a longtime member of Willow Creek Community Church, posted the following account on Facebook, accusing Bill Hybel’s mentor, Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian, of…
61 comments·
Abuse ·
Video: Hybels’ Victim & Her Husband Tell of Trauma & Urge Church to Help Abuse Victims
By Julie Roys·
December 10, 2019 8:49 am·
When Vonda Dyer came forward in 2018 and publicly disclosed how her former pastor, Bill Hybels, had come on to her in a hotel room…
30 comments·
Church Issues ·
Video: Nancy Beach on Surviving Abuse With Your Faith Intact
By Julie Roys·
November 14, 2019 6:18 pm·
“I never had a category in my mind and heart for the capacity of Christians to behave so sinfully,” admitted Nancy Beach, former program director…
0 comments·
Church Issues ·
Willow Creek Crystal Lake Attenders Angered Over Hybels’ “Golden Parachute” & Elders’ Actions That Led Pastor to Resign
By Julie Roys·
October 29, 2019 8:18 am·
About 120 attenders of Willow Crystal Lake reportedly packed an elder “listening session” after services on Sunday, expressing anger over actions by the elders of…
29 comments·
Church Issues ·
Second Willow Creek Campus Pastor Resigns
By Julie Roys·
October 13, 2019 5:12 pm·
Willow Creek Crystal Lake‘s Lead Pastor Marcus Bieschke today announced he’s resigning his position with the church, saying his “heart and values are not in…
11 comments·
Church Issues ·
Willow Creek’s Reconciliation Service Brings Closure to Some, But Alleged Victim Says “Hope Evaporated”
By Julie Roys·
July 24, 2019 4:27 pm·
Many who attended the elder-led congregational meeting at Willow Creek Community Church last night seemed pleased with what they heard. At the beginning of the…
29 comments·
Church Issues ·
Willow Creek Wheaton Lead Pastor Resigns, Citing Intense “Drive” That Hurt Staff
By Julie Roys·
July 22, 2019 7:59 pm·
The lead pastor of Willow Creek Wheaton, one of Willow Creek Community Church‘s eight campuses in the Chicago area, announced yesterday that he’s resigning due…
11 comments·
Church Issues ·
Willow Creek Elders Release Statement Supporting the “Women”; Yet One Woman Says Hybels’ Sins Were “Far Worse” Than Anyone’s Said Publicly
By Julie Roys·
July 19, 2019 6:27 pm·
The elders at suburban Chicago Willow Creek Community Church today released a “last statement” about the scandal involving church founder Bill Hybels, charging Hybels with “unchecked…
34 comments·
Stay in the loop
Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox.
Email Sign Up
Podcast
Articles
About
contact
Facebook-fInstagramX-twitterThreadsYoutube
Copyright 2026 The Roys Report
English Spanish English
Donate
Hi. We see this is the third article this month you’ve found worth reading. Great! Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church?
Your tax-deductible gift supports our mission of reporting the truth and restoring the church. Donate $50 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you can elect to receive “To Heal or Harm” by Steven R. Tracy. DONATE NOW
Back to investigations Willow Creek Community Church Podcasts 
English 
Spanish 