Because we represent their interests. Thats what he was. Heres my belief, Julie, I think the church at large, the big leaders in evangelicalism, we can name names if we want to, and Im sure that people have names on their mind when theyre hearing this, Why were they silent? And we need to apologize. It started as a simple tape duplication ministry in a home basement, using a reel-to-reel tape recorder linked to a dozen smaller recorders to duplicate the Briscoes' teaching. Hes also the chairman of the elder board at a multisite megachurch in Dallas, Texas. And I had a wonderful experience. So since youve seen a lot of this kind of up close and personal through talking to witnesses and elders and staff people, how bad was the abuse at Willow Creek? Friends are important! This is a person who is pushing a boundary because they want to do something bad. and Im going to butcher the title. Yeah, I just saw you ran a story on MacDonalds massive mansion in Illinois being held in the name of Vanilla Bean LLC. Hes a complex character. What is it that causes so many people who know better, to look the other way and allow evil to prosper? Let the Briscoes help you experience Life in all its fullness! What I do, you know, and what Ministry Watch is doing and what all these independent bloggers are doing, that its bringing accountability. What is it was Chicago? Yeah, they eventually did. The woman had come forwarded, but then later recanted her story. And its so important, I think, for any of us who are doing any kind of ministry at all, if we get our identity wrapped up in what were doing, then what were doing is no longer ministry, its no longer service to the Lord. With distinctly different teaching styles, you'll be moved by the emotional appeal of Jill and the compelling logic of Stuart, as they boldly proclaim God's sovereignty, grace, and love. And I think Christian leaders need to start stepping up. And unless theyre pollinated by hand, on the one day that the bloom opens, they wont make anything. And I think there was, but I think that theres a spiritual stronghold around celebrity culture within evangelicalism writ large. Character always has to come first in hiring, then competence, and then chemistry. Theres a lot of church boards that operate that way. WebPete Briscoe, Stuart and Jills youngest son, was a key contributor to the ministrys teaching team from 2003 to 2021. And he offers keen insights that are desperately needed as many churches today struggle to be healthy and to avoid the mistakes other megachurches have made. The church is nondenominational and has woman pastors and elders. And really, I came back to the Lord at Willow and He used that church to help me reestablish my relationship with Him and with His church. Pete Briscoe @petebriscoe 12 Dec 2021. Pete grew up in a home with intelligent and committed parents: both Pete served as the senior pastor at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas for nearly 30 years, and he now ministers to pastors and organizational executives through personalized, professional coaching. And I saw this at Harvest Bible chapel when I was doing reporting there. They made a lot of friends a lot of money over the years selling books, promoting programs, platforming them at conferences, platforming them at the Global Leadership Summit. He even cites a conversation with Darrell Bock, a member who disagrees with the elders but who also says it is not an issue worth dividing over. It is what manifests. I know the owners Dan and Kurt Marquart personally, and I can say without reservation that they truly run their business with honesty, integrity and transparency. We were talking a little bit about the elder board. Today were talking with Pete Briscoe, who served as the senior pastor for nearly three decades at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, Texas, and now consults with and coaches pastors. I am with you in this sad place of justified disappointment in the church. The radio program began to attract listeners and supporters, enabling the ministry to expand its broadcasting to a growing number of stations throughout the United States and abroad. With distinctly different teaching styles, you'll be moved by the emotional appeal of Jill and the compelling logic of Stuart, as they boldly proclaim God's sovereignty, grace, and love. I think it took courage. Below is a link to a PDF of the article World Magazine did on a sex abuse scandal involving VOM. He, Becky and their kids have been part of the fabric of BT for so long, it is Im good friends with Vonda Dyer, who worked at Willow and was one of the women who bravely came forward with her story about her interactions with Bill Hybels. And theres a lot of people asking, Is that just too great a burden to ever put on one person? How do you respond to that? Mitch is an attorney, a church elder and an advocate for abuse victims. Absolutely horrible. What makes you stick with that model and believe it can still be used despite how badly that model has been abused? Yes, I have be disillusioned many times by churches and some leaders. Explain that. And yet, when these issues started being raised about Bill Hybels, the larger church, other than you know, a few people you mentioned the Ortbergs, for example, they came forward and spoke. I think he lost it. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! Because they, I mean, they had a massive PR machine they had, they hired Mark DeMoss, his firm to come in and try to resolve things from a PR standpoint. Vonda was at one time the director of Willow Creeks vocal ministry, and she was one of the first women to come forward and speak publicly about Bill Hybels alleged sexual misconduct. They didnt have the ability to respond to new issues as they arose. And these men are good actors. it is. Pete Briscoe was Senior Pastor of Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, TX for nearly 30 years. But if you have a pastor with a glaring character flaw youre fooling yourself if you think youre gonna keep that character flaw in line with a pastor who doesnt put Jesus Christ first in his life, am I right? I know that the original elders of Harvest thought they could keep James accountable despite the knowledge that he had glaring character flaws from the beginning. Very few. Its about serving God. And that was how Bill deformed his accountability structure. Powerful ministry at some points. He makes sure the good things stay in the church and the bad things go out. So its more than flirty words or suggestions. To me, Bill did not come across as a predator, flirty or suggestive with women. And I have other thoughts about that and how that all worked out. And I feel that way with these pastors. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. and so I almost feel like the elder boards are there to keep the honest person honest. WebPete Briscoe is a podcaster and evangelical pastor. Telling another woman, how she looks in a dress and how it accentuates her body, everything up to an alleged affair, to Pat Baronowski, Bill Hybels longtime assistant, stating in the New York Times said Bill Hybels made her obtain pornography and they watched it together. I want to thank Pete too for advocating for women participating fully in leadership and for Libby modeling what it means to be a true helper (ezer kenegdo). You can choose from more than 60 majors and learn in a Christian environment known for its spiritual values, leadership opportunities, and strong financial aid. So if you think of Willow as being a living thing, we are willing to put other things to death on the altar of preserving that organism. You feel that they have to have more of a governance more of a hands on role than a lot of them do. So Im guessing youre not against lawyers being on board. I hope someday I can overcome this cynicism because I need Church as it should be. And yet here we see a church thats ostensibly about serving God, and its about proclaiming the gospel and yet this is happening within the church. James MacDonald was friends with Ed Stetzer. Then, I did what all good Christian college students did at that time I acquired a boot-leg copy of the drama and listened to it several times on my own. There are therapy notes to support her story. This is simply a place where I share the message of Gods unadulterated grace through my preaching sermons and bible teaching. This is just the way things are in Corinth. I think its incredibly dangerous. Because they were required to move by unanimity. Fifteen years later, I joined staff at Bent Tree. Heres to better days and better church health. Well, and thanks so much for listening to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. And this is whats so difficult. And theres an element to which a church like Willow Creek was a global church, right? So I was quite taken aback when this scandal came out. He is with us today to talk about growing communication skills to improve preaching as well as how we can find deeper fulfillment in our work and lives. And while youre at it, wed really appreciate it if you help us spread the word about the podcast by leaving a review and then please share the podcast on social media so more people can hear about this great content. And I remember you saying. I mean, there were some things that you learned specifically, that were done to potentially cover wrongdoing by Bill Hybels. God is doing a new work both in the lives of the Briscoe's and in the life of Bent Tree. Like so many of you, I love Pete. The cover up of his behavior manifested at the elder board level. I think there was a culture of pride at Willow that basically said, We are the elite of the Christian world. And in the few times Ive spoken with him, I found his insights to be profound. These are people that may be in the cubicle next to you at work, who have an acuity for blending in to normal life. And when I came into the representation, that was a new term to me, Id never heard anything like it. Its really pride. WebPete Briscoe answers that question by pointing us to Paul as the perfect example of one who speaks with tender boldness. Jill They didnt have the ability to move quickly. So, thanks for taking the time and you know, anybody whos willing to take a few minutes out of their vacation for a podcast, I just really appreciate it. Gifted with wisdom, discernment, and a bit of English humor, the Briscoe's bring God's Word to life. The other thing I wanted to talk to you about in you mentioned this in earlier discussion we had about the identity of elders and how so often, and I dont think its just elders, I think its a lot of the senior pastor leadership and staff that their identity tends to become enmeshed with the success or failure of the organization theyre a part of. God uses the weak things of this world to confound the strong, right? And not elevated above it. Briscoe For that we are forever grateful. And thats not what this is about. Its How do we protect the entity and the entity as expressed through the person of Bill Hybels? Once you make that decision that youre willing to protect the entity or the person in charge of the entity to the detriment of members of the body or members of the staff, youve made some poor choices that are going to have consequences. If youre looking for a car I encourage you to visit my friends at Marquardt of Barrington. I havent seen a lot of true owning, true repenting, true confessing. WebLearn More About Pete Today - Pete Briscoe God loves you to distraction, There is nothing you can do to make Him love them more or less, And, that Life with this Lover God is rich beyond description, regardless of your performance. Im still waiting for the apology for the public apology for giving. And so when you know from the pulpit, that might be a strength. Those are the good guys. And the people in this story are complex characters. Well, early on in the process after the Tribune article, we had to make a decision, How are we going to fight a machine of this size that is basically promulgating lies about these women and their families and their supporters? And I reached out to people that I already knew within, you know, the watch blogging community. Theyve got a little bit of the guide part. Its something like Child Protection Policies. This is a calling. But it really had the tone has to be set by leadership for a culture of goodness. He currently leads a multi-faceted media ministry called Telling the Truth which he shares with his parents Stuart and Jill Briscoe. And gratitude is where we must go in this time, as Kurt Baxter reminded us on Sunday. I think the load needs to be shared. Please contact us or click here to learn more about how to enable JavaScript on your browser. And Willow just, they got killed because they wouldnt respond and say the truth. WebPete Briscoe answers that question by pointing us to Paul as the perfect example of one who speaks with tender boldness. Leave them alone. I can see the elders (more than half of which were women), and people in general saying, It was only a hug. A man who "dedicated his life to sharing Gods Word with the world" has died at the age of 91. Right? Now, God is leading our friend and leader Pete away from these walls, and we look on with sadness the sadness that comes when a season you love is passing. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Let me give you some examples. I wonder, I wonder what effect that might have had on them. He is with us today to talk about growing communication skills to improve preaching as well as how we can find deeper fulfillment in our work and lives. Thankyou in advance. They show up, they sell books. And to do that, we must avoid falling into the trap of our Christian beliefs being pitted against culture in the public sphere of debate. Its all a Business and Power tool and stage for Virtue Signaling. And he came back and said, I cant do this anymore.. How do we deal with claims of sexual abuse? Growing up in a ministry family, Pete watched and learned from his parents and witnessed the reach and power of Telling the Truth 's media outreach. Yeah, right. Can I talk about Scot McKnight for a second? I would probably have been among those who defended Bill saying, He couldnt have done these things; Hes too strong of a Christian leader. I see this culture as similar to the Corinthian church with the man who was involved with his fathers wife. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. Hes also a strong believer and advocate for abuse victims. And so I do think its a healthy thing when youre afraid of doing wrong, because it will be brought up and you will be held accountable. And something else that you mentioned about the board, which I found fascinating was that the Willow Creek board had an awful lot of lawyers on it. And today Im excited to be speaking with Mitch Little. But now my faith in the whole institution is shattered. Nobody who is an elder at a church should have any aspect of their identity wrapped up in either the role of being an elder or in the success or failure of the organization. The small tape recording process drew the attention of many people who were eager for a copy of the teaching they heard at church to share with friends and neighbors. And heres what we have to do as people leading churches, okay, you have to understand what the signs of grooming are so one of the things that I did that really helps me, my good friend, Boz Tchividjian, put out a book through his organization G.R.A.C.E. God uses the faithful and generous support of people like you to continue to change lives through the ministry of Telling the Truth. They need accountability. Theyre not holding anybody accountable then. Not so much at Willow till after, because I was so wrapped up in the Harvest stuff at that time and the Moody stuff that I didnt really have the capability or the bandwidth to do much reporting about Willow. He has been married to Jill for more than 59 years and has three children and 13 grandchildren. I was the senior pastor of Bent Tree Bible Fellowship for nearly 30 years. And you you actually refer to it as multi-level marketing. The priests who cross the street, right? Subscribe Sign up for my daily email devotionals and to stay in touch! It was a huge fixture in evangelicalism. And Im like, Ive never seen a spiritual leader ever, ever have that sort of self disclosure in front of the church before he preaches. But lets talk about since were talking about the media, Willow Creek had unbelievable resources at its disposal, right. Thats a rhetorical question. I think thats dangerous. Gifted with wisdom, discernment, and a bit of English humor, the Briscoe's bring God's Word to life. Please note, our website requires JavaScript to be supported. Yeah, my understanding of that of the history has come from interviewing witnesses, talking to people who have served in those roles and hearing their stories at Willow. Mitch has seen church governance from both the inside and the outside. However, there should be a bubble level of character in Christ that we return to. If you go back through Willow Creeks archives, you can see all the, you know, the authors of books who came in and were platformed at Willow Creek. You know, Hybels daughter had her own book on Oprahs book club. As a lawyer whos represented some of Bill Hybels victims, Mitch Little has seen a side of Willow Creek that few others have. Well, and I hope there are Christian leaders listening to this who take note because is the time of just being silent and thinking that because youre silent, nothing will come back on you, thats past. But this certainly raises red flags. And to do that, we must avoid falling into the trap of our Christian beliefs being pitted against culture in the public sphere of debate. God showed him through that sermon how his trip was actually isolating and began a process of transformation. The church is literally a collection of people. Pete Briscoe @petebriscoe 12 Dec 2021. Was there any evidence found that he actually had an affair? I understand that the desire to have elders dealing with what Ill call Echelon or tier level, theological topics: What does the church think about, you know, for example, racial reconciliation? But he had the emotional and spiritual fortitude to say, You know what? WebIt is with heavy hearts that the Elders of Bent Tree announce that Pete Briscoe has submitted his resignation as Senior Pastor. WebLearn More About Pete Today - Pete Briscoe God loves you to distraction, There is nothing you can do to make Him love them more or less, And, that Life with this Lover God is rich beyond description, regardless of your performance. He even cites a conversation with Darrell Bock, a member who disagrees with the elders but who also says it is not an issue worth dividing over. One of those women is Vonda Dyer. We bought the routine and its shocking. I That nonprofit corporation and its bank accounts, thats not what the biblical church is. May you and your family be richly bleSSed!!! Lawyer for Bill Hybels Victims Shares Inside Story. It took me a long time to agree that he had done the things of which he had been accused. And this is one of the I think exciting things. So Scot, its like the scene in The Avengers when Iron Man just kind of drops out of the sky. In the late 1990s, Telling the Truth was blessed with opportunities to expand the broadcasts overseas with a newly formed Christian radio station in London, Premier Christian Radio, which today remains the only Christian station across the entire United Kingdom, with 1.2 million weekly listeners. He has been married to Jill for more than 59 years and has three children and 13 grandchildren. You have to have unity among your vocational staff at the church about, you know, key issues like how do we treat other people? Fellowship, Church family, Community. Is that correct? Growing up in a ministry family, Pete watched and learned from his parents and witnessed the reach and power of Telling the Truth's media outreach. Okay. Frankly I find church to be excruciatingly lonely. Basically, theyre a rubber stamp., Julie, I have a different take on what happened at WCC. 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