Living in the Aftermath of Church Scandals

Guest Bios Show Transcript Two Churches in the Chicago area have been rocked by scandal. Now, how does the Christian community move forward? And how do those hurt by these scandals, the so-called church refugees, find healing? This week on The Roys Report, I'll have two refugees from Willow Creek Community Church and one from Harvest Bible Chapel join me. Also joining me will be two area pastors whose churches have taken in a number of refugees.  I really hope you can join us for The Roys Report, this Saturday morning at 11 on AM 1160 Hope for Your Life and on Sunday night at 7 on AM 560 The Answer! This Weeks Guests Joe Thorn Joe Thorn is the Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship in St. Charles, Illinois, and the author of several books, including Note to Self and Experiencing the Trinity. He has been a columnist for Ligonier’s Tabletalk magazine and is the co-host (with Jimmy Fowler) of the podcast Doctrine & Devotion. Dave Jones David has been privileged to serve as Senior Pastor at Village Church since 2010.  He seeks to combine the in-depth study of Scripture with a shepherd’s heart.  He has been married to Helen for more than thirty years.  They have three grown sons, two daughters-in-law, and one grandson.    Rob Speight Rob Speight graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary and served in vocational ministry prior to working in the market place and attending and volunteering at Willow Creek for 27 years.  Rob started a blog when the Bill Hybels scandal became public.   Carol Behrends Lifelong Christian. . . Survivor of toxic fundamentalism and sexual abuse. . . in attendance at Willow Creek since 1980 (theater days). . . zealot for Truth and accountability Terri Streich Terri was a member of Harvest Bible Chapel for 15 years until she left 1 1/2 years ago. She has also been in Women's ministry as a counselor for 9+years. Currently she is a member of Redeemer Fellowship St Charles, Ill. with her husband of 35 years Dave. Together they have 3 children and 4 grandchildren. Show Transcript Note: This transcript has been edited slightly for continuity. Segment 1 JULIE ROYS:  Welcome to The Roys Report, brought to you in part by Judson University.  I am Julie Roys and today, we’re going to be talking about a topic that has absolutely ravaged the Christian community in the Chicago area. And, if you’ve been listening to the news, you know that in the past 18 months, two major, evangelical megachurches have been rocked by scandal.  First, Willow Creek Community Church, one of the 10 largest churches in the United States—experienced major upheaval after allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced concerning founder Bill Hybels.  Initially, the women who brought those allegations were discredited by the church. But as evidence against Hybels mounted, senior leaders and elders recanted, and resigned. Yet many say the damage that is done is just too much and they’ve left the church.  Attendance at Willow is down at least 15-percent at Willow’s main campus—and at least 9-percent overall.  Then several months later, another megachurch—Harvest Bible Chapel—was upended when its pastor, James MacDonald, was accused of rampant wrongdoing. This included financial misappropriation, bullying, and shocking vulgar speech that was aired on morning-drive radio here in Chicago.  The results were similar.  All the executive staff resigned. The elders resigned.  And there was a major exodus of people away from the church. Obviously, this has sent shock waves throughout the Chicago area.  There are literally thousands of so-called church refugees—people who feel betrayed and hurt and are in need of healing. At the same time, these people are suspicious of anyone in spiritual