WebIt is with heavy hearts that the Elders of Bent Tree announce that Pete Briscoe has submitted his resignation as Senior Pastor. I think he lost it. Briscoe says that he wants Bent Tree to be a place where people can agree to disagree over this issue. Not sad or contemplative, but agitated and very irritated. At the same time. And not elevated above it. The priests who cross the street, right? And you made the statement that if you have the character to lead, you dont need a manual. Maybe some of your listeners are familiar with that you can go on YouTube and and see what thats all about. So there were more than 10 women that came forward and said that there was sexual misconduct by Bill Hybels. Jill and Stuart came to the States from England. Let the Briscoes help you experience Life in all its fullness! I will let you know as soon as I figure it all out. Pete has offered to And I think Christian leaders need to start stepping up. Okay. Churches sometimes need advocates outside their system. And Im good friends with her husband Scott Dyer as well. I think there was a culture of pride at Willow that basically said, We are the elite of the Christian world. And someone Im extremely glad is serving in church leadership. 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 its like, now someone inside the tribe has said, Something is wrong here and it must be dealt with. And it took someone of Scot McKnights gravitas to be able to shift the discussion at Willow. Because we represent their interests. This is simply a place where I share the message of Gods unadulterated grace through my preaching sermons and bible teaching. 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. Yeah. Bent Tree is a multi site mega church in the Dallas Fort Worth area thats had its own share of crises over the past several years. How do you recommend searching worth while places to donate too? One of those is that you had your senior pastor resign kind of suddenly. WebBriscoe says that he wants Bent Tree to be a place where people can agree to disagree over this issue. Briscoe Pete Briscoe @petebriscoe 12 Dec 2021. It grows on the vanilla orchid, and it only grows in really exotic places like Tahiti, and there are some places in Mexico it grows too, but what is unique about the vanilla orchid is when it blooms, its got to be pollinated within one day. Amen. 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. That way, youll never miss an episode. He currently leads a multi-faceted media ministry called Telling the Truth which he shares with his parents Stuart and Jill Briscoe. And so when these things happen, they cant just stay silent. Guest Bios Show Transcript Many times, those who have experienced spiritual abuse are retraumatized when they try to speak about whats happened. And if you dont have a character to lead, no manual is going to help you. But now my faith in the whole institution is shattered. Like they didnt read a book, figuring out how to do it, but there are warning signs that people need to be aware of. Also, major problems. When the when the mans lying on the side of the road, naked and bleeding, theyre the priests who cross the street. But as you say its Gods grace that despite all that hes used these men to bless many, despite everything. And he came back and said, I cant do this anymore.. I mean, that is just huge. How do we deal with claims of sexual abuse? But we dont have time on this podcast. 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. Its designed to be fought asymmetrically. That was my upbringing. The Journal Sentinel reported: Elmbrook resignations are the latest to rock evangelical Christian churches. For the next 90 minutes, Pete Briscoe enraptured us with his presentation of The Bema.. I think, as believers, we should be standing for truth, we should not look the other way. 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. 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. So I was really struggling with my faith. The woman had come forwarded, but then later recanted her story. I mean, I cant tell you how many stories I heard just like the one that you told the people who said, Well, I was at a conference with Bill Hybels, and he was awful to me. It should be something that he learned from, right? Welcome to the Roys report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. What I saw happen at Willow is, the board as a unit was willing to dissemble in the amount necessary to preserve the organization. If you have six members of the Board of eight, lets just say its eight or 10. Like if you go back and you actually read his books line-on-line, there are some things in there in those books where you go, For a pastor, that should be unacceptable. But he was attenuating his church culture and culture at large to him in his behavior. I learned that from Bill. "For many of you, he was preacher, pastor, mentor or friend. But its an analog. But other than that, you know, there just werent a lot of people in the larger church speaking and there had to have been a lot of church leaders who knew about what was going on and knew that there were problems with Bill Hybels. I wonder, I wonder what effect that might have had on them. I mean, I Timothy 5:20 says that we should publicly expose elders who are sinning so that others may take warning. Now youre a lawyer. And it turns out there were a lot more women who had been affected by Bill Hybels. I think they can do it effectively. That goes to the guarding role that Attorney Mitch shared. Yes, I totally agree. Gifted with wisdom, discernment, and a bit of English humor, the Briscoe's bring God's Word to life. The immense audio, video, and written teaching resources on our website help people who are seeking answers about God to know Christ and experience Life in all its fullness. (See page 54 and following) This is just the way things are in Corinth. Can I talk about Scot McKnight for a second? But heres what happened when Scot criticized them publicly. Likewise. Was there any evidence found that he actually had an affair? What is it that causes so many people who know better, to look the other way and allow evil to prosper? So many people are looking the other way. Petes teaching and emphasis on the sufficiency of Christ leaves an indelible mark on so many of our souls. That nonprofit corporation and its bank accounts, thats not what the biblical church is. And so when I looked at that in the context of James MacDonald going, you know what, thats the type of accountability that man needed and was denied. We are egalitarian and sophisticated, and we are Gods chosen church to show how ministry is supposed to be done. What eventually broke the culture of secrecy and protection? But then its my understanding too, that when these women met with the elders, the level of bullying and abuse that they were subjected to, was such that I know Vonda told me there were elders in tears at the end of this, of how pervasive the abuse was, I dont know how specific you can be but can you give people an idea of, of what actually happened to these women that were abused? But this certainly raises red flags. John and Nancy Ortberg had been at Willow Creek as pastors. He makes sure the good things stay in the church and the bad things go out. Its a serious analog for what happened at Willow. Bill Hybels and Bill Clinton, you know, developed a friendship over the years that at least what Ive discovered in my research, there was an invitation for Clinton to come and speak at the Global Leadership Summit, and a confrontation with the elder board about that because Clinton was on the heels of an adultery scandal. But it was after a period of I dont know the details, and I dont know how much youre at liberty to say them, but its my understanding he went away for a period of time to kind of reflect and assess how he was doing and how he was handling things. I think it took courage. Pete is the son of Jill and Stuart Briscoe. I have been a child of God since I was four and in ministry most of my life. The Journal Sentinel reported: Elmbrook resignations are the latest to rock evangelical Christian churches. WebPete Briscoe, Stuart and Jills youngest son, was a key contributor to the ministrys teaching team from 2003 to 2021. And its designed to be acretive, right that they gain strength over time. Really what it is, Julie, if we want to get down to it and go to spiritual or biblical terms, these are these are works of the flesh when were not led by the Spirit. I think thats dangerous. 1 talking about this. I was the senior pastor of Bent Tree Bible Fellowship for nearly 30 years. Well Mitch, one of the things Ive never discussed is that we used to attend Willow Creek. They had so many churches, thousands of churches coming on board and being a part of those. There were some areas or some some critical times when things could have gone differently, but the elders caved in essence to Bill Hybels. Dear anonymous. The news of Petes resignation landed heavy on my heart. Mike is a dear friend and Im sad this day has come. Pete Briscoe, our pastor at our church came out in support of the Dyers, which was bold, and it was brave. 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. We have an open listing for a lead teaching pastor in a what I believe is a healthy church environment. I think these women would still like to know the answer to that. Now, I coach pastors and business leaders in communications and self-care. 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. Stuart and Jill Briscoe have always had a passion for teaching God's Word and speaking Truth into people's hearts and moving them toward God. Just what I call a deformed leadership culture at the church where certain things became acceptable that shouldnt. 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. You have to have unity among your vocational staff at the church about, you know, key issues like how do we treat other people? The church is nondenominational and has woman pastors and elders. 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. We needed to go to the hills and fight as guerillas, you know, what is guerrilla warfare? These little bitty people, from Willows perspective, who helped win the PR back, its a miracle. Senior pastors dont need advocates. Thank you for joining us in seeing to it that no one misses the grace of God. Its something like Child Protection Policies. Is that correct? Theres another circumstance that I became aware of where The board had a 360 Review done on Hybels and his leadership and some problems they were experiencing with his management style from, you know, bullying, abusive style. One of those women is Vonda Dyer. Continue Reading The Upper Room: John 15 Posted by Nate Murray Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. Today, Telling the Truthis heard anytime and anywhere, thanks to international radio programming, the internet, and our mobile app. Theres a lot of church boards that operate that way. I am with you in this sad place of justified disappointment in the church. Well, since you brought it up, youre gonna youre gonna have to address the Vanilla Bean. I think the load needs to be shared. Because they were required to move by unanimity. To us, he was Stu, Dad and Poppa and we already miss him achingly." Pete Briscoe @petebriscoe 12 Dec 2021. I have plenty of authentic friends just not at church. Later Telling the Truth began airing in several countries in southeast Asia and across 10 countries in southern Africa. I mean, there were some things that you learned specifically, that were done to potentially cover wrongdoing by Bill Hybels. As a lawyer whos represented some of Bill Hybels victims Mitch Little has seen a side of Willow Creek that few others have. 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 youre in the process right now of looking for a senior pastor. So whos supposed to hold whos supposed to hold the leaders accountable in that structure? Again, thanks so much for joining me today. 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. By the way, the best thing that was said in the recording is that if character isnt there, none of the regulations will matter, and if character is there, one doesnt need the regulations. Thats not to say there arent authentic people there. But it just has not really looked like true repentance in so many ways. At one point, the elder board at Willow became what people call a policy governance board. Well, one thing I did want to cover, and our time is getting to an end, but I know that you have dealt with having a sexual predator within your church. And that that was something that taught you an awful lot about how elder board should deal with sexual impropriety or sexual abuse within their own walls. It was like trying to fit a battleship through a set of French doors. Lets say you have you have six or eight members who are saying, Guys, we need to fire this person. 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. In context, I think my meaning becomes clear as I say soon after, agreeing with Mitchs assessment that unanimity is bad: Absolutely horrible. God uses the faithful and generous support of people like you to continue to change lives through the ministry of Telling the Truth. I followed the Harvest situation, which I think is its own it, you know, separate facts. And yet youre still in a megachurch, multi-site church. 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. 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? "For many of you, he was preacher, pastor, mentor or friend. Jill 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. And Ive been a critic of megachurch multi-site model. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Pete grew up in a home with intelligent and committed parents: both That is a very fair question. Im against too many lawyers, and I think Im in a position to critique this. None at all. Hmm. This is a person who is pushing a boundary because they want to do something bad. In the early 2000s, as Stuart and Jill transitioned into minister-at-large roles and spent more time traveling to serve the global church, an additional voice was added in order to bless the supporters ofTelling the Truth. I mean, it was a great time. He currently leads a multi-faceted media ministry called Telling the Truth which he shares with his parents Stuart and Jill Briscoe. Pete is the son of Jill and Stuart Briscoe. 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. 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 was blown away. My personal belief, not speaking on behalf of anyone else, my personal belief is that that structure is designed to fail, because elders cant elder in that structure. The church is literally a collection of people. WebPete Briscoe is a podcaster and evangelical pastor. Character always has to come first in hiring, then competence, and then chemistry. The thief knows how to how to get through that lock, right? So a young person in our high school ministry. Like so many of you, I love Pete. Subscribe Sign up for my daily email devotionals and to stay in touch! Gifted with wisdom, discernment, and a bit of English humor, the Briscoe's bring God's Word to life. And I think there was, but I think that theres a spiritual stronghold around celebrity culture within evangelicalism writ large. So, Mitch, how is it that a lawyer from Texas ended up representing victims of sexual harassment at a mega church in Chicago? And what lessons can we learn from Willow Creeks mistakes? A person whos not walking in the Spirit is susceptible to that type of behavior, even a senior pastor. The Roys Report seeks to foster thoughtful and respectful dialogue. So thanks again. https://www.billionbibles.com/voice-of-the-martyrs.html. But the thing that was so shocking to me, is that Bill Hy Hybels was the first pastor I had ever seen be so vulnerable from the pulpit. Below is a link to a PDF of the article World Magazine did on a sex abuse scandal involving VOM. He now coaches Pete Briscoe | Brookfield WI. Yet, Scripture and to how to teach it became new and deep and exciting every week as I listened to Pete in the short three years I have been at Bent Tree. 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? 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