Id like to share a few things as we navigate this loss together. Pete Briscoe was Senior Pastor of Bent Tree Bible Fellowship in Carrollton, TX for nearly 30 years. "For many of you, he was preacher, pastor, mentor or friend. They have a responsibility to the larger church to speak. 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. And Im good friends with her husband Scott Dyer as well. The church is nondenominational and has woman pastors and elders. It was like trying to fit a battleship through a set of French doors. Jill and Stuart came to the States from England. At one point, the elder board at Willow became what people call a policy governance board. 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? Heres to better days and better church health. What makes you stick with that model and believe it can still be used despite how badly that model has been abused? The thief knows how to how to get through that lock, right? He makes sure the good things stay in the church and the bad things go out. :), I would strongly urge you to research Voice of the Martyrs. Destroyed by a staff person is my understanding. Again, thanks so much for joining me today. Amen. Briscoe says that he wants Bent Tree to be a place where people can agree to disagree over this issue. 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. And so, you know, as a lawyer on the board, youre not absolved from the obligation of complying with the mandates of Scripture. These are people that are in your country club. And thats one of the things that I just come back to is that the word hypocrisy in the Greek the word that comes from that means actor. To us, he was Stu, Dad and Poppa and we already miss him achingly." Funny, whenever I would watch Bill Hybels preach online or speak at the GLS, and he would go into that quavering voice, tears-in-his-eyes, emotional mode, Id stop listening. And yet, they lost the PR battle, which is unbelievable. He currently leads a multi-faceted media ministry called Telling the Truth which he shares with his parents Stuart and Jill Briscoe. Im Julie Roys. And presented them with the information, he essentially tossed it to the side and said, So what?, No consequences. 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. 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 youre in the process right now of looking for a senior pastor. Okay. 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. 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. Its not okay. Yes, I would view it far differently today. And Hybels said, essentially, Yeah, well, well do it that way. And Clinton showed up and then didnt comply with anything that the board had said. It involves a level of compartmentalization that is truly stunning. I would love to see Chicago experience revival. But youre right. 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. 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. And so I thought it was so funny that James MacDonald had his house in the name of an entity called Vanilla Bean LLC. Subscribe Sign up for my daily email devotionals and to stay in touch! That is not a matter of policy. I just, Im amazed that they were in such geographic proximity to one another dealing with almost the exact same problem. But I have to say that in the middle of dealing with a lot of tall weeds and bugs, God has also given me some flowers and fruit trees to enjoy. And I think there was, but I think that theres a spiritual stronghold around celebrity culture within evangelicalism writ large. And my understanding was the elder board set some boundaries for Clinton to be able to come and speak. 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. They had so many churches, thousands of churches coming on board and being a part of those. Nobody has said they had intercourse with Bill. In our church, we have a no tolerance policy. How are you? Yeah, without using any names. Yeah, right. Also I want to let you know that Judson University is planning to resume in person classes this fall for traditional transfer and adult students and its still not too late to apply. 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? Through Petes teaching on Sundays and through various conversations with other staff members during the week, God shifted my perspective on what it means to live life in Christ one from my own efforts to please God to one of Christs efforts on my behalf to love me deeply, extravagantly, and permanently. The news of Petes resignation landed heavy on my heart. And if youd like to find me online, just go to JulieRoys.com. I think its Pat Baranowskis story that ran in the New York Times that actually caused that. The church said in essence, Tsk, tsk. 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. I appreciate you so much and look forward to visiting with you again soon. And I do think theres a spiritual stronghold, I hope and pray that it will be broken in our area. People can do the job of preaching and leading a church for, you know, 40 plus weeks in the pulpit at a church of this size. So grateful for those who did and Scot McKnight who came out with a just a powerful, I remember when his blog hit and he said, Every elder has to resign. And within what, wasnt it a week, all of them resigned. How do you recommend searching worth while places to donate too? Below is a link to a PDF of the article World Magazine did on a sex abuse scandal involving VOM. For the next 90 minutes, Pete Briscoe enraptured us with his presentation of The Bema.. 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. All the times something didnt seem right. God uses the faithful and generous support of people like you to continue to change lives through the ministry of Telling the Truth. If you have six members of the Board of eight, lets just say its eight or 10. He has been married to Jill for more than 59 years and has three children and 13 grandchildren. The thing that is so terrifying is that someone who has been a senior pastor in an organization like that is not beyond it. Petes leadership at Bent Tree casts a long shadow with a legacy that will endure. The vanilla bean is incredibly hard to harvest. Lawyer for Bill Hybels Victims Shares Inside Story. That nonprofit corporation and its bank accounts, thats not what the biblical church is. You formed a nonprofit corporation. They have to be theyre incredibly convincing. And I think Christian leaders need to start stepping up. The woman had come forwarded, but then later recanted her story. WebPete Briscoe is a podcaster and evangelical pastor. For the next 90 minutes, Pete Briscoe enraptured us with his presentation of The Bema. I was blown away. Yes, in the course of representing these women, it became obvious that this was not what Ill call an echelon or tier leadership problem, just at Bill Hybels level. And I have other thoughts about that and how that all worked out. And I saw this at Harvest Bible chapel when I was doing reporting there. 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. To us, he was Stu, Dad and Poppa and we already miss him achingly." (etc. Your browser does not support JavaScript. So I want you to think about this while you know Bill Hybels is being accused of doing awful things by a dozen women. And I feel that way with these pastors. 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. I mean, it was a great time. etc. Hes also the chairman of the elder board at a multisite megachurch in Dallas, Texas. Pete Briscoe @petebriscoe 12 Dec 2021. 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 think it took courage. Youve youve created a fiction when you organize church, what is a church organization but a legal fiction, right? Senior pastors dont need advocates. Gifted with wisdom, discernment, and a bit of English humor, the Briscoe's bring God's Word to life. Why did so many look the other way for so long? I came out of Wheaton College, as I know a lot of kids do when youre in a Christian environment and maybe see some disillusioning things and I just, it was really a hard spiritual time for me. So many people are looking the other way. I was the senior pastor of Bent Tree Bible Fellowship for nearly 30 years. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. However, there should be a bubble level of character in Christ that we return to. And I can only imagine what the economic forces are behind the scenes for that, but it really disappoints me, that that hasnt happened. You know, when you have somebody like Bryan Loritts, who when hes talking about why when he was at a former church, he didnt disclose to the church that they had a sexual predator among them for six months. God showed him through that sermon how his trip was actually isolating and began a process of transformation. The Journal Sentinel reported: Elmbrook resignations are the latest to rock evangelical Christian churches. 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. Pete reminds us that our goal is not to win arguments, but to win people. WebHi friend, I'm Pete Briscoe. I just want to say this was not someone who acted on any behavior at our church, but had someone who was in the process of grooming someone else. I was just trying to build a relationship, or whatever you just go, But I see you for what you are and youre gonna have to go.. And Willow lost the battle of PR on social media. We have an open listing for a lead teaching pastor in a what I believe is a healthy church environment. 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). 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. and I found these people in those imperfect churches! But you had said you had gotten this manual and it was about, you know, basically how to be an elder and how to lead. Mike is a dear friend and Im sad this day has come. And wasnt there something with Bill Clinton coming to the church and speaking? The cover up of his behavior manifested at the elder board level. Guest Bios Show Transcript Many times, those who have experienced spiritual abuse are retraumatized when they try to speak about whats happened. And so when you see behaviors that look like grooming, you know, John Calvin, Im not a Calvinist. But essentially, it was the board being asked to deal with matters of policy and then all matters of implementation really get left to the vocational staff in the church. Pete reminds us that our goal is not to win arguments, but to win people. 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. Multiple services, being able to do it on cue, proves Hybels theatrical abilitiesI look back and feel sick, given all the details we now know from behind the scenes. I thought that emails could always be recovered, even after being erased, by a good IT person. I think the larger the platform, the more rigorous the accountability needs to be. The Elder Board has accepted Petes decision, and his resignation is effective March 31, 2019. Scott Dyer was the worship pastor at Bent Tree Bible fellowship. I will always have my faith in Jesus but church especially WCCC has been a huge disappointment. Its one of the beauties and the deformities of social media is social media is agile. Fifteen years later, I joined staff at Bent Tree. Literally thousands of people have come to know Jesus under Bill Hybels teaching and yet, he was morally bankrupt at the same time. Briscoe stepped down as senior pastor at the end of 2000 but remained involved in the church and active in overseas missions. I think youre absolutely right about that. It is a collection of people. Amen. Briscoe says that he wants Bent Tree to be a place where people can agree to disagree over this issue. Im so glad that theyre godly men like you serving. And unless theyre pollinated by hand, on the one day that the bloom opens, they wont make anything. And you made the statement that if you have the character to lead, you dont need a manual. 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. 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? 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. But I guess this is the question so many are asking is, Can anybody be in those kind of jobs with the kind of responsibility that is put on one human, one person to lead thousands of people? And so many looking to him for vision for leadership for everything. When you say the IT department, its my understanding you came into some information about emails getting destroyed. To us, he was Stu, Dad and Poppa and we already miss him achingly." What is it was Chicago? 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. Its biblical. Its designed to be fought asymmetrically. I dont know. What I saw happen at Willow is, the board as a unit was willing to dissemble in the amount necessary to preserve the organization. So, Mitch, how is it that a lawyer from Texas ended up representing victims of sexual harassment at a mega church in Chicago? So, while I have strong feelings about this, as you can imagine being a lawyer, but at all points, legal advice has to be subservient to Scripture. This is a person who is pushing a boundary because they want to do something bad. Absolutely horrible. When you have a woman who says I was molested by a staff member, or you have a staff member who says, Bill Hybels just threw a punch at me, or dog cuts me up and down the hallway, those arent matters of policy, Julie. So I was really struggling with my faith. 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. It grows over time. In fact, back in the late 80s, early 90s, we went to Willow Creek and we had a wonderful experience. And it turns out there were a lot more women who had been affected by Bill Hybels. I cant vouch for all the information because I havent researched it myself. What I do, you know, and what Ministry Watch is doing and what all these independent bloggers are doing, that its bringing accountability. 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? So you caught them before that anything actually happened? These are people that may be in the cubicle next to you at work, who have an acuity for blending in to normal life. Im doing well but probably not as well as you because youre on vacation in Florida. As I look back on my own four years on staff, Im thankful for the teaching and leadership that Pete Briscoe has brought to Bent Tree, and I know that so many of us have been impacted by his attention to the Lord and quick obedience to however God leads him. When you think about the economic reach of an organization that was that size within evangelicalism, my goodness, even Christianity Today was scared to run articles about it. I appreciate your taking time again away from your vacation to spend time with us. And if you think its not, you know, go and look in your church building right now, if youre quarantined under COVID, or youre not gathering. I know for a fact that his article was circulated among the staff at Willow, and they crossed the Rubicon of credulity. 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 want to share that God used Petes sermon on not being isolated (Ecclesiastes) in our sons life. Dear anonymous. Happened so often, I quit altogether. Can you imagine what that does for book sales to be on stage at the Global Leadership Summit among people all over the world and touted as an expert in something? So you can go to Amazon and enter in Boz Tchividjian and his book will pop up but you need to know what youre looking for because people who are sexual predators, they have an acuity for blending into society in ways that they dont stand out like this is not like, you know, the sexual predator in your church is not some, you know, grease ball sitting outside your kids ministry just kind of looking for a way to get at, like, thats our common image of what a sexual predator is. A man who "dedicated his life to sharing Gods Word with the world" has died at the age of 91. Board members selected in such a way are unlikely to honor their fiduciary duty ahead of their desire to please the board chairman or senior pastor. So I was quite taken aback when this scandal came out. Thats a rhetorical question. I dont know. Im against too many lawyers, and I think Im in a position to critique this. And Willow just, they got killed because they wouldnt respond and say the truth. I was the senior pastor of Bent Tree Bible Fellowship for nearly 30 years. WebPete Briscoe answers that question by pointing us to Paul as the perfect example of one who speaks with tender boldness. I think ultimately, we are still kind of under the inertia of a culture that was fomented by Pete Briscoe, which was a culture of goodness, a culture of grace and its still carrying forward under that momentum. This is simply a place where I share the message of Gods unadulterated grace through my preaching sermons and bible teaching. Hes one of the good guys. And this is a huge problem in the Evangelical Church in the southern baptist church, I mean, just absolutely massive problem where so often the predators covered up instead of brought to justice. Why didnt others support them? Mitch is an attorney, a church elder and an advocate for abuse victims. 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. Interestingly enough, during the interview, he seemed extremely angry and resentful. With that purpose in mind, they launched theTelling the Truth ministry. Let the Briscoes help you experience Life in all its fullness! And today Im excited to be speaking with Mitch Little. Lawyers are, by definition, advocates, right? I was a member of WCCC for many years. Id like to share a few things as we navigate this loss together. And this is one of the I think exciting things. Great question. Im so grateful now for that heritage. And you have to, there must be assiduous accountability going on in the life of someone who has the big radio show has the big platform, his platform at conferences and large organizations, because the temptations are greater. Talk to me about how you saw this playing out at Willow Creek. To me, Bill did not come across as a predator, flirty or suggestive with women. You know, people like Dee Parsons, Julie Anne Smith, Julia Dahl, and people who I knew would not stop talking about it and would not stop talking about it for months. Serving in the role of elder is a huge responsibility. So Scot, its like the scene in The Avengers when Iron Man just kind of drops out of the sky. For the next 90 minutes, Pete Briscoe enraptured us with his presentation of The Bema.. Like so many of you, I love Pete. I have been a child of God since I was four and in ministry most of my life. 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. ) in our area, back in the Avengers when Iron man just kind of out! 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