The Great Willow Creek Ruckus...

There's a great ruckus brewing on the internet about Willow Creek Church.

In this blog post on the Christianity Today blog "Out of Ur," Willow Creek's pastor, Bill Hybels, is quoted as admitting that their strategy of growing large programs has not succeeded as well in growing healthy, committed Christians as they had hoped. The comments were made in the context of a large-scale, longitudinal review of Willow and several other churches, now available as a publication under the title "Reveal."

It's a striking bit of candor--and faithful humility. Every church should have the courage to look at its program with a critical eye and be willing to make changes in view of their understanding of what it means to be a provisional manifestation of the kingdom of God....

Of course, I find the ensuing blog discussion even MORE fascinating than the study outcome. Playa' hatin', church-style (the ugliest kind).

The problem that I used to observe in the nonprofit world--hating on the nonprofits that got the big grants--is true in the church world times ten. Church folk hate it when other church folk are more "successful" than they are. I'm as guilty as the next guy. I'll pick on the Osteens and Jakes of the world--some of it is theological differences or different visions for what ministry in the name of Jesus Christ means in 21st century America... but some of it is out and out jealousy.

Truth is, running a church is hard. It's hard. It's hard if there are 10 people in the pews or 10,000. And it's increasingly hard in a religious marketplace like this one, in which people have access to an incredible quantity and diversity of information a click away. Keeping a restless, information-savvy body of people together is hard.

I give Willow Creek lots of credit for not simply sticking to what has worked numerically, but for seeking the higher path of disciple-making and kingdom-building.

After you've read the first blog and a few of the comments, just to get a flavor for the meelee, check out Willow's executive pastor, Greg Hawkins, as he responds here.

Diana Butler Bass, who is one of the most brilliant commentators and observers of American church life that I've ever heard speak, wrote a few words that are posted here.