Heather Larson, who has served as executive pastor of the suburban megachurch for five years, will step into the role of lead pastor over all Willow Creek locations, including its main campus in South Barrington and its seven satellite campuses in the city and suburbs. As executive pastor, Larson already oversees the church’s $77 million budget and 350 employees.
Teaching pastor Steve Carter will step into the pulpit that Hybels has dominated for most of his 42 years at the helm. Hybels will continue coaching Larson and Carter until October 2018, when he assumes the title of Willow Creek’s founding pastor.
“We’re not trying to make a statement, and we’re not trying to please everybody,” Hybels said in an interview. “Steve is the most gifted teacher I’ve ever come across and he was in our church, and she’s the most gifted leader. This was only about putting people in the positions who earned it and have been tested by our congregation and affirmed by our elders.”
Halee Gray Scott, a leadership professor at Denver Seminary who studies women in evangelical leadership, hailed the succession plan as historic.
“With the large platform they have, the fact that they’re doing this will impact the way people think about church leadership,” she said. “I’m so excited about what Willow has done here. It’s a significant step forward showcasing the fact that the Bible says women do have the giftedness to teach, and preach and lead the people of God.”
Hybels, 65, introduced both Larson and Carter as his successors, a new dual leadership model that is not unprecedented in evangelical circles and is becoming increasingly common. But Larson will be the staff leader who reports to elders and oversees the execution of the church’s vision. Scott acknowledged the partnership could be a way to help some in the congregation accept a woman in charge.
Larson, 42, a pastor’s daughter and mother of two, came to Chicago in 1998 to work in disaster relief for the American Red Cross. She joined Willow Creek as a member and joined the staff in 1998.
In 2005, she launched Willow Creek’s global ministries in Africa. She also launched Celebration of Hope, an annual church initiative that mobilizes more than 20,000 volunteers to help Willow’s partner churches fight poverty in 13 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
Larson also spearheaded the development of the church’s care center, which opened in 2013 to provide food, children’s clothing, car repairs and medical care to families in need.
Source: .Chicago Tribune
