Willow Creek’s Board of Elders
Willow Creek is led by a board of Elders—a team of women and men with diverse cultural backgrounds and career experiences, who are in various of stages of life. Some are retired, while others have young kids at home, or are raising teens. But all have this in common: a seasoned maturity in their Christian faith, and a solid commitment to the spiritual guidance of Willow Creek Community Church.
Each January, Willow’s Elder nomination committee begins its annual search for two or three new Elders, as current Elders who are completing their four-year terms prepare to step down. The committee accepts nominations through February 10 of this year.
What do Elders do?
Once a month, Willow’s volunteer Elders set aside an evening to engage with current issues affecting the church and to focus on Willow’s future. An Elder’s job is to ask, “Where do we see God leading our church in the future, 10 years down the road?” Willow’s Elders create end goals, and the senior pastor (Bill Hybels) is charged with mobilizing staff and ministries to meet those goals.
Each Elder serves on one or more of eight committees: Agenda, Audit, Biblical Integrity, Board Development, ENDS (developing the end goals for Willow’s future), Elder Selection, Succession Planning, and Senior Pastor Evaluation and Compensation. Specific duties also include providing spiritual oversight for Willow, shepherding the congregation, and praying for those who are ill.
For an inside look at the nomination process, and what it’s like to be an Elder, read the interview below with three of Willow’s current Elders: Lisa Bohn, Doreen Howard, and Verlyn Suderman.
Willow Creek (WC): Describe your sense of calling to the role of being a Willow Creek Elder.
Verlyn Suderman: When I was nominated, I felt there were probably 1,000 other Willow members at least as qualified as me. There was definitely a part of me that didn’t feel worthy of even being considered, and I really wondered if I would sense a true calling from God. But I took a step of faith and, during the process I actually became convinced that my gifts were well-suited to this role. The nominating committee affirmed the calling I increasingly sensed. Today, I believe God is using me in this role, and I’m trying every day to bring my best in serving this great church and our great God.
Lisa Bohn: When I was nominated, I remember thinking, “I’m not the Elder type.” But as I understood more about the role of Elder, God really did provide the sense of calling I needed to step into this role. The call is sensed not just by the Elder candidates themselves, but by the nominating committee, too. Time and again, as a member of this committee, I’ve seen God make blazingly clear who He is calling to become a Willow Creek Elder.
WC: What are some of the highs and lows of serving as an Elder at a church like Willow?
Verlyn: Being an Elder is generally a lot more fun than most people would imagine. We have a feeling that we are serving during one of the most vibrant and vital eras this church has ever experienced. Bill talks a lot with us about playing offense rather than defense—putting our efforts and plans toward the future—and that’s music to my ears. While there is a sense of soberness that comes with stewarding the influence, resources, and everything else God has blessed Willow with, we trust the Holy Spirit to do miraculous things through our church and we try not to become overly cautious or inwardly focused.
We do deal with weighty issues and heart-breaking situations at times, but even in those times I’ve been amazed at the level of compassion and competence demonstrated by the other Elders, Willow’s incredible staff, and our gracious church community. No matter how challenging or tragic a circumstance might be, we see God’s redemption going on in the midst of it.
WC: What time commitment is necessary to fulfill the role of Elder?
Lisa: Being an Elder takes a respectable investment of time beyond the monthly Elder Board meetings. The decisions we make require plenty of prayer, research, and study ahead of time. In addition, each of us serves on at least one committee, which is another investment of time.
Doreen Howard: It’s important that Elders can be flexible to attend meetings on very short notice, in addition to our regularly scheduled meetings. The stakes are high, so we all just want to be available.
WC: How has being an Elder changed you?
Verlyn: Being an Elder hasn’t suddenly made me a better husband/father/friend or produced noteworthy progress in the areas with which I struggle. But as an Elder, I get to see up-close how this church trusts in God and maximizes its impact in advancing His purposes, and this has powerfully confirmed my belief that the church can be an incredibly effective instrument of hope and transformation—in individual lives, communities, and institutions. There really is nothing else in the world like the local church when it’s working right. Also, serving with such devoted Elders and senior staff has challenged me in some really good ways.
Doreen: This is my first year as an Elder and already I am building a list of sacred moments I will remember forever: helping with the outdoor Baptism in June, then a week later, praying backstage with our Special Friends actors before they took the stage for their Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. production; and I got to witness our Elevate junior high kids take Communion for the very first time at their Breakaway retreat. I wish the whole church could have experienced the seriousness and devotion of our junior high students worshipping and taking Communion. As an Elder, I’m able to see dimensions of Willow I normally would not see. It doesn’t get any better than this!
WC: Why should someone consider becoming an Elder candidate?
Lisa: Like any serving role in the body of Christ, if God has gifted you in certain areas, it’s highly rewarding to use those gifts for His purposes. For the role of Elder, we’re looking for women and men with spiritual gifts such as wisdom, discernment, and leadership. If He is calling you, saying yes to that calling brings a deep sense of purpose and peace.
Doreen: If you receive a nudge from a fellow member at Willow to pursue being an Elder candidate, please take that step of faith. If it is truly God who is tapping you on the shoulder, He will provide the courage and energy for you to go through the process. He may also put people in your path who will affirm you along your journey. Our goal is to use our maximum potential for the kingdom, so if you feel like this is something you want to consider, go ahead and apply. Willow needs you!
The Five Cs of being a Willow Elder
Tara VanderSande, a human resources specialist on staff at Willow Creek, oversees the Elder nomination committee. “We look for men and women who fit the biblical qualifications of an Elder as found in four key passages of the New Testament (Titus 1:9, Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:1–4, and 1 Timothy 3:2–7),” says Tara. “In short, we look for the Five Cs:
- Character—high character in all areas of their lives
- Competency—a history of competence in past and current leadership roles
- Chemistry—a personal chemistry that works well on a team and in Willow’s high-challenge culture of excellence
- Courage—the inner fortitude to make challenging decisions that impact our entire church
- Calling—a strong sense of being called by God to serve in the Elder role, a calling that is affirmed by the nominating committee and Elder board.
Nominate an Elder candidate
“If you know a Willow member who fits the qualifications of an Elder, please talk with the individual to get their consent, and then complete a nomination form,” Tara says. “We rely on our fantastic members to nominate other fantastic members to help us discern who God is calling to lead our church into the future.” Nominate an Elder candidate >>
