After serving as senior pastor at Willow Creek Community Church in suburban Chicago for five years, Dave Dummitt announced to the congregation on Sunday that he is stepping down to pursue other dreams.
Willow Creek Elder Board Chair Harold Engelmann confirmed that Shawn Williams, the current pastor of the South Barrington campus and executive pastor of weekends, will replace Dummitt as the church's new senior pastor starting in April.
In his address on Sunday, Dummitt clarified that this leadership transition is a healthy one. “There is no moral failure. There's no scandal. No one has forced me to step down, so sorry bloggers. There's no dirt to dig up,” he stated. “This is just a beautiful healthy handoff, smooth momentum building.”
He reflected on his privilege of serving the church over the last five years, noting, “The board that hired me five years ago and I, in the very beginning, talked about what would need to be done. We were entering into a season at the church that was very challenging, to say the least.”
Dummitt shared that he and the elders discussed their goals to “bring beauty back to our church,” aiming to reach lost individuals, raise up leaders, and cultivate fully devoted followers of Jesus.
Dummitt, who hired and mentored Williams, praised him as “a man of great character,” “a proven leader around here,” and “a phenomenal communicator.”
Dummitt plans to remain at the church until July to assist with the transition but expects to take a break from ministry after passing the leadership to Williams.
He expressed, “I've been doing this job, senior ministry, for over 20 years, and I'm ready for a break, and I've got some other sandboxes that I'm looking forward to playing in and dreams that I want to pursue.”
Dummitt mentioned that he and his family have businesses in Chicago, saying, “I've got a friend who does consulting with churches and executive leaders, as well as some development work, and I'm going to join him in that.”
Dummitt was appointed senior pastor in April 2020, two years after the resignation of the church’s high-profile founder, Bill Hybels, amid sexual misconduct allegations.
