Timeline: Bill Hybels and Willow Creek Church
Oct. 12, 1975: Bill Hybels and friends hold their first service in the rented Willow Creek Theatre in Palatine, from which it derived its name.
1977: Willow Creek purchases 155 acres in South Barrington.
1980: Construction begins on new Willow Creek there.
1981: Congregation meets in South Barrington for first time.
1992: Hybels establishes Willow Creek Association to help train and develop pastors and faith leaders.
1995: Hybels convenes first Global Leadership Summit.
1998: Trip to Sweden during which Hybels has been accused of misconduct.
1999: Trip to Spain during which Hybels has been accused by a one-time teaching pastor of misconduct.
2014: A woman jumps naked into the water near Hybels' boat; Hybels said last month he was furious about it and that she apologized for it.
April 2014: Elder board first learns of an allegation against Hybels involving a woman. Internal investigations begin. Over the next four years, the church also hires a law firm and an IT forensics firm to help investigate. No evidence of wrongdoing was found, it said, and the case was closed.
2015: Three former board members of the Willow Creek Association resign after they deemed the church elders' investigation to be inadequate.
October 2017: Hybels announces he will retire in October 2018.
March 22, 2018: The Chicago Tribune reports details of five women's allegations against Hybels of misconduct.
March 23: Hybels, in a gathering at Willow Creek and in a statement, denies the allegations and accuses former church leaders of fabricating claims to tarnish his reputation. Other church leaders back his story, detail their investigation.
April 10: Hybels announces he is ending all his Willow Creek roles immediately.