American megachurch Willow Creek has apologised for the way it responded to allegations of misconduct against former pastor Bill Hybels, admitting 'some of Bill's choices were inappropriate'.

The elders of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago, which Hybels founded in 1975, initially conducted an internal investigation clearing him of all charges. However after a backlash where a number of senior leaders, including former pastor John Ortberg and his wife Nancy, said the investigation was inadequate, the elders have said 'we owe these women some apologies'.

Hybels resigned from Willow Creek last month. He denied all the allegations against him but told the congregation on Tuesday, April 10: 'I realise now that in certain settings and circumstances in the past I communicated things that were perceived in ways I did not intend, at times making people feel uncomfortable. I was blind to this dynamic for far too long. For that I'm very sorry.' 

In a statement updating on the new investigation on Wednesday the elders said: 'The tone of our first response had too much emphasis on defending Bill and cast some of the women in an unfair and negative light. We are sorry. Initially, it was stated that the stories were all lies and the individuals involved were colluding against Bill. We apologize for those sweeping statements. We do not believe the stories were all lies or that all the people were colluding against him. It takes courage for a woman to step forward and share her story, and we are doing everything we can to listen respectfully.

'Based on the conversations we have had to date, we believe at least some of Bill's choices were inappropriate. We are grieved that this situation is difficult for so many people. On behalf of the Elders, both past and present, we now see that while we have many policies in place, they did not prevent the situation we are now in. We regret that, and we are looking into what additional safeguards could be implemented in the future.'

The elders promised to give regular updates on their progress but said there were a number of 'online stories that reflect our processes inaccurately' in terms of the response being made. It said they did not think 'going back and forth in a public way' was right.

'We will continue to humbly extend apologies and accept ownership where appropriate, both privately and publicly. We will continue to take steps toward understanding and toward restoring relationships. We will also continue to walk alongside Bill pastorally, and we will work closely with the WCA board to take appropriate next steps with him,' the statement said.

'We know we need outside expertise to help, and we have already consulted with several outside experts who are guiding us with next steps. We are working on reviewing our policies and guidelines as well. Specifically, we are looking at ways we can improve our guidelines for how men and women work together, our email retention policy, and our policy on how someone can raise a concern about senior leaders.'

In an emotional ending the chair of the elder board, Pam Orr, who will leave at the end of this month, said: 'I will leave the seat with a heart that is broken over the grief this season has brought to so many.'

It comes after Ortberg, who was Hybels' colleague for nine years at Willow Creek, said his accusers 'must not be silenced'.

Ortberg says he was approached four years ago with information and informed the elders of Willow Creek. He says the process they instituted was 'poorly designed and likely to expose any woman who came forward to grave risks'. The weaknesses in the investigation meant that 'they failed to discover and thoroughly investigate important information. I and others were left with the painful decision to not participate in a process I believed lacked genuine independence and credibility.' 

Ortberg criticised the church for presenting only the senior pastor's and elders' positions, saying: 'In a family, all voices should be heard, and every story should be told. This should happen in a setting where there is a balance of power and independent judgment can be made about their accounts.'