Gilbert Bilezikian

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Gilbert Bilezikian (born June 26, 1927 in Paris ) is a French-American Baptist pastor and author. He was a professor of theology at Wheaton College near Chicago and a teacher and mentor to Bill Hybels . Bilezikian is a co-founder of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington near Chicago, Illinois .

Life

Wheaton College: Bilezikian was a professor here from 1973 to 1992

Gilbert Bilezikian grew up as a child of Armenian refugees in Paris. His maternal grandfather was Pastor Garabed Kupelian, who was murdered near Adana in 1909 . His mother died when he was little. His father enrolled him in Sunday school of the small Protestant Chapelle Milton -Gemeinde in the 11th arrondissement on. She was directed by a certain Madame Talent. During the Second World War he received food and support there, but also a relationship with the Christian faith.

Bilezikian was drafted into the French army after the Second World War, where he served as a medic in North Africa during the Algerian War of Liberation (1954–1962).

In 1947 he traveled to the United States for the first time. Bilezikian graduated from Paris University with a Bachelor of Arts . He received his master's degree in theology from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton north of Boston , Massachusetts . He then received his doctorate in theology from Boston University . From 1961 to 1966 he was pastor of Loudonville Community Church in Albany, New York. From 1966 to 1973 he taught at the European Bible Institute in Paris and worked as a youth pastor at the American Church in Paris. Bilezikian also attended Oscar Cullmann's lectures at the Sorbonne . He interrupted this activity in 1968 to take over the presidency of Haigazian University in Beirut for three years and to modernize the university.

Bilezikan worked at the Institute for Advanced Christian Studies in 1972 . From 1973 to 1992 he was a professor at Wheaton College near Chicago. In between he taught for two years at Trinity College in Deerfield (Illinois). He was supported by his students Dr. B. called; one of his students at that college in 1975 was Bill Hybels.

Bilezikian was an excellent Bible teacher, particularly about the New Testament and the early Christian church as described in the Acts of the Apostles . He is an expert in community building, and he retired in 1992. He also preached in many of the Armenian Evangelical Churches in the United States, Canada, Australia, Lebanon, Armenia, Belgium, and France. For three semesters he taught at the theological seminary of this church in Yerevan, Armenia . Since 1974 he has been a preacher in this church in Chicago on Palm Sunday.

Private

Gilbert Bilezikian is married to Maria. The couple have four grown children and two grandchildren. You live in Wheaton near Chicago.

Allegations of abuse

On January 25, 2020, Ann Lindberg, a long-time senior executive at Willow Creek Community Church, publicly announced that Bilezikian had abused his position as a teacher and advisor towards her from 1984 to 1988 and sexually harassed and harassed her. This abuse had become known to the leadership of the church, his honorary church activities were restricted, but not completely stopped.

Awards

  • In 1981 and 1992 he was honored with the title of Senior Teacher at Wheaton College .
  • His French translation Solitaires ou solidaires la dimension communautaire de l'Église ( Community 101 , German: Gemeinschaft 101 ) won the 2001 Prix Littéraire Evangélique
  • His book Sex Roles (German: Gender roles ) received an award from Eternity magazine

Works

His English books were published by Zondervan in Grand Rapids , they were mostly translated into several languages:

  • Beyond sex roles. What the Bible Says about a Woman's Place in Church and Family. Interweave, St. Martin's Press 2006
    • Homme-femme, vers une autre relation. (French translation)
  • Christianity 101: Your guide to eight basic christian beliefs. Zondervan, Grand Rapids 1996
  • Community 101: Reclaiming the Church as community of oneness. Zondervan, Grand Rapids 1997
    • De kerk as a community. (Dutch translation)
    • El lugar de la mujer en la Iglesia y la familia: lo que la Biblia dice (Spanish translation)
    • Community: God's vision for the church. Willow Creek Edition, 2000, ISBN 978-3-894903046 (New edition by Gerth-Medien 2005. ISBN 978-3-865910646 )
    • Solitaires ou solidaires la dimension communautaire de l'Église (French translation)
  • Elémentaire, mon cher Théo!
  • The liberated Gospel: a comparison of the Gospel of Mark and Greek tragedy

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The Man behind the Megachurch
  2. ↑ Willow Creek Magazine 4/2014, pages 31-33
  3. ↑ Antje Gerner and Gotthard Westhoff: Formative people in the life of Bill Hybels: Harold Hybels and Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian Willowcreek Germany 2017
  4. ↑ Louisa Janbazian: Gilbert Bilezikian, Th.D , Armenian Missionary Association of America website
  5. ↑ Sexual abuse allegations against co-founders of Willow Creek. The co-founder of Willow Creek Community Church in America and mentor to Pastor Bill Hybels, Gilbert Bilezikian, is accused of sexually harassing a long-time employee in the 1980s. The community admitted errors on Tuesday, website pro-medienmagazin.de, January 30, 2020
  6. ↑ Emily McFarlan Miller: Willow Creek Confirms Abuse Allegations Against Gilbert Bilezikian. “Dr. B, ”an egalitarian leader and mentor to Bill Hybels, continued teaching at church for years after elders learned of his misconduct , Religion News Service, Website CT, Nov. January 2020
  7. ↑ Julie Roys: Longtime Willow Creek Member Accuses Bill Hybel's Mentor, Dr. Gilbert Bilezikian, of Clergy Sexual Abuse , Julie Roys website, January 25, 2020
personal data
SURNAME Bilezikian, Gilbert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Bilezikian, Gil (nickname); Dr. B.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French-American Baptist pastor, professor and author
DATE OF BIRTH June 26, 1927
PLACE OF BIRTH Paris , France