CultNEWS101 Articles: 5/23/2023 (Event, Quiet Time program, Transcendental Meditation, Legal, Hillsong)

Event, Quiet Time program, Transcendental Meditation, Legal, Hillsong

Family Survival Trust: Annual Public Event with guest speaker Gillie Jenkinson

"At this event, Gillie will give a brief overview of her experience of joining, life in, leaving and recovering from a British coercively controlling cult – 'The Community'. She will explain some of her journey to becoming a psychotherapist and trainer specialising in supporting others who have left similar groups and/or relationships. She will then introduce you to her ideas about the recovery journey by introducing her Workbook, newly published by Routledge: 'Walking Free from the Trauma of Coercive, Cultic and Spiritual Abuse: A Workbook for Recovery and Growth'. There will be time for Q&A."

Date: 30th May
Location: Online, Zoom
Doors open: 6.30pm
Event begins: 7pm

Reason: Establishment Clause Related to School's Transcendental Meditation Program

" ... Court … [concludes that] there is a dispute of material fact and a reasonable jury could—but is not guaranteed to—find that Quiet Time violated the 1st Amendment."

" ... Williams testified that he experienced mental health challenges and suicidal thoughts prior to participating in the Quiet Time program, but that Transcendental Meditation made his struggles worse. When asked to explain how his condition worsened, Williams stated that "not many know about it, but like I killed a couple animals, I was getting in trouble for starting fires in people's garages, trash every in the alley on fire[.]" He then appeared to clarify that he was referring to animals he had harmed before he learned Transcendental Meditation, but viewing this testimony in Williams's favor as the non-movant, the Court concludes that Williams has described his emotional distress injury in "reasonable detail." Furthermore, if a jury concludes that Transcendental Meditation was a religious practice and that Williams was coerced into learning it, that jury could also reasonably conclude that the experience would be "inherently degrading or humiliating" and accept Williams's more conclusory statements as proof of his emotional distress injury..."

NY Times: How a Hip Megachurch Became Entangled in Scandal

"The global megachurch Hillsong was known for its hipster trappings, celebrity congregants and wildly popular worship music in the 2010s, but in recent years it has been more closely tied to a series of scandals, including the firing of its charismatic celebrity pastor, Carl Lentz, for "moral failures."

A four-part documentary series, "The Secrets of Hillsong," premieres on FX on Friday and delves into the turmoil. The series, which is based on a 2021 article in Vanity Fair magazine, features the first interview with Mr. Lentz since he was fired in 2020."

 

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How a Hip Megachurch Became Entangled in Scandal

A new documentary series explores the history of Hillsong, known for its celebrity congregants and fashionable trappings before being struck by a series of scandals.


Amanda Holpuch
New York Times
May 19, 2023

The global megachurch Hillsong was known for its hipster trappings, celebrity congregants and wildly popular worship music in the 2010s, but in recent years it has been more closely tied to a series of scandals, including the firing of its charismatic celebrity pastor, Carl Lentz, for “moral failures.”

A four-part documentary series, “The Secrets of Hillsong,” premieres on FX on Friday and delves into the turmoil. The series, which is based on a 2021 article in Vanity Fair magazine, features the first interview with Mr. Lentz since he was fired in 2020.

Here’s how the trouble unfolded.

Why was Hillsong so popular?

Brian Houston and his wife, Bobbie, founded Hillsong in Australia in 1983 and opened its first United States branch in New York in 2010. The church was a member of the Australian branch of the Pentecostal denomination, the Assemblies of God, before it formed its own denomination in 2018.

Hillsong’s expansion into the United States built on its enormous success in presenting worship music. Its services drew in young people in big cities, where services were held in concert venues, such as Irving Plaza and the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. The congregants were fashionable and included celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Kevin Durant and Vanessa Hudgens.

Mr. Lentz, the lead pastor of Hillsong’s New York branch, also became a celebrity.

This hip veneer suggested that Hillsong supported a more progressive form of Evangelicalism, but the church was criticized for its position on L.G.B.T.Q. rights. In an August 2015 blog post, the church’s founder, Mr. Houston, said that gay people were welcome at Hillsong, but that it did “not affirm a gay lifestyle.”

Carl Lentz: “hypepriest”

Mr. Lentz mingled with celebrities including Mr. Bieber, whom he baptized in the bathtub of an N.B.A. player’s home. In 2017, GQ magazine called Mr. Lentz a “hypepriest” to reflect his trendy wardrobe, which included aviator glasses, skinny jeans and designer sneakers. He spoke frequently about racial inequality and in 2016 declared his support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

It all came to a halt when he was fired from Hillsong in November 2020. The church said that his termination had followed discussions about “leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures.” Mr. Lentz said on Instagram shortly afterward that he had been “unfaithful in my marriage, the most important relationship in my life.” His wife, Laura Lentz, was also a Hillsong pastor.

Since then, he has stayed out of the spotlight. Last week, he said in an Instagram post that his wife and children had been his “only priority” for the past three years.

“Part of the healing from that heartache led us to the decision to be a part of a documentary that we do not control, that we don’t have any say in and that we haven’t even seen yet,” he said.

Carl Lentz, dressed in a black suit and shirt and wearing glasses, speaks into a microphone on stage during a Hillsong service. His image appears on a large video screen behind him, and many of the people in the crowd in front of him have their hands raised.

What happened after Carl Lentz left?

More turmoil. Hillsong’s founder, Mr. Houston, resigned in March 2022 after the church said that an internal investigation had found that he behaved inappropriately toward two women, breaching the church’s code of conduct.

He had already stepped away from his ministry duties in January 2022 to fight a criminal charge accusing him of concealing child sexual abuse by his late father, Frank Houston. Brian Houston has denied the allegations. The case is still in the courts, The Australian Associated Press reported.

In March, Mr. Houston said he had been charged with drunken driving in the United States in February 2022. Mr. Houston said that at the time “it seemed like all hell had broken loose within Hillsong church.”

Mr. Houston did not respond to a request for comment. In a video posted on his social media accounts in November, he criticized Hillsong’s leadership for how it had handled the allegations of misconduct made against him.

“I didn’t resign because of my mistakes,” he said. “I resigned because of the announcements and statements that had been made.”

What is Hillsong like today?

In March 2022, nine of the 16 Hillsong churches in the United States cut ties with the organization, abruptly shrinking the church’s American presence. Hillsong’s website says it has seven churches in the United States, as well as locations in more than two dozen other countries.

The website also says that about 150,000 people worldwide attend its services weekly, but that is an estimate the church has been using since before the pandemic. Hillsong did not respond to questions about current attendance figures.

The documentary premiering on Friday includes interviews with congregants and looks at the history of the church’s relationship with money, sex and God.

Amanda Holpuch is a general assignment reporter. @holpuch



https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/19/us/hillsong-pastor-carl-lentz.html

CultNEWS101 Articles: 4/29/2022 (Event, Fernando Karadima, Nature Boy, Legal, Hillsong, Podcast, Mindfulness)

Event, Fernando Karadima, Nature Boy, Legal, Hillsong, Podcast, Mindfulness

ICSA Annual Conference: Life after spiritual abuse, reflecting on my own experience

The present talk reflects on my experience of 30 year being a follower of former Roman Catholic priest Fernando Karadima. I will share a brief journey of my personal experience about being captured and reborn after 30 years of abuse. The presentation combines my actual life experience with the most recent definition of spiritual abuse and the key characteristics of it. I will confront life experience with academic concepts that bring light to both experience and concepts.

11Alive: Police reports offer new details on arrest of alleged DeKalb cult leader 'Nature Boy'

"Eligio Bishop, the alleged cult leader known as "Nature Boy" was arrested after a former member of the cult who identified herself as his girlfriend said he posted revenge porn "because she left him."

That and several other details about the case of Bishop, who has allegedly led more than a dozen followers in the "Carbon Nation" cult as well as spread his influence with a robust social media following in the tens of thousands, are revealed in police reports released to 11Alive on Wednesday.

According to the reports, the woman told police that "she had joined a sex cult in which her boyfriend is the leader" and that "she did live together with Mr. Bishop and he has posted sexually explicit videos of her and him without her consent on Twitter."

She said he had posted four videos "without her consent and wants to press charges."

Bishop, she added, had directed "other women/girlfriends to hit her, which led her to escape."

That contact with police, on March 30, led to an investigation that resulted in Bishop's arrest on April 14."

Medium: Hillsong Founder's Wife Fired by Text Message

Bobbie Houston sacked over the failures of her husband.

"Two weeks after Hillsong co-founder Brian Houston resigned in disgrace, his wife Bobbie had been dismissed by Hillsong.

Brian Houston, who co-founded Hillsong with his wife in 1983, resigned as global senior pastor on March 21, less than a week after the board of Hillsong Church revealed that he had sent inappropriate text messages to a staff member and spent time with another woman in a hotel room during a Hillsong Conference.

However, the status of Houston's wife, Bobbie, who started Hillsong Church along with Brian, has remained a mystery. Brian and Bobbie had acted as joint leaders of Hillsong; however, Bobbie did not resign at the same time as Brian.

And why should she? What has she done wrong? If anything, she is the innocent victim of her own husband's antics."

" ... It certainly appears that Bobbie intended to carry on with her ministry despite her husband's disgrace. However, Hillsong Church, it seems, has decided to 'call time' on her ministry career. On Saturday, the Hillsong board sent a message to church members that referred to the news that Bobbie Houston was leaving the church but failed to mention that it was a forced redundancy rather than a voluntary

IndoctriNation: The Messy World of Mindfulness w/ Dan Lawton

"Dan Lawton is a mindfulness instructor and writer, with a specific interest in the adverse effects of meditation practice. Dan is a certified instructor in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) through Brown University and spent four years teaching meditation in New Orleans.

Dan spent a decade practicing meditation, primarily in the Vipassana and Western Insight traditions and completed roughly 15 silent retreats. He now mentors other meditators struggling with adverse experiences through the organization, Cheetah House. Before teaching meditation, Dan worked as a newspaper reporter in California and Louisiana."

" ... In this first half of their two-part conversation, Dan provides some cultural and historical background on the Vipassana and Western Insight traditions explaining how these practices changed as they reached the west in the 1950s. Dan goes on to share with Rachel the details of experiencing what he calls non-referential terror as a result of intense meditation practice. Together they discuss the findings of Dan's deep examination of the structures that led to his previously inexplicable emotional terror.

Before You Go: Rachel gives insights into the response from the meditation community that Daniel and previous guest Dr. Britton have elicited and explains the relationship between meditation and executive functioning skills in the brain."

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Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

CultNEWS101 Articles: 4/26/2022 (Shincheonji, Manson, Hillsong)

Shincheonji, Manson, Hillsong, South Africa

IOL: Cape Town women lured into secretive religious sect

"THREE Cape Town women have lifted the lid on how they were lured into joining a "cult-like" South Korean-based church whose leader is labelled the immortal messiah.

The women, between the ages of 23 and 29, said they were recruited into the Shincheonji Church of Jesus (SCJ), a known secretive religious sect, under the false pretence of becoming better Christians. They wanted to speak about their experience to ward off others from falling prey to the alleged "secrecy, lies and a false prophet from South Korea".

The church, which has been labelled a pseudo-religion or cult by other mainstream churches, was founded in the 1980s by leader Lee-Man Hee and is believed to have more than 200 000 members. The church has been the subject of numerous investigations because of its cult-like activities.

The church was at the centre of huge controversy last year when it emerged that it accounted for more than half of South Korea's coronavirus cases.

Lee was also found guilty of embezzling billions of rands from his organisation and given a suspended prison sentence.

The church's teaching claims that their founder is a prophet called to deliver God's work before the second coming of Christ and that only he can decipher the Book of Revelation and its metaphors.

The Cape Town women as new recruits had to write a test on the church's teachings before they were welcomed into the fold. They were also warned not to speak to their family or friends about the church.

The women, like other newbies, were recruited through social media such as Instagram, BumbleBee and LinkedIn."

How Well Do You Know Your Moon: Jeong Myeong-seok, a former FFWPU member, started his own cult and is now in jail for multiple rape

"Jeong Myeong-Seok's group gave these "Vagina necklaces" to selected female followers known as evergreens. (evergreen = someone who won't get married because they have fully given themselves over to Jeong.) 

His cult is known as Providence (officially Christian Gospel Mission). Christian Gospel Mission are known by different names in different regions. Providence or Providence Church in Europe and the US, Setsuri (Japanese for "providence") in Japan, the Bright Moon Church, the Morning Star Church, and Jesus Morning Star (JMS). Every year in spring, Providence holds a Flower Festival event in Wol Myeong-dong, South Korea. In 1999, Jeong founded the Global Association of Culture and Peace (the GACP). It also uses front groups called: Elohim Bible Academy and Save the Earth from A to Z".

National Post: Manson follower denied parole, deemed 'unreasonable danger to society' after 50 years in jail

"Leslie Van Houten, who has already been imprisoned for 50 years and is serving a life sentence for her role in the notorious Manson family murders, was denied parole on Tuesday.

The 72-year-old "currently poses an unreasonable danger to society if released from prison at this time," California Governor Gavin Newsom said in his parole review, the Associated Press reported.

A tentative date for another parole suitability hearing is expected in May 2023, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

Van Houten's release has been recommended five times since 2016.

This is the fifth time her parole has been blocked by a governor in the state.

A petition to keep Van Houten in prison was created by actress Sharon Tate's sister, Debra Tate. It had garnered almost 180,000 signatures by Tuesday morning.

In the petition, Debra Tate wrote that after the victims were killed, Van Houten showered and stole a dress and a leather purse to wear."

Christian Post: The dangerous legal structures of Hillsong Church

" ... In 2010, the legal structure for Hillsong in the United States was being constructed. Attorney Stephen Lentz, the father of Carl Lentz who would become Hillsong's most popular American pastor, drew up the articles of incorporation for Hillsong Ministries USA, Inc., and used language common to many televangelist churches' governing documents. Stephen Lentz wrote in Article 6, "The Corporation shall have no members."

These words started appearing frequently in church corporation documents in the 1990s. In 1994, before Joel Osteen became pastor, Lakewood Church restated its articles of incorporation with the words, "The corporation elects to have no members."

The churches of televangelists Mike Murdock, Eddie Long, and Creflo Dollar also adopted similar language. Ironically, the bylaws of Grace Community Church, pastored by well-known Hillsong critic John MacArthur, use the exact same words as Hillsong Ministries USA: "The Corporation shall have no members."

This odd phrase prevents church attendees from being "corporate members," which means that church attendees have no voting rights in the church. Instead, key decision-making is restricted to the church board of directors or church elders."

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

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Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

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Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

CultNEWS101 Articles: 4/19/2022 (Podcast, Lary Ray, Book, Hillsong, Ultra-religious, Conservative Christian, Mormon, LGBT, ICSA Event, ISKCON, Hare Krishna)

Podcast, Lary Ray, Book, Hillsong, Ultra-religious, Conservative Christian, Mormon, LGBT, ICSA Event, ISKCON, Hare Krishna

IndoctriNation Show: A Master Class in Manipulation w/ Daniel Barban Levin

"Daniel Levin is an award-winning writer living in Los Angeles. He holds an MFA in poetry from the University of California, Irvine, where he taught creative writing and rhetoric. His writing has appeared in Provincetown Arts, The Sarah Lawrence Review, The Westchester Review, and The Bennington Review. During his time at Sarah Lawrence College Dan, as a 19-year-old sophomore, got involved with Larry Ray, the leader of what turned out to be a dangerous cult. Dan has written about these harrowing experiences in his new memoir SLONIM WOODS 9 A stunning firsthand account of the creation of a modern cult and the costs paid by its young victims. In the first half of their two-part conversation, Daniel shares with Rachel how he first came into contact with Larry Ray the dangerous cult leader, currently on federal trial for sex trafficking, extortion, conspiracy, and a string of other crimes. He discusses how Larry was able to evade detection on campus even while living in dormitories. Together Rachel and Daniel examine what he was feeling as he fell under the control of this manipulative and dangerous man, pointing out the red flags and explaining what prevented him from seeing them at the time. Before you go: Rachel addresses the most asked question cult survivors get; "why did you stay"? with regard to Daniel but also in general pointing out the commonalities of those who linger in abusive situations."

NY Post: Top Hillsong megachurch pastor resigns day before doc premieres

"A lead pastor for Hillsong megachurch has stepped down — mere hours before the premiere of a docuseries about the institution's recent scandals.

"It is with great sadness that I inform you of my departure from Hillsong," Sam Collier, the now-former lead pastor of the Australia-born church's Atlanta, Ga., branch, began a Wednesday Instagram post announcing his departure. "My greatest reason for stepping down as Pastor of Hillsong Atlanta is probably not a secret to any of you. With all of the documentaries, scandals, articles, accusations and the church's subsequent management of these attacks it's become too difficult to lead and grow a young Church in this environment."

Collier, 33, goes on to reassure readers that he believes Hillsong "will get through this storm and come out better than they were before," adding in an Instagram Story that "we still consider [Hillsong] family" and "they are not our enemies." The post concludes with an open invitation to Collier's final Hillsong service — and an announcement that he is launching a new congregation called Story Church this Easter Sunday."

Insider: Saving $10,000 to leave my fundamentalist family and church made it clear that money is power — and I have it

"I was brought up in an ultra-religious, conservative Christian home. There are four of us children — myself, and three boys.

As the only female child, I was subjected to rules that didn't apply to my brothers. I was to learn to be submissive, fulfill the wishes and needs of whatever man I ended up marrying, and practice those skills of subservience with my father and brothers.

Marriage to a man, of course, was out of the question to me. I'm a lesbian, and have been comfortably identifying as such for many years, even in the face of the horrified opposition of my family.

I was 14 when my mother began running interventions on me due to my sexuality, which ultimately culminated in me being sent to conversion therapy at age 16.

I knew that I wanted to get out, but it took me a few years to find a path out of fundamentalism.

When I was 12, I began working as a babysitter, earning some of my own money. My family insisted I donate at least 10% of my earnings to our church — the standard Christian deduction.

After high school, I worked multiple jobs including being a dog walker, a tutor, and a nursing home assistant. I didn't have a grand plan to save money to leave my family's home or anything like that — it simply helped give me an excuse to not be home and gave me purpose in my life.

However, when COVID-19 hit, I was forced to majorly cut back my hours of work, like so many other Americans did.

When I was alone with my thoughts — not consumed with work — it dawned on me that I had accumulated almost $10,000 working my life away. I realized that I could now leave my family and community.

I used some of the money I had saved to purchase a car. Then, I chose to use continuing my education as the guise under which to leave.

I found a place to live near the school I planned to attend and moved there a month before classes were set to begin. That was two years ago, and I haven't looked back since."

RNS: Mormon support for same-sex marriage has doubled in the last decade, survey shows

Mormons have broadened their support for LGBTQ rights in three key areas, though they still lag the nation in supporting the right of gay couples to get married — or to walk into any bakery in the country and buy themselves a wedding cake.

The Public Religion Research Institute last week released the latest findings in its ongoing project of assessing Americans' feelings about LGBTQ issues.

On three issues in particular, Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are still more conservative than the nation, but show a broadening of LGBTQ support compared with past surveys.

On the issue of same-sex marriage, Latter-day Saints' support has been gradually rising along with the rest of the nation's. In 2011, for example, fewer than a quarter favored allowing same-sex couples to marry legally. In 2021, the survey just released, that had doubled to 46%."

" ... On nondiscrimination toward LGBTQ Americans, Mormons are actually even more supportive than the nation as a whole.

Among Americans in general, 79% say they are in favor of "laws that would protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from discrimination in jobs, public accommodations and housing." With Mormons the figure is 5 points higher, at 84%."

" ... On the other hand, Mormons generally feel that it's permissible for "a small business owner in your state to refuse to provide products or services to gay and lesbian people, if doing so violates their religious beliefs." Two-thirds (66%) of Americans said that refusing service is not OK, but only 44% of Mormons did."

ICSA Annual Conference: The Power of Story
Nori Muster; Sunday, June 26, 2022; 11:00 AM-11:50 AM - online

It's human nature to make up stories, and we all make up our own story. We piece it together with the events we feel shaped our lives. Once we have a fixed story, we learn to play the role of the protagonist. Thus, the story we tell ourselves about ourselves shapes our behavior, the decisions we make, and the life we create for ourselves. As ex-members, we may feel like failures for joining a cult, and our story may reflect our rationalizations to justify our mistakes. Stories based on guilt and grief hold us back. We may think, "that's just the way it is," and believe we can't change it. However, changing our stories can change our lives.

 

Nori Muster was in the Hare Krishna organization, ISKCON, for ten years, 1978 to 1988. For thirty years after leaving the group, she clung to the negative story about how the cult ruined her life. She believed joining the group was an unforgivable mistake, and she attributed her failures to her parents' divorce in 1970 that traumatized her as a fourteen-year old. This story was embedded in her consciousness for decades and seemed impossible to change. However, in the last three years, through intensive writing and studying her dream journals, Nori created a new, positive life story. Reading over the journal helped because she found the dreams non-judgmental and forgiving of her daytime self. Instead of feeling permanently broken, she has written a new life story of meaningful experiences and love, and she cherishes her younger self. Along with her discussion of story, she will briefly describe the dream journal project she started in 2016. After the presentation, she will take questions and listen to others' stories.

 

Nori Muster, MS, is the author of Betrayal of the Spirit: My Life Behind the Headlines of the Hare Krishna Movement (University of Illinois Press, 1997), Cult Survivors Handbook: Seven Paths to an Authentic Life (2010), and Child of the Cult (2012). She was an ISKCON member from 1978-1988, then earned her Master of Science degree at Western Oregon University in 1991 doing art therapy with juvenile sex offenders. She is currently a freelance writer and adjunct professor, based in Arizona.

News, Education, Intervention, Recovery

CultEducationEvents.com

CultMediation.com   

Intervention101.com to help families and friends understand and effectively respond to the complexity of a loved one's cult involvement.

CultRecovery101.com assists group members and their families make the sometimes difficult transition from coercion to renewed individual choice.

CultNEWS101.com news, links, resources.

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Selection of articles for CultNEWS101 does not mean that Patrick Ryan or Joseph Kelly agree with the content. We provide information from many points of view in order to promote dialogue.

Please forward articles that you think we should add to cultintervention@gmail.com.

Hillsong faces loss of status, affiliates in wake of scandals'

Volume 37 No. 5
Religion Watch

The future of Hillsong, a popular megachurch denomination, as well as its model of “celebrity pastors,” are being called into question after a series of ethical scandals that have led to some congregations pulling out of the network. Much of the crisis surrounding the Australian-based denomination involves the resignation of its global leader, Brian Houston, after he was accused of inappropriate sexual behavior, but Hillsong has faced several leadership scandals in the past decade. The New York Times (March 29) reports that the scandals, not to mention a new streaming three-part expose of Hillsong, have demoralized pastors who fear that the denomination’s “brand”—which extends to its prominent recording and music ministry—has been damaged. This had led in late March to the exodus of 9 of its 16 American churches; its remaining U.S. congregations are in the Northeast and California, with the denomination losing its presence between the coasts. The issues under contention also involve financing and leadership style, with local leadership boards being disbanded given that congregations were under the direct authority of the Australia-based global board. Critics and former pastors of Hillsong also object to how they were asked to sign noncompete and nondisparagement agreements in the wake of scandals affecting the East Coast branches (such as charges of sexual immorality against the New York pastor).

Several of the departing congregations will remain independent of any denominational affiliation, reports Ruth Graham. Hillsong’s website says 150,000 people attend services weekly in 30 countries, although that estimate was made before the pandemic. But the denomination has also served as a model for scores of other megachurches and smaller churches around the world that have followed its charismatic style, which emphasized miracles and personal encounters with the Holy Spirit, with services tailored for a hip, upscale audience that included celebrities like Justin Bieber. Meanwhile, Relevant (March 28), a magazine for younger evangelicals, sees the scandals coming out of Hillsong as presaging the end of the era of “celebrity pastors.” Tyler Huckabee writes that megachurches’ corporate model of pastoral leadership quickly evolved into a form that took its cues mainly from the entertainment industry, with churches operating like a brand. While entertainment-style pastors have been a fixture for much of evangelical and charismatic history, the trend of the celebrity pastor with a team behind him to “streamline[] his content for maximum impact and [run] interference on potential scandals” is more recent. Huckabee adds other megachurch pastors to the roster of scandal-ridden celebrity-based ministries, from the premier megachurch Willow Creek to abuse cases among prominent Southern Baptist pastors. He lays the blame for the recent scandals on the practice of branding churches, since “Brands survive because they deflect damage, control the narrative, protect talent and promote new successes over recent failures. Accountability is bad for brands. For them to listen and respond to people they’ve hurt is a liability.”

https://www.religionwatch.com/hillsong-faces-loss-of-status-affiliates-in-wake-of-scandals/

 

ABC: Prime Minister Scott Morrison joins growing chorus of Hillsong Church allies to distance themselves from founder Brian Houston

Lorna Knowles

ABC Investigations

March 23, 2022

Three years ago, Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston tweeted: "Failure is never wasted if you are teachable, humble and transparent enough to grow and change."

Yet it was a lack of transparency from Hillsong that has sparked a major rift within the mega-church and led to the unravelling of Mr Houston's legacy.

The 67-year-old’s inappropriate behaviour towards two women has sent shockwaves throughout Hillsong and its 150,000 weekly attendees across the world.

On Thursday morning, after days of silence, Prime Minister Scott Morrison commented on the controversy surrounding a man he thanked in his 2008 maiden speech in Federal Parliament.

"My first thoughts were with the victims, as they’ve rightly been described, and so very concerned," Mr Morrison told reporters.

The friendship made international headlines in 2019 after it was revealed the Prime Minister’s bid to include Mr Houston on an exclusive guest list at the White House was rejected.

Mr Morrison stood by Mr Houston then, but he has now become the latest, and unlikely the last, Hillsong ally to distance themselves from him.

Mr Houston and his wife Bobbie established the church in 1983 in Sydney's north-west.

Today, it is a global empire with ministries, a 24-hour television channel and colleges across six continents and has attracted celebrity worshippers such as Justin Bieber, Chris Pratt and Kylie Jenner. 

In January, Mr Houston announced he would step aside as the church leader to defend a criminal charge that he had concealed his father's child sexual abuse.

He made no mention at the time of two women's complaints about his own inappropriate behaviour. 

This angered a group of Sydney-based church elders, who believed it amounted to a "cover up" by the board.

Last week, one elder resigned after reading a letter from one of the female complainants to his leadership team.

Unable to contain the leaks, acting Hillsong senior global pastor, Phil Dooley, decided to act.

On Friday, he called an emergency meeting of 800 global staff to detail what he described as Mr Houston's "indiscretions".

The extraordinary revelations have rocked the church, with some asking why Mr Houston was permitted to resign and was not sacked.

During the emotional Zoom conference, Pastor Dooley denied any allegations of a cover-up, stating the board acted appropriately under the circumstances.

He said the decision was made to offer "grace".

"We have always been a church that sees the grace of God expressed in Jesus and that our desire is not to expose anyone," he said.

Pastor Dooley and the Hillsong Global Board said an investigation into two incidents involving Mr Houston — almost a decade apart — found he breached the church's moral code for pastors.

The church said Mr Houston engaged in conduct of "serious concern", and offered an unreserved apology to his "victims".

In a detailed letter sent to members, the church said Mr Houston sent "inappropriate text messages" to a female staffer in 2013. 

Pastor Dooley said the texts were along the lines of: "'If I was with you, I'd like to kiss and cuddle you, words of that nature".

The female staff member was "obviously upset and felt awkward" and complained to Hillsong general manager George Aghajanian before resigning.

Mr Houston apologised immediately and later paid the woman a few months' salary as compensation.

The church said at the time, Mr Houston was under the influence of sleeping tablets, which he had developed a dependency on.

Though the church has since helped Mr Houston kick his dependency, medication would later play a role in another incident at an annual conference opened by his friend Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

In 2019, Mr Houston "became disorientated... following the consumption of anti-anxiety medication beyond the prescribed dose, mixed with alcohol".

The church said Mr Houston was drinking with a group of people and after being locked out of his hotel room, ended up knocking on the door of a woman who he met earlier in foyer of the Pullman Hotel.

The woman, who was not a member of the church, opened the door and Mr Houston went into her room and spent 40 minutes there.

Pastor Dooley said "no sexual activity" was reported, but the woman raised it with the church's leadership team.

The investigation did not uphold all parts of her complaint but "important elements of the complaint were sustained and the conduct was of serious concern".

"Ultimately, the board found that Brian had breached the Hillsong Pastor's Code of Conduct," the global board said in a statement published on the weekend.

It was decided that Mr Houston would take three months off, during which time he would abstain from alcohol. Pastor Dooley said he unfortunately did not keep his promise.

It was brought to the board's attention in December — just before he announced he was stepping aside due to the court case.

Yesterday, Pastor Dooley called another emergency meeting to inform staff Mr Houston had resigned. 

Hillsong pastor Phil Dooley announces the resignation of founder Brian Houston.

Former Hillsong members who were shunned by the church for "moral failings" told the ABC they were devastated by the findings against the church leader.

Though the church apologised for his behaviour, it thanked Mr Houston and his wife for their commitment and service to Hillsong and said it would pray for their wellbeing.

Pastor Dooley said announcing Mr Houston's resignation was one the hardest days of his life.

Mr Morrison said he was shocked by the allegations against Mr Houston, but welcomed his resignation.

"I think [his resignation] was entirely appropriate and I must admit we were very disappointed and shocked to hear the news," he said on Thursday.

At the helm of the country's dominant Pentecostal force, Mr Houston steered Hillsong through scandal after scandal, including allegations of worker exploitation, misuse of grants and anti-gay stances.

But yesterday was the final fall from grace for the embattled pastor, who has remained silent from his home in California since the complaints were aired.

He is not expected to return to Australia until his criminal trial begins in December.

Pastor Dooley will remain in the top job until a successor is found, and has acknowledged a "change is needed".

In the meantime, the church board says it will review its governance structure and processes to prevent a repeat of past mistakes.

As Pastor Dooley told his followers on Friday: "Sin is messy".

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-03-24/hillsong-church-founder-brian-houston-fall-from-grace/100934680