Hillsong Founders Brian and Bobbie Houston Announce Plans for New Church
Former Hillsong founder Brian Houston announced that he and his wife Bobbie will launch a new church in 2024.
Hillsong
On this page you’ll find all of our investigative reporting on Hillsong leadership, churches, schools, and ministries.
Former Hillsong Pastors Trade Infidelity and Abuse Accusations
Atlanta-based Story Church leaders Toni and Sam Collier announce divorce
Prominent Atlanta pastor and former Hillsong leader Sam Collier announced he and his wife, Toni, are getting a divorce in the midst of abuse and infidelity allegations.
Brian Houston Acquitted by Australian Court in Sexual Abuse Cover-up Case
Houston was charged with concealing his late father, Frank Houston's, sexual abuse of a young man.
An Australian court found Brian Houston, co-founder and former head pastor of the Hillsong megachurch and media empire, not guilty for concealing his father’s sexual abuse and not reporting it to the police.
Few Worship Leaders Avoid Hillsong, Bethel Songs — Despite Controversies and Scandal
A new study looked at how worship leaders pick music for services — at a time when a handful of megachurches dominate the market.
Though churches like Australia-based Hillsong and Bethel Church in California have met with scandal and controversy, worship leaders still keep singing their songs, a new study found.
Carl Lentz Calls Abuse Allegations ‘Categorically False’ in New Hillsong Documentary
The Secrets of Hillsong' premiered the first two episodes May 19. The final two will air May 26.
For the Hillsong lovers, Hillsong haters and those who love to hate Hillsong, the latest documentary treatment of the global megachurch’s descent into scandal is here.
Former Hillsong NYC Pastor Carl Lentz Says He is ‘No Longer in Ministry’
Lentz says his only role will be to give perspective and insight ‘where I can’
Former Hillsong NYC pastor Carl Lentz announced on social media that he is no longer “in ministry,” despite having recently joined Transformation Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Brian Houston’s Daughter, Son-in-Law Resign from Hillsong Church Leadership
Laura and Peter Toganivalu led the global youth ministry for the Australia-based megachurch
The daughter of former Hillsong Church leader Brian Houston and her husband have resigned as global pastors of Hillsong Young & Free, the Australia-based church’s youth ministry.
Hillsong Report Highlights Ministries Operating Like Businesses — But Without Public Accountability
Report features a lucrative honorarium model tempting many U.S. pastors to pay to play
Last month, a whistleblower document disclosing Hillsong Church’s financial details highlighted the burgeoning popularity of reciprocal honorarium practices in ministries worldwide.
Hillsong Co-Founder Brian Houston Pleads Guilty to DUI
He’s appealing a second charge of driving with a high blood alcohol content
Hillsong Church co-founder Brian Houston has been sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol.
Brian Houston Releases Statement on 2022 DUI
Scandal continues to plague the life of former megachurch pastor Brian Houston, who admitted that he was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in Feb. 2022 while in the United States.
Carl Lentz, in First Staff Position Since Hillsong, Joins Transformation Church in Tulsa
Carl Lentz, the ousted pastor of Hillsong New York City, has landed on staff at Transformation Church, a predominantly Black, nondenominational megachurch in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that is led by pastor, author and popular YouTuber Michael Todd.
Hillsong Church Initiates Financial Review After Whistleblower, Australian MP Allege Misuse of Funds
Hillsong Church global senior pastor Phil Dooley apologized and said the church will launch an independent review after a government official accused founder Brian Houston of misuse of funds and lavish spending.
Brian Houston Served as Lone Witness in His Own Defense, Reveals Bobbie Houston
Brian Houston, former pastor of Hillsong Church, stood trial in December 2022 for allegedly covering up his father’s sexual abuse.
Phil and Lucinda Dooley Named Hillsong Church’s Global Senior Pastors
Phil and Lucinda Dooley have been announced as the new global senior pastors of Hillsong Church. The couple had stepped into the role on an interim basis following the sabbatical and subsequent resignation of the church’s founding pastor, Brian Houston, in 2022.
Hillsong Megachurch Revenue Fell Almost 20% in Last Two Years, Report Shows
Hillsong’s latest annual report reveals the megachurch is bringing in $17 million less in revenue compared to two years ago—that’s a drop of almost 20%, due, at least in part, to a series of controversies.
As Brian Houston’s Court Case Nears, Houston Announces Evening of ‘Connection, Fellowship, Community’
Brian and Bobbie Houston, former leaders of Hillsong Church based in Sydney, Australia, will be holding an event called “An Evening with Bobbie and Brian” in Sydney on Wednesday, Nov. 9. The event will take place shortly before Brian Houston is scheduled to appear in court to face charges that he concealed his father’s sexual abuse.
Chris Tomlin to Proceed with Fall Concert Tour with Hillsong United
Chris Tomlin recently announced he will continue with his planned tour with the scandal-ridden Hillsong United this fall.
Former Hillsong Employee Alleges Church Misled Donors, Evaded Taxes
Natalie Moses, former fundraising and governance coordinator for Hillsong Church, is alleging in a lawsuit that the church has misled donors, misappropriated funds, and evaded taxes, according to ABC News Investigates.
Josh and Leona Kimes, Who Accused Carl Lentz of Abuse, Resign from Hillsong Boston
Josh and Leona Kimes, the co-pastors of Hillsong Boston, announced on Monday (April 18) that the two have “made the difficult decision to resign.”
Leaked Hillsong NYC Report Says Sexual Misconduct, Abuse Went Beyond Carl Lentz
The results of an investigation by an independent law firm into the culture of Hillsong NYC, the Manhattan site of the global megachurch, have been leaked to The Christian Post, a news outlet based in Washington D.C., and its reported contents paint a picture of a church leadership rife with abuse, sexual misconduct, and secrecy.
Hillsong Music Pulls Out of Casting Crowns Tour
Hillsong Worship, the music arm of Hillsong Church, has withdrawn from a tour with Christian music group Casting Crowns in the wake of scandals at the Australia-based church.
Disgraced Founding Pastor Brian Houston Feuds Online with Hillsong about His Wife’s Future
The status of Bobbie Houston, the long-time co-pastor and co-founder of Hillsong, the troubled global megachurch based in Australia, is uncertain after the church’s board and her husband, the church’s former head pastor Brian Houston, traded feuding online messages this week.
Two More Churches Split from Hillsong in Wake of Scandals
Two more leaders of Hillsong Church U.S. campuses have announced they’re taking their campuses in a different direction in the wake of founder Brian Houston being ousted by the church’s board for breaching its code of conduct.
Hillsong Pastor Brian Houston Resigns after Revelations of Indiscretions with Women
Less than a week after the Hillsong board released a statement revealing its cofounder, Brian Houston, had sent inappropriate text messages to a staff member and spent time in a woman’s hotel room, the board of the global megachurch has announced the longtime global senior pastor has resigned.
Hillsong Board Blames Anxiety Drug, Alcohol for Landing Brian Houston in a Woman’s Hotel Room
The board of directors of Hillsong, the global megachurch and music empire co-founded by Australian pastor Brian Houston, released a statement Friday (March 18) addressing two complaints about Houston, including an accusation that the married pastor had spent time alone in a hotel room with a woman in 2019.
Discovery+ Wants to Harm Hillsong Church with Documentary, Interim Pastor Says
An upcoming Discovery+ documentary series on embattled Hillsong Church was produced to purposely hurt the church, Interim Head Pastor Phil Dooley said in a Feb. 19 message live-streamed on YouTube.
Facing Trial, Brian Houston Steps Aside as Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong
Brian Houston, co-founder of the Hillsong megachurch and media empire, announced that he is stepping aside as global senior pastor, telling worshipers via a pre-recorded video played during the Sunday morning service at Hillsong’s Sydney, Australia, headquarters that he would be taking a leave of absence from the church until the end of this year.
Lawyer: Hillsong Founder to Deny Concealing Abuse in Court
Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston will plead not guilty to illegally concealing alleged child abuse by his father, his lawyer told a court on Tuesday.
Hillsong Church Founder Steps Down from Governing Boards Ahead of Trial
Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston told church members in a Sept. 17 email that he has stepped down from his role on governing boards for the Australia-based church, making the move just weeks before he goes on trial on charges that he covered up child sex crimes committed by his late father, Frank Houston, in the 1970s.
Police Allege Hillsong Founder Concealed Child Sex Abuse
Brian Houston, 67, to face Australia court Oct. 5
The founder of the Sydney-based global Hillsong Church, Brian Houston, has been charged with concealing child sex offenses, police said Thursday.
A Pair of Hillsong Docuseries Planned, Examining the Megachurch’s Culture, the Fall of Carl Lentz
The streaming channel Discovery+ has announced plans for a documentary series on Hillsong Church and its disgraced former pastor, Carl Lentz, according to a report Monday (June 21) from the entertainment news website Deadline.
Sex Abuse Allegations by Carl Lentz’s Former Nanny Put Spotlight on Hillsong Culture
A former Hillsong NYC staff member has come forward with allegations that the megachurch’s former pastor Carl Lentz subjected her to “bullying, abuse of power and sexual abuse” over the course of seven years as she worked as a nanny in Lentz’s home.
Hillsong New Jersey Pastor Resigns After Texting Suggestive Photo to Volunteer
A pastor from Hillsong Church’s Montclair, New Jersey, campus has resigned after he said he mistakenly texted a provocative photo to a church volunteer.
Hillsong to ‘Pause’ Operations at Dallas Campus, Citing Leadership Failures
Brian Houston, co-founder of the global megachurch Hillsong, announced in an email on Saturday (April 11) that the church’s leadership had decided to “pause all operations” at its Dallas, Texas, location.
Brian Houston Apologizes for Hillsong’s NYC’s “Moral Failings”
Brian Houston, the founder of Hillsong, apologized Thursday (March 4) for the leadership crisis at the global evangelical church’s New York outpost resulting from an adulterous affair carried on by its now former pastor, Carl Lentz.
New Pastors Announced to Replace Carl Lentz at Hillsong East Coast
A new couple have been named to lead Hillsong East Coast, replacing the ousted former pastor Carl Lentz and his wife, Laura, according to an announcement by Hillsong founder, Brian Houston, during his sermon on Sunday, February 14.
Former Staff, Members Say Hillsong Pastors Fund Lavish Lifestyles with Member Gifts
Pastors at Hillsong Church used prepaid expense cards funded by member donations to finance lavish lifestyles as volunteers provided unpaid labor for the church, former congregants and staff members told The New York Post.
Hillsong Dallas Pastors, Who Helped Start NYC Location With Carl Lentz, Resign
The lead pastors of Hillsong Dallas church have resigned, adding to two months of transition and turmoil in the global megachurch.
In leaked call, Hillsong founder Brian Houston details ‘narcissistic’ Carl Lentz’s firing
In a leaked audio call obtained by The Daily Mail, the founder and senior pastor of Hillsong Global, Brian Houston, described the events that led up to the firing of the lead pastor of the church’s New York City congregation, Carl Lentz.
Hillsong Founder Brian Houston Announces Investigation After Carl Lentz Firing
Brian Houston, global senior pastor of international and controversial Hillsong Church, announced Thursday (Nov. 12) that an independent investigator will review the “inner workings” of Hillsong’s New York City branch after the firing of its lead pastor, Carl Lentz, last week.
Celeb Pastor Carl Lentz, Ousted from Hillsong NYC, Confesses He Was ‘Unfaithful’ To His Wife
In an Instagram post on Thursday (Nov. 5), Carl Lentz, the lead pastor of Hillsong NYC, admitted to an extramarital affair, ending a day of speculation as to why he had been fired.
