What's going on at a deeper level here? The 2019 documentary about Michael Jacksons alleged sexual abuse of minors, Leaving Neverland, stirred fans to reconsider the artist and his musical legacy. Sign up to get our top five trending stories delivered every weekday! 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We will not apologize for our increasing diversity or our commitment to humbly address racial issues from Gods Word as we unite together on a glorious mission to proclaim this good Word and our great God in a city where five million-plus men, women, boys, and girls are on a road that leads to an eternal hell and need the good news of Gods love for them, he said. We sit in large part where we are today because of the centuries of gross injustice done to our black brothers and sisters, said Giglio. Roxanne Stone is managing editor of Religion News Service, and she is here to explain. Many worship leaders agree. Which begs the question: Whats the rule? CHANG: Well, do you think that Hillsong's fall from grace will have ripple effects through the larger evangelical community? When the childrens ministry doesnt do check-in efficiently, we believe the pastor should know. The only people who can stop Driscoll are the authorities, if hes committing crimes, and the congregation by separating from him. McLean Bible Church, the multisite megachurch in McLean, Virginia near Washington, D.C. where David Platt pastors, confirmed three new elders Sunday in a revote where members labeled their ballots with their names. This Mark Driscoll is a deranged psychopath. She claimed that when she tried to tell pastors at Hillsong, they "blamed and silenced" her. Think about it: Every email they write, every meeting they have, every sermon they give is them doing their very best to make sure that people know Jesus. Here is the controversial email in its entirety (bold emphasis added mine, all grammar errors left unchanged). >What I dont understand is why the people in Driscolls church stay. Musicologists and critics have considered how we engage with songs produced by problematic composers for centuries, and revelations around contemporary artists like Michael Jackson and R. Kelly have also challenged how listeners engage with groundbreaking and chart-topping songs. What Can Christians Do About Climate Change? Mercer-Taylor, an expert in American hymnology and popular music, still includes Michael Jacksons Billie Jean video in his courses. Brisky also didnt specify whether Morriss availability for counsel extended to all church leadership, including volunteers like Freese. We want MBC to be a place where people with all kinds of convictions on matters of conscience can thrive, the Q&A stated. But recent sexual misconduct scandals and a new Discovery+ documentary series have led its founder and global leader to resign and over half its U.S. campuses to disaffiliate, all within weeks. This Hillsong megachurch branch has been deemed beyond immediate redemption. Haydn, though a far-flung parallel, is relevant as one example of a composer whose music has transcended its provenance as a product of the patronage of an unjust system or corrupt organization. It is true that big-name Hillsong artists like Brooke Ligertwood and Joel Houston have their own brands and images, but they are still employees of the church, and they have acknowledged the difficulties facing Hillsong, though in relatively veiled or general terms. If youre the church of Jesus Christ, thats really problematic.. Thrush finds it understandable that many worship leaders would continue using Hillsong music. Oklahoma pastor Sam Storms, a past president of the Evangelical Theological Society and council member for The Gospel Coalition, defended singing Hillsong songs in a blog post last summer. Thanks so much for having me. Chuck Hannaford, a Memphis clinical psychologist who has helped churches mediate conflicts for 30 years, said McLeans troubles are the latest iteration of a broader conflict between younger Reformed Christians and older generations of white evangelicals. Image: We have to address conflict intentionally and face to face, Hannaford said. But even the musicians dont claim to be their own entity. That makes it sadder. The Bogards did not respond to a request for comment. Does It Matter Where Your Clothes Come From? Christian News Network questioned the wisdom of associating what most consider a vice - alcohol . A number of things in this article are factually wrong, but abuse is NEVER ok. My understanding is that Anna was originally abused in her fathers church in Pennsylvania. Certainly, some would say that this has been baked in from the very beginning, particularly the idea of cover-ups. Of somehow being so lost to the desperate religious ego need, they have chosen to give up the least bit of testing all things, etc. The conversation around Hillsong music also runs parallel to considerations around promoting the work of fallen pastors that have emerged in recent years. Unlike singing an old hymn that may be doctrinally sound but have been written by someone with questionable theology, singing Hillsong or Bethel songs, he argued, lends credence to the active ministry of two influential churches. Sports Betting Hits a New High: A Crisis in the Making? Someone who is solid with Jesus will quickly notice that things are wrong when they walk into a place like The Trinity Church. Many factors, all amplified by the pandemic, have resulted in the difficult decision to pause all operations at Hillsong Dallas for now, Brian and Bobbie Houston, the husband-and-wife team who co-founded Hillsong and currently share the title of global senior pastors, wrote to congregants in a Saturday email that was forwarded to The Post. This is a big moment for me!. For over a year, Pastor Robert has not had any official position of oversight with Trinity Church but is available if counsel is sought by the church leaders, Briskey said. [They] have developed music that a lot of people find catchy and spiritually nourishing, that has gone out into the world and served a lot of people but it turns out that the organization they serve is a bad organization.. The Saddleback controversy began in 2021, when Warren ordained three women as pastors, prompting discussions within the SBC about possibly expelling the megachurch. Welcome. Meanwhile, leaders like Platt see the pushback as its own sort of coup and remain concerned about the influence of opposition fueled on social media and watchdog blogs. But most of the critics dont. They are all gifted speakers and they are all the leading speakers of the next big evangelical conference that everyone will pay $600 to attend. Hillsong blamed Houstons actions on sleeping tablets, per the Christian Post. But I think Hillsong had taken that to this extreme of building an aesthetic first in a lot of ways. Hillsong United performs in concert in March 2022, weeks after Brian Houston's resignation. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Hillsong Church was once the face of what's called Charismatic Christianity or, less kindly, it was also known as a hipster megachurch. If the blind lead the blind they will both end up in the ditch. It features interviews with critics, former employees and members, and a woman. The culture of Hillsong is the problem, and the pastors, from continent to continent and coast to coast, are simply the byproduct of the culture., Megan Phalon, who also worked with the Bogards while a congregant at Hillsong NYC, told The Post the email initially left her in shock and feeling hopeful that Brian was actually acknowledging the wrong that the Bogards had done., Her brief hope, however, was overshadowed by a now-deleted tweet Brian Houston sent on Sunday in response to a Christian Post article detailing allegations that married Hillsong staff administrator Jason Mays assaulted then-Hillsong College student Anna Crenshaw in May 2016. . . Morris told Driscoll in a special birthday message on a video posted to The Trinity Churchs Facebook page this past October. They see the content of songs themselves as a priority, not to mention the familiarity and sing-ability, over whats happening at the church that bears the same name. Everyone has an ego, and a little bit of it isnt a bad thing. Jesus DOES NOT lead His children and especially NOT HIS LEADERS into this kind of thing! With Hillsong, questions of power, wealth, proximity, and association are still relevant. The big question still remains, how could they have ever supported him in the first place? White is an amillennialist, and Durbin is a post-millennialist and his post-millennialism seems to drive the rest of his theology. And there was also often, like, online offerings. Little did they know, while attacking those urging caution regarding Christian Liberty, that the man at the center of the video Whites son-in-law would soon relapse and (according to a public statement put out by Apologia Church) commit adultery. In that original article by Christian News Network, entitled Tattoos for Jesus, Pastor Sonny Hernandez was quoted as to the perceived lack of wisdom of flaunting Christian liberty to those who may struggle with alcoholism. In August 2021, New South Wales authorities arrested Houston on charges of concealing child sex offenses, alleging that he knew information relating to the sexual abuse of a young male in the 1970s and failed to bring that information to the attention of police.. If you dont like evangelicalism or traditional gender roles, you wont like it, but the preaching is high-quality content. Citing investigation participants privacy, the email only vaguely details the pastors as having failed to meet the commitments and standards of Hillsong, before offering a brief apology to those who felt disappointed or hurt.. So in our mega-churches, how could a pastor not cave under this stress? Platt, the author of Radical, is known for his passionate call to evangelism, missions, and Scripture. There is some resistance from what some would consider the old guard in evangelical circles to younger guys accused of being soft on doctrine in an effort to reach a more diverse audience, Hannaford said. Subscribers receive full access to the archives. Again, that's just what the church claimed. Taylor did not immediately respond to The Roys Reports email inquiry. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. He continues to hurt many people and it is now getting out of control. A FAST-growing megachurch is dealing with a scandal after its pastor was allegedly caught half-naked at his home with a married employee by shocked worshippers who had stopped by to surprise him. .However, the last year he has proven he never truly repented nor changed. And a celebrity is a two-dimensional figure who exists to serve the needs of everyone but themselves. In July, COTH broke ties with Micahn Carter, a COTH pastor who had come to the church in 2019 for restoration. If I wouldnt quote their pastor or allow him to preach in our pulpit, then I wont use the songs their bands write, wrote musician Dan Cogan in a blog post in 2016. Giglio sent a statement late Wednesday night, saying: I am deeply sorry for the pain and confusion I have caused by my comment this past Sunday. Online posts on blogs, Facebook, and email charged Platt with pushing critical race theory, revising biblical teaching on sexuality, and aligning with the SBC despite McLeans constitutional prohibition of affiliating with any denomination. The truth really stings. Durbin has claimed in the past that he holds to the 1689 Confession but on several important points, he deviates wildly. Your friends, your co-workers, your church, your family, literally everyone turns into this system of satellites that orbit around your position. He high-fived me at the VBS party, but we never actually met or talked.. Documentary Features several ex-members of the church who share harrowing allegations of the trauma, abuse, homophobia and financial and labor exploitation that created a culture of chaos at Hillsong. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. This Hillsong megachurch branch has been deemed beyond immediate redemption. When our hearts are in the wrong place and we no longer connect with the worship or sermonwe shirk responsibility and place blame. Houston said he was shocked by the charges given how transparent hes always been about the matter, suggesting that claims were related to allegations that his father, Frank, had abused a boy over several years in the 1970s. 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