Hillsong announced this week that its founder, Brian Houston, has resigned from the church amid allegations of inappropriate behavior towards two women. In a YouTube video posted today, Baker addressed the situation involving his son. 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. I find this statement alone to be disturbing. The reality is these churches are operated on ego and the enrichment of their religious operation. In their statement, the ECC elders said that they had originally learned of some allegations against Caleb Baker in 2016 through letters allegedly written by victims of abuse. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. Maybe the fault in all of these indiscretions we often hear about doesnt rest on the leaders. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? Two megachurchesone in Arizona and one in Illinoisare being rocked by allegations they allowed a pastor guilty of clergy sexual abuse to re-enter the ministryand offend again. Great! The Lords in it (and) weve walked through this together.. I think and long overdue! would be more appropriate. However, the authors who signed the letters then denied writing them and denied being victims of abuse, the elders added. It's been there for years. "And I fell short.". We acknowledge that change is needed. According to the churchs website, four of these churches were launched by associate pastors of Brentwood and three reflect Brentwood Baptist partnering with existing churches. Although all parts of the complaint were unable to be sustained, important elements of the complaint were sustained and the conduct was of serious concern, the statement continued. 2023 Cable News Network. Alsoon Aug. 1, The Village Church announcedon its websitethat it hadsettled a 2019 lawsuitalleging that one of its former children'sministers molested an 11-year-old girl. She added that when she questioned Calebs sudden departure, she was told to be quiet.. I assume they mean the whole situation Mikes son promiscuously screwing through the congregation, Mikes helping to cover it up, Mikes finally getting caught in the cover-up is regrettable, and thats a weak but not inaccurate word. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of "Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse" by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. It is known globally for its record label Hillsong Music, which produces Christian pop-rock with groups including Hillsong Young & Free, Hillsong Worship and Hillsong United. A representative of Collier told The Post he was the megachurchs first African American pastor and that he may be the first of many to resign due to the current Hillsong environment.. But Jernigan said Baker told him leaders had investigated and concluded it was an unfounded claim. Jernigan said the elder Baker asked him to give Caleb a fresh start, and Jernigan consented. Through that process, email communication possibly deemed abusive has been brought to the elders attention, the elders stated. CBN Partners provide hope to those who are suffering! Dr. Ed Stetzer, professor and dean at the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center, tweeted the news and called for prayers, saying: "Today, @RickWarren announced that they will begin searching for his successor. In a video conference shared with the Australian media, Houstons interim replacement Phil Dooley said the church didnt know whether the incident had involved any sexual activity. CNN has not been able to independently verify the video. As CBN's Faithwire reported, in a blog post published July 23, the Hillsong leadership stated Brian Houston didn't know about his father's criminal action against victim Brett Sengstock until he was 45 and the alleged victim was 37. Discovery Company. "At the time when she brought it up, I saw no issue with it," he explained. But Caleb Bakers father, Mike Baker, was serving as ECC head pastor at the time. An Australian court charged Houston with covering up the sexual abuse of a young male by his father in August 2021. They revealed that (he) did not use language appropriate for a pastor, and he did not model a behavior that we expect from him., The statement said his leave of absence is "both disciplinary and developmental, which allows him to focus on growing greater awareness in this area.". Later, on February 25th, the Elders met with Mike. Moss stated that the church bylaws available on the churchs website proscribe their senior pastor search process moving forward. Conservative and evangelical leaders are speaking out after Pastor Matt Chandler took a leave of absence following some questionable behavior online. 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. The original version of this article published on Feb. 27, 2023, reported that the congregational vote tally was 871 to 12. "The elders have decided, and I think they're rightthat my inability to see this for what it was revealed something not right, something unhealthy, in me," Chandler said. People have often asked me over the years, What would it take for you to ever leave Hillsong? I politely always replied, I will never leave the Hillsong World until the mission/vision that God has given me becomes hindered by the challenges that come along with the entity.. I, and the other leaders of this church, cannot turn a blind eye to this and act as if this didnt happen or that somehow we didnt know, we didnt find out.. And rather than tell the truth, ECC leaders told the church that Caleb Baker had left voluntarily, Yarbrough alleged. Brian has said there was no sexual activity, but he was in the room for 40 minutes, Dooley said. ** Very soon thereafter, regrettably, Mike submitted his resignation as the Senior Pastor of Eastview Christian Church, the church stated. Illinois megachurch pastor Bill Hybels resigns following misconduct allegations | wqad.com. Joey Moss, chairman of the churchs board of trustees, affirmed that Glenn and the board have planned the transition over the past year. Stay up-to-date with current issues, Christian teachings, entertainment news, videos & more. Im doing this because no one loves you more than I do, and its just time., Addressing the church, Glenn underlined that no concerns precipitated the change. We see this is the third article this month youve found worth reading. The shift ended her professional partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources, the publishing, and distribution division of the SBC. "Individually and collectively, each SBC entity is resolved to fully and completely cooperate with the investigation," read an SBC statement released Aug. 12. If this would happen the market for big church as business would dry up.. the glory seeking leaders of these business outfits/sham churches would have to go start some other kind of business gig minus the religious cloak. Collier makes slightly heavier implications in the email regarding his personal take on Hillsongs current state. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. One son, Caleb, has a credibly alleged history of clergy sexual abuse at at least two churches, including one where dad was lead pastor. Instead of dealing with the sons behavior, the solution was send him off to work at another church. He has not addressed the veracity of the claims against him. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. At the end of 2023, I will step down as senior pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church, said Glenn following his Sunday sermon. Hillsong Atlanta Lead Pastor Sam Collier announced Wednesday that he is stepping down in the wake of the allegations of misconduct directed at the global Still there today. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! ", "He is the man you hope he is," she continues. This feels like leadership trying to distance themselves from any accountability. And so I kind of pushed against that not being okay. "Police will allege in court the man 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," the police department stated. Who Will Pay for the SBCs Abuse Reforms Over the Long Term? "The woman who confronted Chandler about Chandler's relationship with the woman's friend was not vilified. Texas megachurch pastor Matt Chandler steps down after DMs with woman 'crossed a line' Natalie Neysa Alund USA TODAY 0:00 0:57 A Texas megachurch 00:04 02:12. However, because the Elders were not aware of everything that transpired involving Caleb Bakers departure and want to be transparent in the process, we reached an impasse.. . Two megachurchesone in Arizona and one in Illinoisare being rocked by allegations they allowed a pastor guilty of clergy sexual abuse to re-enter the ministryand offend again. Rebecca Hopkins is a journalist based in Colorado. Hillsong has faced significant scrutiny for its handling of sexual misconduct in recent years. mishandled sexual abuse cases for two decades. Well, I would say it would have to start with the audience at these places (in past times, parishners) If they/we want this kind of thing to end, they/we all need to leave these kinds of churches (anything that looks like a corporate headquarters or mall, with a stage and lights etc) and go find the nearest small, local church, connected to a bona fide / long term denomination, and that Lacks a stage / lights / band etc..and intends to keep it that way. Klicken Sie auf Einstellungen verwalten um weitere Informationen zu erhalten und Ihre Einstellungen zu verwalten. While the allegations were not referenced in the resignation statement, the board did acknowledge the accusations last week, stating that it was "dealing with two complaints made against Pastor Brian over the last ten years.". ", Although leaders made the decision to have Chandler take a leave of absence, he assured the congregation that he would be their pastor "for another 20 years. Why is he up there announcing itand intentionally being allowed to put forth his own narrative? Earlier this month, SBCannounced that it's under federal investigation related to sexual abuse. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. The news comes as bombshell 300-page report released by the Southern Baptist Church found that leaders either dismissed or hid sexual abuse allegations within the 13 million member organization. Also available on most smart TVs and streaming services. new! 2. Thats why we view every news story through the lens of faith. Then, when more allegations came out shortly afterwards, Mike Baker asked Caleb to resign. Chandler's decision to step down is both being applauded and criticized. No One Knows. For the first time in 20 years, Im stepping Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), is stepping down from his position as lead pastor of Following this discovery, Houston "agreed to take specific action including stepping down from leadership for a period. (The Roys Report) An Oregon megachurch pastor whos broadcast on more than 500 radio and TV outlets, and has more than 150K followers on social media, has stepped down from ministry amid multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse. Mike remains steadfast in his sincere conviction that there is nothing to investigate. There is no doubt that there is a whole lot going on in [Hillsongs] world, but we just want to say that we are continuing to put our trust and our hope in Jesus., 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Hillsong megachurch hit with sexual assault lawsuit by student, Hillsong pastor punched by Carl Lentzs jilted wife quits megachurch, Hillsongs bombshell Carl Lentz report leaked: sex, lies and manipulation, Fallen Hillsong Church boss deeply sorry for boozing, fathers evil. Despite asking lots of questions and continuing to raise concerns about what was happening (in 2016), I was told to be quiet and to stop asking questions & then had the privilege of throwing a go away celebration party and standing in front of our students to announce his send off, knowing something wasnt adding up.. Arkansas Youth Pastor Pleads Guilty to 13 Counts of Sexual Assault, Churches Respond to Action of SBC Executive Committee, Why Businessman Peter Chung Matters for the Future of The Kings College. appreciated. He and his wife live in the Washington, D.C. area with their two children. Meanwhile, the global church planting network, Acts 29, where Chandler served as president and chairman, also asked him to step down from speaking engagements. On Tuesday, Feb, 28, Jernigan posted a statement on CCCs website, saying that Mike Baker, a longtime friend, told him of an accusation made against Caleb. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. The full story isn't told. Regrettably? Michael Gatlin, who for the past 25 years served as Lead Pastor of The Vineyard Church in Duluth, Minnesota, has resigned, saying, So far, most of the coverage by mainstream news outlets of The Kings Colleges financial woes has oddly focused on Kings past, After years of delay, Southern Baptists passed a series of reforms in 2022 aimed at addressing abuse in the nations largest Protestant, It did not come out by confession; they were discovered, Jernigan told his congregation. He founded the Saddleback Valley Community Church in 1980, and it has grown into a global ministry with an estimated 40,000 participants. In May of 2020, the megachurch reported 150,000 members in 23 countries. As in the old analogy of putting lipstick on a pig , the shade of lipstick matters not. Today, @RickWarren announced that they will begin searching for his successor. Daniel Chalmers, the North Carolina pastor who was accused of urinating on a woman while she was sleeping during a flight in October, stepped down from his position at a Raleigh church, according to local news reports. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive a copy of "Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse" by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. The moment it is realized that sh*t could hit the fan and the operation could be in jeopardy, ego kicks in, and damage control goes into action. The former senior pastor did this while "under the influence of sleeping tablets, upon which he had developed a dependence," according to the board. ***Please sign up forCBN Newslettersand download theCBN News appto ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***. 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. Hillsongs public relations team did not comment further on Houstons resignation when contacted by CNN. This resulted in him knocking on the door of a hotel room that was not his, entering this room and spending time with the female occupant, the church said. By Rebecca Hopkins. Ill step back, and some other young whippersnapper will come in and take us into the future that God has for us, said Glenn. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. You can help bring hope today! Facts are hidden. On Sunday, the church published a webpage with details of the process, including members of the search committee and details of the church membership vote to come in future months. A pastoral role requires a greater awareness of those boundaries," The Village Church elders wrote in an August statement. The news came a day ahead of the Thursday premiere of the three-part docuseries Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed, produced in collaboration with The Post and Discovery+/TLC. Houston is one of the most influential religious figures in Australia and a friend of Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who regularly attends the Hillsong national conference, and gave the opening address at the event in 2019. ", "The Word of God holds me to a certain standard," Chandler added. The Arizona megachurchCentral Christian Church (CCC), which has five locations in the Phoenix area announced the termination of Lead Student Pastor and Associate Preaching Pastor Caleb Baker at a church service posted on Feb. 13. Houston temporarily stepped down from his role as global pastor in January, which he said was part of preparation for a trial. According to the churchs website, Brentwood Baptist has an annual budget of $30 million. Australian authorities said last year that Houston allegedly knew information relating to the sexual abuse of a young male in the 1970s and failed to bring it to the attention of police. He also founded Pastors.com, an online interactive community that provides sermons, forums, and other practice resources for pastors. 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. 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