Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of sexual abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
Hillsong Church became a cultural phenomenon when several celebrities started attending its services. Founded by Brian Houston, the church gained a lot of popularity in the US, and one of its pastors, Carl Lentz, became an overnight celebrity. However, his sudden firing from the church shocked everyone. Despite being so popular, the Hillsong megachurch has faced several controversies. Several documentaries have explored the Hillsong Megachurch and how its founder, Brian Houston, used to run the organization.
Houston attended Bible College in Auckland, New Zealand, and founded Hills Christian Life Centre in 1983 in Sydney, Australia. Later, it went on to be known as Hillsong Church. According to People Magazine, Houston established Hills CLC six years after his father’s Sydney Christian Life Centre. The publication mentioned that the Hills Christian Life Centre gained massive popularity and later changed its name to Hillsong. Moreover, the founder brought the Hillsong megachurch to the US and gained much prominence among the elite. However, a few years later, former members of the church started accusing the church and its founder of homophobia, racial discrimination, and more.
In 2014, Australian authorities initiated an investigation against Frank Houston. People Magazine reported that the child sexual abuse leveled in the documentary Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed prompted them to look into the matter. Additionally, Brian Houston revealed that he got to know about the abuse right before his father died in 2004. Later, the police charged Houston for hiding the information about child sexual abuse. He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. The pastor went to trial and was found not guilty. In November 2023, Houston and his wife announced that they plan to launch a new church in 2024.
What is Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston doing now?
On X (formerly Twitter), former Hillsong megachurch founder Brian Houston announced in November that he and his wife, Bobbie, will start a new online ministry and church in 2024. Sharing his enthusiasm, he tweeted, “Bobbie and I are starting a weekly online ministry and church in 2024. I’m excited about building this new community.” Five months later, in April 2024, Houston provided an update and said that the online community, JesusFollowers.TV, will be starting in the first week of June.
According to Brian Houston’s official website, the online ministry began in June 2024, with Houston doing livestreams. It also includes videos from public meetings and conferences that he has attended.
Several documentaries, such as The Secrets of Hillsong and Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed, that explores the rise and fall of the Hillsong megachurch are now available to stream across multiple streaming platforms.
