We were made to feel that we were overreacting that we werent good Christians because of the things we were questioning.. We would like to advise you that Pastor Brian Houston has resigned as Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church, and the board has accepted his resignation, the church said in a statement. . The Asbury Revival Is Over. If I could give each of you a big hug, I would. And if he's being transparent, then let's see the texts," she wrote on Twitter. "A few months ago, an individual approached The Village Church's lead pastor Matt Chandler with concerns about the way he was using direct messaging on social media with a woman who was not his wife," elders said in the statement. 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. "The elders commissioned an independent law firm to conduct a review of Matt's messaging history across social media platforms, cell phone, and email. I wish I lived in one of these communities so I could get spiritual guidance from them*eye roll*. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER. Evangelical radio host and blogger, Erick-Woods Erickson, said Chandler and his church modeled what should be done. A Nashville-area megachurch pastor has announced plans to depart as senior pastor and, starting next year, lead an affiliated church-planting and resource Brian Houston, Australian pastor and co-founder of international megachurch Hillsong, announced on Sunday that he will be stepping down from his pastoral duties for 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. Houston sent inappropriate texts to a staff member, resulting in the staff member resigning in 2012, one complaint alleged. In 2002, he became pastor of First Baptist Church of Highland Village, now called The Village Church. God is everywhereeven in the news. 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. Would you like resources to help you navigate the important issues in this article? ", "We cannot be a church where anyone is above the Scriptures and above the high heavenly call into Christ Jesus," Chandler told congregants at a service on Sunday, adding that the report from the elders "revealed something unhealthy in me. CBN News reached out to Saddleback Church for comment on Pastor Warren's departure but did not hear back at the time of publication. "Why was he allowed to control the narrative? 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. Elder chairman Jasien Swords and fellow pastor and elder Josh Patterson, along with other leaders made the decision to hire an independent law firm, identified by The New York Times as, Castaeda and Heidelman, to conduct a review of Chandler's messaging history on Instagram, other social media platforms, cell phone, and email. Leader of Australian Megachurch Steps Down After Charge Over Fathers Sexual Abuse. appreciated. The church wrotethat after a thorough and lengthy legal investigation, "we maintain and firmly believe that we committed no wrong.". He has guided countless young leaders and inspired many of today's prominent pastors to pursue their own callings to ministry. 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. Did you encounter any technical issues? 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.. To donate, click here. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? ", The Hillsong board said it took appropriate actions at the time, including an investigation by the "integrity unit" after the 2019 incident that determined that Houston had "breached the Hillsong Pastor's Code of Conduct.". The 67-year-old Warren will continue to serve as the Saddleback's head pastor until a replacement can be found. Seems like a very calculated, damage control type of statement. Submitted by escamp on August 31, 2015 - 3:04pm. To donate. For the rest of this article, please visit out content partners at faithwire.com. Yarbrough alleged on her Facebook account last week that Baker engaged in inappropriate sexual relationships with multiple women at ECC in 2016. His book, "The Purpose Driven Church: Every Church Is Big in God's Eyes" is said to have encouraged pastors to lead a healthy and purposeful church. Today, @RickWarren announced that they will begin searching for his successor. In 2009, he was diagnosed with brain cancer,underwent brain surgery and was declared cancer-freein 2010. ", The church leaders said Chandler "violated our internal social media use policies," and claimed that "while the messages were not romantic or sexual in nature, the frequency and familiarity of the messages crossed a line. The reality is these churches are operated on ego and the enrichment of their religious operation. Mike remains steadfast in his sincere conviction that there is nothing to investigate. CBN Partners provide hope to those who are suffering! The elders, the statement continues,then commissioned an independent law firm to conduct a review of Chandler'smessaging history across social media platforms, his cellphone and his email. The goal will be to evaluate the current health and safety of our church staff and workplace culture and determine past facts and errors by church leadership. A lead pastor for Hillsong megachurch has stepped down mere hours before the premiere of a docuseries about the institutions recent scandals. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Other leaders are demanding The Village Church release the full investigative report. He claimed that in 2016, trustworthy staff members looked into sexual allegations against Caleb but resolved it wasnt possible to know if the allegations were true. Whatever, I guess a megachurch of that nature could well afford even a six figure sum in compensation, however much the megachurch and megaclergy of that nature might begrudge even a cent of it. The Village Church (TVC) leader agreed to step down for a period of time after voluntarily disclosing that he had inappropriate communication with a woman on Instagram who was not his wife. 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. One son, Mikey, has a credibly alleged history of domestic abuse where the abused wife was ignored when seeking help from the mother-in-law and was further removed from church ministry when she called her husband out for his behavior. "We would like to advise you that Pastor Brian Houston has resigned as Global Senior Pastor of Hillsong Church, and the board has accepted his resignation," the board said in a Wednesday statement. Probably wont go as far as the results of 2 Samuel 12:14, but its nothing to mess around with. Collier makes slightly heavier implications in the email regarding his personal take on Hillsongs current state. While the messages were not romantic or sexual in nature, the frequency and familiarity of the messages crossed a line. But it takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to do what we do. Yet another set of Hillsong megachurch pastors stepped down this weekend, following the resignation of church founder and former leader Brian Houston last week, as well as the release of Discovery+s three-part docuseries on the church, produced in association with The Post. 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. CCC also knew of Caleb Bakers misconduct in 2016, Yarbrough said, but hired him anyway. Brian Houston, the co-founding pastor of Hillsong Church in Australia, has stepped down from all of the church's governing boards but will remain a global senior pastor. However, as written, it indicates that the only thing anyone regrets is Mikes resignation. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 2023 Cable News Network. What Happens Now? Glenn and his wife, Jeannie, have two sons and became grandparents in recent years. "Thank you to everyone who has sent kind and encouraging messages. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. "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. The Village Church did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. Other allegations concerning Mike Baker have also recently come to light. Houston, a Pentecostal pastor, is required to appear in Sydney at a court on Oct. 5. to answer allegations that he did not inform police about his father Frank Houston, who's accused of abusing nine underage boys while he was serving as a pastor, according to the Morning Herald. Hi. Mike Glenn, senior pastor of Brentwood Baptist Church a prominent multi-site Southern Baptist congregation with about 12,000 members made the announcement on Sunday during a service and a video released the same day. It begs the question, what if there was a confession? Pray for him, @KayWarren1, @Saddleback Church, and all their related ministries as they step into this next phase of ministry.". Great! However, both CCC and Bakers former megachurch in IllinoisEastview Christian Church (ECC) in Bloomington/Normaldid turn a blind eye to Bakers abuse seven years ago, according to Former ECC Junior High Pastor Brooke Yarbrough. Very soon thereafter, regrettably, Mike submitted his resignation as the Senior Pastor of Eastview Christian Church, the church stated. 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. Secrets and abuse are furthering harm for generations. The investigators report led the elders to conclude that Chandler had violated the church's internal social-media use policies, and "more importantly that, while the overarching pattern of his life has been 'above reproach', he failed to meet the (Bible's) standard for elders of being above reproach in this instance," the statement reads. Instead of having his back, which the church could have done because of Chandler's standing, they decided to act. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. ECC also announced on its website that pastor Mike Baker had resigned from the church on Saturday. This is good," he added. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. Brian has said there was no sexual activity, but he was in the room for 40 minutes, Dooley said. Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS. The news of his retirement comes less than a month after Saddleback announced that it ordained three women as pastors, which goes against the traditions of the strictly male leadership within the SBC. No One Knows. Hillsong has faced significant scrutiny for its handling of sexual misconduct in recent years. Something is definitely wrong, so where do we begin? Matt Chandler, a lead pastor at a Texas megachurch, is taking a leave of absence after inappropriate DMs. READ:Eric Metaxas Radio Show Banned From YouTube For Violating Community Standards. Daten ber Ihr Gert und Ihre Internetverbindung, wie Ihre IP-Adresse, Browsing- und Suchaktivitten bei der Nutzung von Yahoo Websites und -Apps. 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 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. Christian Rocker Posts Stunning Response to Recent Apostasy of Christian Leaders, Chicago Radio Host & a Former Bodyguard Say James MacDonald Asked Them to Arrange Murders, James MacDonald Took Millions from Harvest & Now Demands Broadcast Ministry, Mancow Airs Shocking Comments By James MacDonald: My Response. God has given me the privilege to serve multiple generations," the OC Register reports him saying. Get new articles and breaking news delivered to your inbox. Houston who resigned for a second time Wednesday amid an ongoing court trial and multiple misconduct accusations has previously done the same for other pastors with whom the church wishes to remain on good terms. Great! Houston, 67, was charged in early August as part of an investigation that has been ongoing since 2019, according to The Guardian. 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. 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.. TRR tried to call Mike Baker and email Caleb Baker for comment but was unable to reach either of them. This might happen some places, but it would be another way to unmask the narcissist leader, even if he happens to be at the little church. Thats why we view every news story through the lens of faith. Click here to subscribe to the Charisma News newsletter. The pastor of a megachurch in the Dallas-Fort Worth area has stepped down after he was confronted over inappropriate messages between himself and a woman who was not his wife over Instagram. We were neglected. Never miss a big news story again. 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. He also founded Pastors.com, an online interactive community that provides sermons, forums, and other practice resources for pastors. Quick Start Podcast: Biden Calls Trump Voters 'Threat' to America in Divisive Speech, "In this case, while the messages were not romantic or sexual in nature, the frequency and familiarity of the messages crossed a line," it added. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. In thestatement recorded and shared to the churchs website, the pastor explained that a few months back, a woman approached him in the churchs foyer with concerns about how I was (direct messaging)on Instagram with a friend of hers., I didnt think I had done anything wrong in that, Chandler, 48,toldthe congregation. Prophetic messages from respected leaders & news of how God is moving throughout the world. What Happens Now? Also, the sheep in the new place now, need to put themselves under the leadership and culture of the place theyve come to; no trying to recreate the show at the new place. 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. The shift ended her professional partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources, the publishing, and distribution division of the SBC. 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