Earlier this month, SBCannounced that it's under federal investigation related to sexual abuse. 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 fun! Hillsong founder Brian Houston announced Sunday he is stepping down from his ministry roles. Other leaders are demanding The Village Church release the full investigative report. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. 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.. Great! Were available 24/7. 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. It was found that Pastor Brian became disoriented after a session at the Hillsong Conference, following the consumption of anti-anxiety medication beyond the prescribed dose, mixed with alcohol. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. 46. To contact us or to submit an article, click here. But while ECC elders said in their statement they initiated a third-party audit then, they didnt inform Lee that they were investigating, nor of the results, Lee said on Instagram. To donate, Vineyard Pastor Resigns, Wont Cooperate With Probe Into Sons Alleged Misconduct, Why Businessman Peter Chung Matters for the Future of The Kings College. 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.. The Sydney Morning Herald reports documents filed with the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC) reveal Houston resigned his positions with the church a little more than a week and a half after he was charged by the New South Wales Police Force for allegedly covering up information about his father's child sexual abuse offenses. Updated 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. ", 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. We just want to give you guys our absolute blessing for the next season, said Dooley in the short clip. Houston had already temporarily stepped aside as Hillsongs Global Pastor in January of this year, to vigorously defend against charges that he allegedly concealed the sex abuse of a young man in the 1970s. In May of 2020, the megachurch reported 150,000 members in 23 countries. Excuses are made. By Rebecca Hopkins. The church alleged, "numerous other pastors and individuals had knowledge of this matter prior to Brian Houston learning about it.". Following this discovery, Houston "agreed to take specific action including stepping down from leadership for a period. Your tax-deductible gift helps our journalists report the truth and hold Christian leaders and organizations accountable. ", His wife Lauren is publicly supporting him during this season, posting a photo of her looking up at him adoringly. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! The accusations brought up some concerns that although my DMing with this woman was not romantic, nor was it ever sexual, it was unguarded and it was unwise," Chandler said. Pastor Brian remains on a period of leave," the board added. I was actually thinking just that when I watched it," he tweeted. Considering the findings of the TVC investigation and consistent with the leave of absence from preaching and teaching that the Village Church has placed Matt on, the Acts 29 Board has asked Matt to step aside from Acts 29 speaking engagements during this time," it said. Hi. The 67-year-old Warren will continue to serve as the Saddleback's head pastor until a replacement can be found. Graig Graziosi. 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. Ill step back, and some other young whippersnapper will come in and take us into the future that God has for us, said Glenn. To donate, click here. A megachurch pastor is taking a leave of absence after relaying inappropriate messages on social media with a woman, church elders said in a statement on Sunday. Leaders concluded Matt violated their "internal social media use policies," but it did not "rise to the level of disqualification." After years of delay, Southern Baptists passed a series of reforms in 2022 aimed at addressing abuse in the nations largest Protestant, A former youth pastor at First Baptist Church (FBC) of Bentonville, Arkansas, has accepted a plea deal for his victimization of children, Several churches deemed not in friendly cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) have responded to action taken by the SBC Executive. 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. He has not addressed the veracity of the claims against him. Each campus has the flexibility to contextualize ministry to its unique community under the leadership of its own campus pastor, the church states. Sign up now to get the Washington Examiners breaking news and timely commentary delivered right to your inbox. The elders said that before finalizing decisions about the best way forward, ECC leadership removed the Feb. 25th edition of Mike Talks, videotaped talks Mike Baker posted each week. CNN Brian Houston, the founder of Australian megachurch Hillsong, stepped down from his role as global senior pastor amid an internal investigation into The Asbury Revival Is Over. 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. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. We are committed to delivering quality independent Christian journalism you can trust. This woman's husband knew about it. 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. 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Leader of Australian Megachurch Steps Down After Charge Over Fathers Sexual Abuse. A lead pastor for Hillsong megachurch has stepped down mere hours before the premiere of a docuseries about the institutions recent scandals. And rather than tell the truth, ECC leaders told the church that Caleb Baker had left voluntarily, Yarbrough alleged. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider The blame gets shifted to someone else. "At the time when she brought it up, I saw no issue with it," he explained. "The woman who confronted Chandler about Chandler's relationship with the woman's friend was not vilified. I have yet to see a victim allowed to do that in a church. The latest breaking Christian news you need to know about as soon as it happens. Executive Director Brian Howard, who has provided day-to-day leadership for Acts 29 since May 2020, will continue to lead Acts 29 in our commitment to plant disciple-making churches worldwide.". What Happens Now? WebBilly Grahams grandson steps down from Florida megachurch after admitting an affair. Then in July 2022, a former employee notified the elders of an abusive culture in 2016. At that point, the elders brought in a third party for an audit of the church as a workplace. 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. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. Also available on most smart TVs and streaming services. Hillsong New York Pastor Carl Lentz was fired in 2020 after the church learned that he was engaged in "more than one extramarital affair." Submitted by escamp on August 31, 2015 - 3:04pm. That same evening, Chandlershared those concerns with his wife, Lauren, and two elders, in an effort to addressthe situation,The Village Church wrote in an Aug. 28 statementon its website. He has guided countless young leaders and inspired many of today's prominent pastors to pursue their own callings to ministry. Read articles like this one and other Spirit-led content in our new platform, CHARISMA PLUS. A Warner Bros. Keep in touch with Julie and get updates in your inbox! 9:34 PM EDT, Wed March 23, 2022, Popular preacher ushers in a new generation. Did you encounter any technical issues? Christine Lee, former ECC junior high pastor, came forward today on social media saying that she was the employee who reported abuse to the elders in July 2022. Brian has said there was no sexual activity, but he was in the room for 40 minutes, Dooley said. 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 "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. Today, @RickWarren announced that they will begin searching for his successor. 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 Since 2010, Brentwood Baptist has established seven regional campuses of the church. All Rights Reserved. . Collier, 33, goes on to reassure readers that he believes Hillsong will get through this storm and come out better than they were before, adding in an Instagram Story that we still consider [Hillsong] family and they are not our enemies. The post concludes with an open invitation to Colliers final Hillsong service and an announcement that he is launching a new congregation called Story Church this Easter Sunday. 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. Glenn has authored two books and frequently blogs, including guest posts on The Jesus Creed. But it takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to do what we do. But the church said "the frequency and familiarity of the messages crossed a line. 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. You can help bring hope today! 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. "We are strong proponents of brothers and sisters in Christ being friends, but there are boundaries around what's appropriate in these kinds of friendships. Updated on 3/1/23: This story has been updated to include a statement from Cal Jernigan that he posted on CCCs website on February 28. And so I kind of pushed against that not being okay. Im held to a higher standard and fell short of that higher standard.. A Nashville-area megachurch pastor has announced plans to depart as senior pastor and, starting next year, lead an affiliated church-planting and resource network. 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TALIBAN CLOSE GIRLS SCHOOLS HOURS AFTER REOPENING, "We understand there will be much emotion at this news, and we all share these feelings," the board noted. This is my decision, he said. Hillsong has faced significant scrutiny for its handling of sexual misconduct in recent years. Two elders at the pastors megachurch have also 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. Meanwhile, the elders at ECC have commissioned a third-party audit, the elders wrote in a statement posted Saturday. 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. The organization released a statement to USA TODAY on Tuesday: "The elders of The Village Church decided that Matts leave of absence would be from teaching and preaching. 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. Something is definitely wrong, so where do we begin? 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. 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. God is everywhereeven in the news. 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. It is with great sadness that I inform you of my departure from Hillsong, Sam Collier, the now-former lead pastor of the Australia-born churchs Atlanta, Ga., branch, began a Wednesday Instagram post announcing his departure. "Time has a way of bringing forth the whole truth.". "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. According to Hillsongs Global Board the second complaint was received in 2019 when Houston entered a womans hotel room after a Hillsong conference. 2. 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. 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. Then, when more allegations came out shortly afterwards, Mike Baker asked Caleb to resign. 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.". You should receieve a confirmation email shortly. Would you consider making a tax-deductible donation to help our journalists continue to report the truth and restore the church? After more than 20 years at the helm, Todd Wagner, senior pastor and co-founder of Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Texas, announced Sunday that he is temporarily stepping away from his pulpit due to the sin of pride. appreciated. In January 2024, Glenn said he plans to become executive director of Engage Church Network, a church-planting and resource network based at Brentwood Baptist. Church leadership is not much different than their secular corporate counterparts. 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. The woman has not said there was any sexual activity. As I ingested the information last week and grieved for his family and church, I couldnt help but thinkthis was completely preventable, Yarbrough wrote. The Acts 29 Board has decided to follow the lead of TVC and ask Matt to step away from his Acts 29 speaking engagements during this time. The pandemic popped San Francisco's progressive bubble, The cost of the Federal Reserve's 'full employment': Migrant child labor, Lori Lightfoot's next dancing TikTok video should be to "Bye Bye Bye", TikTok restricts teenager screen time as it faces threat of national ban, Lightfoot is out: Chicago mayor out four years after breaking onto scene as rising star, Republicans could force Bidens first veto with fights over ESG and DC crime law, Protesters thrown out of House China committee's first prime-time hearing. The pastor of a prominent Dallas-Fort Worth megachurch said he had an inappropriate online relationship with a woman and will step down from preaching and teaching. 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