Leaving Hillsong

Why did the Vanity Fair documentary nosedive into a promo piece for a perp with multiple complaints about his leadership, his behaviour, his financial misappropriation, sexual exploitation, labour exploitation, coercive control and on and on including spiritual abuse? We may never find out, although I suspect we will... but today we conclude the Carl Lentz VF exploration with Tanya's first hand ac...

What did BCH ask Tanya Levin after more than 23 years of no contact when they caught up at court? Why did Tanya get arrested while Justin Bieber was at conference? We continue Luc Hilton's interview with Leaving Hillsong host, Tanya Levin in part 2 of this very special episode ... don't miss it!! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vanity Fair's recent 'documentary' The Secrets Of Hillsong had a really big secret it kept from most of the participants - they were being interviewed without knowing that the source of so many complaints of abuse, celeb loving pastor from New York, Carl Lentz was actually using this for a comeback. Or using Vanity Fair or from most ways you look at this, the positive light shines bright like a di...

Bobbie Houston, the former Biggest Shot at Hillsong, has been preaching up a storm at her frenemy's church, Wendy Treat over in Seattle, blissfully ignorant of the reality of her husband's bad behaviour and inability to shave. Or is she? Join me, Tanya and James, our resident Mental Health consultant as we look over the myriad of drivel and confessions that pour out of the heart/mouth of Roberta L...

Carl Lentz was an unusual pastor to his New York City sheep and they loved every moment of him. Until they didn't. Long before Lentz's famous fall, Nate, a native New Yorker was on the production team at Carl's NY franchise, and he joins us again with his fiance, Gail, a Canadian, who also comes from a background of evangelicalism. We chat about Carl, and Josh, and Darnell, and what it's like to S...

Gail is from Canada. Nate is from New York. Both are from an evangelical background and wound up engaged. Nate and Gail from the Full Mutuality Podcast talk American fundamentalism and Hillsong NYC and the highs and lows it offered. In Part 1 we meet them and find out how Nate went from being taught he was 'worse than Judas' to being up close and personal with some of New York's finest... Christia...

Drapps, our UK correspondent, joins us to talk Mike Pilavachi and Soul Survivor and the recent #SCANDAL to hit the UK. We talk about what happens when young men feel uncomfortable and how an entire movement. based on celibacy turned out not to be so. What to do next? well, come chat and let's find out! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scott and his wife Kat join us for part 3 of our deep dive into the MUSIC of Hillsong... how it's created and how it's weaponized for crowds... and then, something happened... as we were talking about growing up in Hillsong, Scott spoke of abuse at Youth Group, physical, psychological, and sexual. This is an intense episode with a passion expressed that is as raw as any church service. What is cri...

The Hillsong liturgy? TONIGHT we take apart the magic of Hillsong music and its worldwide influence.. how does it work? And who gets to be a STAR? Find out who gets chosen to play the role of musician in the Greatest Megachurch Show on Earth! Scott and Kat both had roles on stage and they guide us through the highly scripted and highly influential music machine that is Hillsong music in part 2.. c...

"I know the people who wrote those songs!", says Scott's friend in the 7th grade. "Really! thinks Scott, then I'm going to that Hillsong Church...." For 15 years Scott sang Hillsong songs on stage and learned all there is about music... well, Hillsong music. In the mean time, Kat was growing up on the North Coast of NSW and going Uniting, until she took a gap year for college... and before she was...

3/ what's life been life like since? For former pastors Craig and Sam Wood, life has been fantastic. but it was rough at the start, when they first left Hillsong and went out into the world. Stripped of their daily support systems and employment, Sam and Craig had to start from scratch. What did they do? Where did they turn and how did they make it through? We talk faith, life and relationships on...

Pastor Craig had a question for Pastor Brian Houston when he ran into him. The answer changed the course of the Woods family's lives FOREVER...So what was so important and then what did Craig and Sam do once they were handed the answer in a way only BCH gives answers? Find out on Part 2 of outta the woods!! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Hillsong pastors talk for the first time about 8 years spent in the leadership roles after many years before at church and in ministry. Then along came Brian Houston. And in minutes, everything changed. Join us for this next-level chat about what it's like to start, run, pioneer and lead only for it to come crashing down and the whole family has to start from the beginning! #pastors #hillso...

What about Uncle Sam and #Hillsong? Does the IRS want to know about these gifts and honoraria? Is Brian supposed to pay tax on the money he collects overseas and are his mates supposed to pay tax on the tax deducted money that is tax exempt that is given to THEM when they hit Aussie shores? Barry Bown, chief investigator of Leaving Hillsong but usually the Trinity Foundation has been thrilled by t...

THE SOURCE IS BACK. Saucy Source gives us the lowdown on tax loopholes which are gaping wide if you are a pastor, or his spouse or his kids or his car or house. Life is good when you pay no tax on anything but it also involves a lot of gift giving and we jump into that. The Sauce is undercover and disguised his voice but he's got A LOT to tell you about honoraria and cash and gifts and life as a p...

What kind of people spend $12,000 to change a flight? What kind of people are these big spenders in the name of God? S.J. got in touch and wanted to go through the Whistleblower Docs on the pod so we sat down and had a good old chat about hankies, and phones, phone cases, Shady and Freddy from J.C. Travel (yes, it is what you think) , private jets, mouth ulcer ointment and every expenditure she fo...

Blow those whistles, everyone, cos the report is OUT! Grab your copy from the Leaving Hillsong Instagram and facebook links and come laugh along at the people who... well you these people! We rip the report up and defame every name we can so that you don't have to! Laugh or cry it's up to you! We chose to point and giggle. And we hope you can join us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...

Glen and I talk change in the megachurch and say 'the megachurch must die' a bunch of times. Glen continues to stress his faith over his church and we discuss the heartache and tough times after leaving a place like Hillsong. Uncertainty and injustice are themes in the Moses family's lives and Glen talks openly about how they've managed the losses and realisations that come with #leavinghillsong s...

Glen Moses attended Hillsong for 6 years before they parted ways. In that time Glen and his wife Natalie saw many things that concerned them and Glen shares that with us today. He started a Youtube called the Megachurch Must Die and he's here to explain why that is... what alternatives he sees and why he still loves God. So come chat about The One with Glen! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

What do you get when the UK meets Sydney meets Baton Rouge, Louisiana? THIS CHAT! De, Drapps and I continue to wade through life's most uncomfortable questions: Can you be Christian and gay? What's the difference between church and hypnosis? Is God just a drug? Come join us for this special #lgbt #worldpride #recap as De gives us his POV on and sundry and why the further he gets away from church.....

De'Vannon, Drapps and I talked last June for #pride but the interview never made the month De's story is too great to miss so I saved it up and here we are with worldpride and this conversation is still so rich and so relevant. De'Vannon grew up in the South of the USA in a faith based home and community and has seen his own trials and tribulations, literally. He's been in Lakewood Church serving...

OUR resident mental health expert James and me Tanya carry on for a bit about Bobbie Houston, her husband, her marriage, but most of all her thoughts when creating the social media posts that she does. We're basically lost for words but we do our best and well, just come chat with us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Hey Tanya" the SMS said. "Do you think it's Hubris Syndrome or Narcissism?"  James, our resident mental health professional was asking me about the recent posts by former #Hillsong #leader #Bobbie Houston.  So we decided to take a closer look..  Come read Case Notes with us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura discusses her final days at #Hillsong Bible College and what life's been like since.  She also discusses the statements Hillsong made in response to her interview with Business Insider's Rich McHugh from their #newsroom.  Laura talks about the pressures from all sides to fit the Hillsong model and make it big... and what happens when you speak up against a place that size!  Come chat with us...

Laura Hamilton is the 2nd former #Hillsong #college student named in the article named here followinng the interview Yolandi Bosch (last week's episode) and she gave with Rich McHugh and Business Insider in 2020 .  If you have a #Hillsong story, #leavinghillsong is the place to tell it, and Laura explains the circumstances that lead to her enrolment and eventual 'depersonalisation', career crisis,...