Hillsong Church
When Elise finally reported her abuser to Hillsong, she was threatened and told to ‘forgive’ him
When Elise Heerde mustered up the courage to report a pastoral care leader at Hillsong church who had stalked and sexually assaulted her, she was threatened with losing her job and urged to forgive the man who had abused her.
- Melissa Cunningham
Latest
- Series
- Religion
Keeping the faith
In this series, explore how Victoria’s religious communities are attracting worshippers in an increasingly secular Australia.
Keeping the faith: These religious groups are flourishing as atheism takes hold
In a series, The Age explores why Christianity is declining and atheism is growing, while the faithful flock to Pentecostal megachurches, temples and mosques.
- Melissa Cunningham and Craig Butt
It’s loud and Insta-friendly. Step inside the world of ‘cool Christianity’
The Pentecostal faithful are flocking to sermons by pastors in ripped jeans and tearing up at rock concerts. It’s a far cry from empty pews in many Anglican and Catholic churches.
- Melissa Cunningham
- Opinion
- Political leadership
‘Nobody quite understood’: What role did religion play in Scott Morrison’s ‘bulldozer’ moves?
The media has largely abided by the convention that religion is personal, but the former member for Cook was not a conventional politician.
- David Hardaker
- Updated
- Courts
Brian Houston found not guilty of covering up father’s child sexual abuse
Outside the court, the founder of Hillsong Church said his father was a serial paedophile whose full offending may never be known.
- Georgina Mitchell
Brian Houston told thousands of people about his father’s child sexual abuse, court told
Brian Houston is accused of concealing a serious indictable offence over failing to tell police about his father’s crime between 1999 and 2004. He denies his guilt.
- Georgina Mitchell
Brian Houston protected Hillsong when he failed to report father to police: prosecutor
The former church leader is facing Downing Centre Local Court accused of failing to tell police about his father’s sexual abuse of a boy in the 1970s.
- Georgina Mitchell
It’s the season of the Hillsong documentary, which is a bad sign for Hillsong
As a rule, it’s a bad sign when multiple documentaries and podcasts about you come out simultaneously.
- David Free