Hillsongs and disadvantage people
Here we go again…
“HILLSONG Church is generating money by recycling public funds aimed at disadvantaged people back into its own coffers through tithes, a NSW MP has alleged.
Labor MP Ian West has written to a NSW ombudsman asking him to investigate the claims that Hillsong is giving electricity vouchers to financially strapped people, then drawing them into the church, where they are asked to pay 10 per cent of their income as a tithe.
The allegations are the latest raising questions about the relationship between Hillsong Church, what it calls its benevolent arm, Hillsong Emerge, and the millions of dollars Hillsong Emerge receives from governments for public services. “
Read the whole article here
December 16th, 2005 at 7:20 pm
Sounds good Jane. I’ll get onto it.
December 16th, 2005 at 11:49 pm
All of this - as well as my observations of the AoG make me wonder - How many churches AoG in Australia are pulling out of the denomination ( is that greek for divided nation?)
Several here are, and most of them are being stifled by the HQ in Springfield, from what I heard from a District Presbyter of theirs a few days ago. Most of them, according to him, were very white, losing people or dying out The ones who have a majority white congreagation for sure.- while, many of the larger ones ( between 100 and 120 chruches) have made plans or given notice they are leaving the denomination. ( or leaving the divided nation?)
December 19th, 2005 at 8:21 pm
jane and splat
that same scenario happended over the last 15 yrs at “Coastlife” which was previously Gosford CLC… and could be said to have happened at countless others as leadership find a formula that works for numbers and money but leaves true community and fellowship along with orthodox theology behind
December 19th, 2005 at 8:57 pm
interestingly the early history of australia apparently saw every denomination recieve huge tracts of land from the govt except the baptists who refused on the basis that they never wanted to be compromised by the govt
December 19th, 2005 at 11:43 pm
Absolute - Have they asked them recently?
December 20th, 2005 at 9:09 am
i would not be surprised if they had… its a bit of a different animal now (in NSW at least)
December 20th, 2005 at 2:43 pm
Ah for the good old days when it cost people to follow Christ - If those old timers would have only known - they could have been riding in new Rolls Royces instead of wagons, an dliving of the government ( or any other easy money source).
February 10th, 2006 at 2:22 pm
“Pick up your cross and follow me” - should have been “throw on your calvin kleins, jump in your merc and let’s all jump to the jam!”
February 13th, 2006 at 1:58 am
(Hillsong) Church ’spent indigenous grants on staff’
From The Australian
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,18125242-421,00.html
February 13th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
Hillsong’s response …
http://www2.hillsong.com/media/default.asp?pid=843
to the latest story on them in The Australian.
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,18125242-421,00.html
“It appears that since the Hillsong Conference in July 2005, forces within the Australian newspaper have embarked on an ongoing, orchestrated and often pitiful campaign to discredit Hillsong Church and Hillsong Emerge with its extensive community projects.
In recent times this attack has been led by journalist Ean Higgins. In a series of articles, Mr Higgins has shown no regard for the facts provided, nor has he displayed journalistic ethics. Every article he has written about Hillsong and Hillsong Emerge has been agenda driven and laced with contortions and misinformation.
One of Mr Higgins’ tactics is to arm individuals, including Labor politicians, with misinformation and then quote them as the source of his stories.
He has also hidden his true identity when speaking to Hillsong staff, misrepresenting himself and his intentions.
Interestingly, numerous letters and attempts by Hillsong to contact the editor of the Australian have been completely ignored.
Attempts to provide Mr Higgins with factual information were ignored or twisted, therefore we have declined to make further comment to Mr Higgins and some of his colleagues who have demonstrated the same agendas.
However, it should be noted that not all journalists at the Australian use these tactics.
Regardless, Hillsong Church and its public benevolent arm, Hillsong Emerge, will continue to provide much needed services to the most disenfranchised and marginalised in our communities.”
They can’t defend the indefensible…so they’re going to play the man..not the ball.
It gives a clear insight into what happens to anyone inside or outside Hillsong who asks reasonable questions that ANY reasonable person would ask when SO MUCH money is being clearly squandered.
February 17th, 2006 at 1:37 pm
Hillsong Dumped From Funding Arrangement (yes, another one)
“The Hillsong Church’s benevolent arm has been dumped from a second federal funding relationship amid claims it spent indigenous development grants on itself, rather than on the Aboriginal entrepreneurs for whom it was intended.”
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=87323
February 17th, 2006 at 3:03 pm
They can’t defend the indefensible…so they’re going to play the man..not the ball.
It gives a clear insight into what happens to anyone inside or outside Hillsong who asks reasonable questions that ANY reasonable person would ask when SO MUCH money is being clearly squandered.
Well hang on just a minute - certainly there are a significant number of questions that need answering, however I think it’s not unheard of for a journalist to twist quotes and spin the truth in order to get the story - so let’s not simply assume that because the story is about hillsong that it is necessarily impartial! We all gloat way too easily over the negative HS stuff and it bothers me that this occurs. Build up don;t pull down (easier said than done in the case of HS, I know). Would Jesus be joining us in our choruses of condemnation - maybe - he did run through the temple with a whip!
February 17th, 2006 at 3:35 pm
They could have an ‘Upturned Furniture’ ministry at Hillsong, where part of the set-up team’s job is to right all the Hillsong and Joyce Meyer merchandise tables overturned by Jesus.
Anyways, got to love Parliamentary Privilege.
http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=2529273&TABLE=HANSARDR&TARGET=
and….
http://parlinfoweb.aph.gov.au/piweb/view_document.aspx?ID=2529297&TABLE=HANSARDR&TARGET=
February 18th, 2006 at 6:40 am
Hey!! Post #22 is not me! Someone has co-opted my persona. Naughty! And also serioulsy bad etiquette.
However, the question stands. Who has the moral right to throw stones when you live in the crystal cathedral.
February 18th, 2006 at 6:43 am
Or any other cathedral for that matter?
February 18th, 2006 at 8:15 am
Over the last six months since just before the “God’s Millionairres” article came out, I had a level of disquiet in my spirit - that all was not well with HS and others.
Its taken quite a while to get to the bottom of this, to see how the ’system’ works, and just what is going on.
After two grants being stripped, seeing the obsufication around the facts relating to finances, seeing how Pastors refuse to use adequate principles of exegesis to defend the ‘tithe’, and now seeing BH now step up and take his palce alongside the long list of sooby doo villians such as Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland et al - I would ask, is it a samrt thing for the contemporay church in Australia to continue to blindly adopt the Hillsong Template? What direction is the contemporary church heading in?
I have now seen enough. And I have now said enough. Its time to put it this one to bed.
I pray the Chucrh leaders and Members alike have the courage to ask hard questions of themselves and make some key descisions regarding where they are headed.
Lance, thanks for ‘rattling the cage’ - all that time ago.
February 18th, 2006 at 6:33 pm
The cult claims The Australian newspaper is making “serious allegations of an unethical, immoral and in some cases, illegal nature which are false and cannot be substantiated.”
http://www2.hillsong.com/media/default.asp?pid=854
I hate to tell the cult but, it ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
February 19th, 2006 at 3:09 am
In the Signposts Royal Commission into the Australian church…..a sworn statement from a ‘rollover witness’.
(Geez, I’m a wanker).
http://www.backyardmissionary.com/2006/02/moving-beyond-the-personality-cult.html