CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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. Stephen Crouch, an existing church board member, was appointed as director, according to the newspaper. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER. 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. No matter what statement is given by the Dad or pastor Jernigan, the only one that matters is if Calebs statement is one of repentance followed by the action of publicly asking forgiveness from those he has harmedanything less is just more lipstick. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. The lead pastor at a prominent megachurch has resigned from his post amid claims of inappropriate relationships. One son, Caleb, has a credibly alleged history of clergy sexual abuse at at least two churches, including one where dad was lead pastor. You can help bring hope today! Houston is the founding pastor of Hillsong, which says it had 150,000 regular church attendees across 30 countries as of February. Ill step back, and some other young whippersnapper will come in and take us into the future that God has for us, said Glenn. Hillsong announced this week that its founder, Brian Houston, has resigned from the church amid allegations of inappropriate behavior towards two women. Maybe the fault in all of these indiscretions we often hear about doesnt rest on the leaders. People composing official statements need to be more careful about their use of adverbs. The church alleged, "numerous other pastors and individuals had knowledge of this matter prior to Brian Houston learning about it.". In a statement, elders of the Village Church revealed little as to the content of the messages. A pastoral role requires a greater awareness of those boundaries," The Village Church elders wrote in an August statement. We just want to give you guys our absolute blessing for the next season, said Dooley in the short clip. "It is always best practice to release the result of the independent assessment," Rachael Denhollander, an advocate for sexual abuse victims told the New York Times. You can help bring hope today! Thetimeline for his return will be determinedby expectations the elders have laid out for his development, the statement said. ", "The Word of God holds me to a certain standard," Chandler added. She added that when she questioned Calebs sudden departure, she was told to be quiet.. Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), is stepping down from his position as lead pastor of The latest breaking Christian news you need to know about as soon as it happens. . 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. But it takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to do what we do. Matt Chandler, the lead pastor at the Village Church in Flower Mound, Tex., appeared to fight back tears as he told his congregation on Sunday that he was taking a To donate, click here. "These 'confessions' are often staged to put the fallen pastor in the best possible light. That look in my eyes? Other allegations concerning Mike Baker have also recently come to light. "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. 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. 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 Village Church did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment. But it really is up to the consumers if they want this to stop, then theyll have to want something radically different something small, steady, accountable to something outside, less exciting, less amenities and fun.. something more reverent, holy something with a Form that intentionally reflects all the Kingdom rather than american big! "It is the best protection for everybody. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. If not, I would question whether having a six month long extramarital relationship with the Lead Student Pastor and Associate Preaching Pastor was legally a sackable offence Indeed, it could be argued that the church employee was fired for being a particularly vulnerable victim of clergy sexual abuse, whether or not a credible profession of faith was a requirement for employment. However, unfortunately he failed to take all of the agreed steps, which resulted in further action being taken by the board in late 2021. This feels like leadership trying to distance themselves from any accountability. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. "I vehemently profess my innocence and will defend these charges and I welcome the opportunity to set the record straight," he said in a statement in August. 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. Matt Chandler, the lead pastor of the Southern Baptist Village Church, was discovered to have had a history of exchanging the messages after someone reported him and after church elders hired a law firm to review his online messages, according to The Dallas Morning News. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much We were made to feel that we were overreacting that we werent good Christians because of the things we were questioning.. According to the churchs website, Brentwood Baptist has an annual budget of $30 million. Its time for me to do that throughout Middle Tennessee., Regarding plans for Engage Church Network, trustee chairman Moss said it enables their congregation to reach out and multiply in ways that we have previously not been able to do., Mike is the perfect person to cast vision for that, to lead that., It is out of a position of health and strength that we know this is the time, Moss concluded. However, the board did not provide details about what may have happened behind closed doors, with Hillsong's interim Senior Global Pastor Phil Dooley telling hundreds of attendees, "The truth is we don't know what happened next," according to the Australian Broadcasting Corp. FIRST RAPE INVESTIGATION OPENED IN UKRAINE FOR ALLEGED SEX CRIME COMMITTED BY RUSSIAN SOLDIER, "The woman has not said there was any sexual activity," Dooley reportedly added. What a nice family. Global Senior Pastor Brian Houston speaks on stage during the Hillsong Atlanta grand opening at Hillsong Atlanta on June 06, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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. Church leadership is not much different than their secular corporate counterparts. "And the way that played itself out was in a kind of frequency and familiarity that is not wise for someone in my position.". "Thank you to everyone who has sent kind and encouraging messages. Shortly ahead of the Instagram announcement, Collier alerted congregants to the news in a slightly more candid internal email, which has been viewed by The Post. He founded the Saddleback Valley Community Church in 1980, and it has grown into a global ministry with an estimated 40,000 participants. Hillsong has faced significant scrutiny for its handling of sexual misconduct in recent years. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? 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. Chandler is also president and chairman ofActs 29, an organization dedicated to starting new churches. Houston temporarily stepped down from his role as global pastor in January, which he said was part of preparation for a trial. Freelance journalist Josh Shepherdwriteson faith, culture, and public policy for several mediaoutlets. Very soon thereafter, regrettably, Mike submitted his resignation as the Senior Pastor of Eastview Christian Church, the church stated. Houston, 67, was charged in early August as part of an investigation that has been ongoing since 2019, according to The Guardian. However, as written, it indicates that the only thing anyone regrets is Mikes resignation. The pastor's leave is the latest blow for the church and the Southern Baptist Convention denomination the countrys second-largest faith group, of which the Village Church is a member. According to his online church profile, Chandler married his wife in 1999 and they have three children. A Texas megachurch pastor is taking a leave of absence afterhis church learned of frequent messages between him and a woman who is not his wife. Then, when more allegations came out shortly afterwards, Mike Baker asked Caleb to resign. 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. Smith said that in 2014, she sat with Sara and broke down about the constant abuse I endured at the hands of her son. Smith told TRR that she asked the Bakers for their support in getting their son counseling, but said she needed to live apart from him to be safe. Warren built the Purpose Driven Network, a global alliance of pastors from more than 160 countries and hundreds of denominations, that focuses on the people of the church and less on the building. Hi. 2023 Cable News Network. This woman's husband knew about it. 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. "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. Fr nhere Informationen zur Nutzung Ihrer Daten lesen Sie bitte unsere Datenschutzerklrung und Cookie-Richtlinie. Natalie Neysa Alund covers trending news for USA TODAY. Stay up-to-date with current issues, Christian teachings, entertainment news, videos & more. Excuses are made. I was actually thinking just that when I watched it," he tweeted. In the statement, the elders added that Chandler would take a leave of absence and return at a time that would be determined by leadership. Click on any of the topics below: Need prayer? The shift ended her professional partnership with LifeWay Christian Resources, the publishing, and distribution division of the SBC. I wish I lived in one of these communities so I could get spiritual guidance from them*eye roll*. 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. The fact remains Caleb and the other employee got caught red handed, in the act. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. Toward that end, the site requires that people use their full name when commenting. If I could give each of you a big hug, I would. "My wife knew about it. Conservative and evangelical leaders are speaking out after Pastor Matt Chandler took a leave of absence following some questionable behavior online. More than anything these last few years, I have loved working with our campus pastors, said Glenn in the video announcement. Help us continue to be a voice for truth in the media by supporting CBN News for as little as $1. ", Multiple statements were released to the Australian press last week regarding alleged sexual misconduct by Houston. From what I understand, they were not prepared to engage with the type of investigation I asked for until people started coming forward on social media, Lee said. 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