Private jets. Designer clothes. Louis Vuitton handbags and blingy Cartier wristwatches. Holidays at five-star resorts and stays at luxury hotels. International travel and global domination. And behind all the glitz, glamour and popping paparazzi bulbs were the rumours of abuse, infidelity and exploitation.
It sounds like the lifestyle of a Hollywood A-lister in a scandal-sheet nightmare. And it is – except, the “celebrities” are Hillsong Church leaders, living high on the hog from the heartfelt donations of thousands of humble parishioners who have worshipped at the 131 church locations worldwide.
In March this year, when Tasmanian MP Andrew Wilkie stood up in Federal Parliament and under parliamentary privilege accused the Australian-born church of “spending that would embarrass a Kardashian” and “breaking numerous laws in Australia and around the world relating to fraud, money laundering and tax evasion”, there was shock but not surprise. And these joined a growing list of more sordid allegations.
Even from within Hillsong came the admissions that these new allegations had substance. In response to Wilkie’s bombshell, Hillsong’s new global pastor, Australian Phil Dooley, announced an independent review into Hillsong’s financial structure and systems. He told his flock, “There are thousands of documents that contain information I had no knowledge personally about, but I’ll take full responsibility for how we do things going forward.”
Dooley had accepted a poisoned chalice in March 2022 by taking the reins from Hillsong founder Brian Houston as he prepared to defend charges in a Sydney court.
“What a wild ride
