Hillsong: A Megachurch Shattered discovery+

Come on. You couldn’t get at least one celebrity to interview?

I was a church administrator at our large church for many years, and on leadership volunteer staff at two others. Within these twenty+ years, I have endured a hostile church takeover; multiple pastor’s affairs; staff caught in online child pornography; monetary theft; personal shaming and verbal abuse by a pastor; and a youth pastor’s sexual child abuse. Thankfully, my faith in Christ remains unshaken, though none of this was painless for our family, and so many others.

With regard to donations and inappropriate spending, I am sharing the following:

In order to ensure a church’s federal and state non-profit status, donations must be made without designation by the giver. Any gift (monetary or material) made with use-specific directive(s) may not be tax deductible to the giver, nor untaxed by the church.

The only exception is a pre-approved and documented Board motion to establish specific categories of need, such as mission projects, church/ministry events, capital improvements, etc. Absence of this formal act jeopardizes the church’s non-profit status, as well as the giver’s right to tax-deductibility of their monetary gift. It sounds as though Hillsong has breached these laws and should be subject to taxation of such mishandling of donated funds.
(Perhaps a whistleblower opportunity?)

Thank you for the excellent research and commentary on Hillsong’s implosion. This is entire debacle is horribly painful, sad, shameful and disgustingly UN-Christian. Our prayers are dedicated to the spiritual healing and peace for all who have been harmed in any way by these false leaders! God bless your dedicated efforts✝️

Was I supposed to watch the documentary as a prerequisite? I have yet to hear what this church is accused of doing.