by Hatty Calbus
The final article in a series of 3
In the previous two articles I wrote about HTB’s influence on the Church of England and the influence on it of the megachurch movement, especially disgraced Hillsong. In his leadership podcast, Nicky Gumbel says what he is doing,: that “we’re always looking outwards.” He states categorically that a church’s number one aim must be evangelisation and presumably believes this aim to justify his methods. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/ podcast/get-to-know-nicky-gumbel-his-journey-to-church-leadership/id1537327121? i=1000496021910 (23 minutes) However, Pope Francis has warned, “It is tempting for pastoral ministers to adopt not only effective models of management, planning and organisation drawn from the business world, but also a lifestyle and mentality guided more by worldly criteria of success, and indeed power, than by the criteria which Jesus sets out in the Gospels.” Did nobody on the Archbishops’ Council or among the senior leadership at HTB see this or do they disagree?
Worldly criteria of success are the great idol of the megachurch movement and success is itself a type of power – the opposite of failure and powerlessness, of vulnerability and weakness. Evangelisation is crucial, but constantly looking outwards can come from a need not to look too far within – which is where Church leaders fixated on number success would find vulnerability and powerlessness. Such avoidance means also needing to avoid the reminder of others’ vulnerability and powerlessness. This affects pastoral care.
Plenty of people have commented on megachurches’ lack of pastoral care. Mike Cosper of Christianity Today: “Ministry success allows leaders to create layers of insulation between themselves and the people that they are supposedly serving.” Erik Strandness: “Sadly, when pastors expedite church growth, they distance themselves from the flock.” Niro Feliciano, a psychotherapist interviewed in The Secrets of Hillsong: “You need systems in place to meet the needs of the people who are in your community. And I think where it gets tricky is when the expansion is going faster than the ability to show compassion, to still meet needs.” Alison Milbank, specifically on the Church of England: “Generally, in this planting/resource church model, the central parochial work of the care of souls is just not valued or practised” and “Huge megabenefices are being created with vestigial pastoral care.”
A grave manifestation of this lack of care is sexually abusive behaviour – megachurches have frequent sex scandals. Brian Houston’s father, a minister at Hillsong, was a paedophile. Because he failed to report his father to the authorities when he found out in the 1990s, Houston was tried last year, though he was judged to have a “reasonable excuse” for not disclosing the abuse. Houston denies he blamed one victim, seven at the time, for tempting his father. What forced his resignation, as with other Hillsong pastors, was his behaviour with women (“Lots of pretty Swedish girls here!” a BBC extract shows Houston announce to his stadium congregation.) https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/ episode/m000y2g7 (17 mins)
According to an internal investigation, there were incidents “of serious concern” involving inappropriate messages and a hotel room visit, with $25,000 of hush money allegedly paid.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ mar/23/hillsongs-brian-houston-resigns-from-megachurch?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
Another high-profile resignation because of behaviour with women was Bill Hybels of Willow Creek, who spoke at an HTB leadership conference.
https:// www.christianitytoday.com/news/2019/february/willow-creek-bill-hybels-investigationiag-report.html Both protested their innocence.
A large group at risk of abuse in successful churches with a need to feel powerful is single women, traditionally the bedrock of the volunteers churches rely on, in the case of megachurches in large numbers. The Hillsong documentaries have allegations of bullying, exploitation, inappropriate sexual behaviour and a lack of accountability. One volunteer said, “I gave everything to these people that really didn’t care about me.” Maria Siegler and Oli Coleman at the New York Post’s Page Six reported that a group of whistleblowers, all women volunteers, wrote to the Hillsong leadership to complain about “vague or absent sexual harassment/sexual assault” policies at the church and a dangerous environment that was “a breeding ground for unchecked [sexual] abuse.” https:// pagesix.com/2020/12/17/hillsong-rife-with-inappropriate-sex-members-claimed/ Comments in The Secrets of Hillsong are “You are indoctrinated into this system of violation, abuse and cover up” and “[There were] widespread issues, it was very alarming and it wasn’t being dealt with at all.” Abuse allegations were seen as “an irritant.” In their letter, the women wrote: “When a church is less like a family and more like an enterprise, its leaders act less like pastors and more like commanders, this puts everyone in danger.” I shall only cite here my harassment experience at HTB from three leaders: a married one telling me I was “a peach” and asking if I had a boyfriend; an engaged one trying to put his arm round my waist and on another occasion running his finger down my back, which I also saw him do to another woman; a different married one touching my backside. He and a man with a reputation as a womaniser were put forward for ordination and are now vicars [the backside one is Mr “Sex O’Clock ” etc, now actually in charge of a resource church, which I’ve omitted in case it’s too specific]. A senior leader dismissed this as “generalisation;” another said I “shouldn’t be looking at the behaviour of these male leaders.” I say the options here are a) I’m a mad fantasist; b) boys will be boys – it doesn’t matter or c) a culture can be inferred and that matters. The Hillsong volunteers’ letter received little attention. It was only when big-name pastors were involved that sexually abusive behaviour at the church was finally addressed. It does now have a sexual harassment and assault policy. HTB does not.
A Megachurch Exposed, according to the New York Times, “depicts the megachurch as a toxic institution obsessed with image, control and growth at all costs.” https:// www.nytimes.com/2022/03/29/us/hillsong-church-scandals.html? referringSource=articleShare
Julie Roys, who keeps watch on megachurch scandals in The Roys Report has said, “Once you become a corporation, you’ve got to manage that image.” A need to avoid vulnerability and powerlessness is dangerous to those who make complaints and megachurches tend to use corporate methods to deal with them, including Non Disclosure Agreements. Prior to the 2018 Data Act, HTB’s privacy policy said they would use people’s data to protect themselves from legal suits [I didn’t take a screen shot of this, but could they deny it?]. The Hillsong women’s letter claimed the church fosters a “culture of silence and fear.” Similarly, there have been allegations of bullying and surveillance at HTB. One former staff member spoke on the Cult Forum website [and I then had some communication with him] about “control, monitoring and intimidation.” [I have two other people’s experiences in the iBook] A curate involved is now vicar of a plant.
Most churches collect data but not sensitive data. In the rare cases that they do, they give a reason, for example, children’s allergies. In a far-from-prominent part of its website, HTB states, “As a church, we collect data about services and events you attend. Some of this information may be considered to come within the definition of Special Categories of Personal Data. Special Categories of Personal Data includes details about your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union membership, information about your health and genetic and biometric data.” More than a few plants are also doing this. No explanation is given as to why such data is necessary. Stephen Parsons has said, “Far too often, the large church, in terms of numbers, is a place where leadership is corrupted, the weak are bullied and abused and evil is allowed to find a home.” Is that data used in a way that is not abusive or bullying, that is free from evil?
Abuse and scandals drive people away. The resignations of Brian Houston and Bill Hybels have meant large numbers of Hillsong’s affiliated churches breaking away and so many people leaving Willow Creek that almost a third of its staff were made redundant. https://premierchristian.news/en/news/article/willow-creek-church-forced-to-layoff-30-per-cent-of-its-staff-amid-drop-in-attendance?
utm_source=Premier%20Christian%20Media&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1321805_daily%20news%2023%20May%202022&dm_i=16DQ,7VAX9,635JCB,W5811,1
These facts don’t take into account the devastation and disillusionment of church members, which, as with the lack of a theology of suffering, leads many to reject not just the particular megachurch but God, because that is always a result of such scandals. Attractive worldliness may bring people through the doors, but it also drives them out. The disciples-per-pound approach does not seem to have factored that in.
A single-minded focus on evangelisation and growth has to downgrade pastoral care. A need for the power and invulnerability of success inevitably leads to sins of omission and commission. Many people go to HTB and many people leave. A member of a non-Evangelical church in the area [Holy Trinity, Prince Consort Road] spoke of all the “HTB casualties” who moved to them. But the de facto plan of the Archbishops’ Council seems to be to create, via HTB, lots of little Anglican Hillsongs. Will they continue with this strategy or will they dare to admit they have made a serious mistake that will make their execrable safeguarding record visibly worse?
The sexual harassment you were subjected to Hatty is disgraceful. I’m really sorry you had to face this.
In recent years you would have been treated much better in a secular organisation.
Thanks for your courage in writing these pieces.
You quote Niro Feliciano as saying, “Where it gets tricky is when the expansion is going faster than the ability to show compassion, to still meet needs.” This of course is hardly a new problem: just think of the Greek-speaking Jewish widows in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6) who complained that they were being neglected. What’s interesting is that the Apostles decided that their ministry was in fact to continue preaching and teaching, laying them open to the accusation of remaining distant from these ladies. However what they did do was put in place structures which made sure that the women didn’t “slip through the net” of practical pastoral care.
There’s a lot in the megachurch model which I don’t like, not least the notion that “success” appears to be seen only in terms of “bums on seats” (or finances!). However there is a danger, at least in Britain, that we somehow sanctify small numbers and an apparent failure to connect with unchurched people by saying, “Well, we’re being faithful”. I detest razzmatazz and superficiality and am of course horrified by the abuse which seems to so easily find its home in the pyramidical structures embraced by some megachurches. Nevertheless I don’t think we should be “sniffy” if people are genuinely coming to God in numbers – after all, there were three thousand converts on the day of Pentecost (and that was only the start).
But the 3000 in Acts 2 came without ‘pyramid selling. That’s surely the difference…..
It’s good to hear from you Andrew, and I appreciate your various points!
I asked Jesus into my life aged 7.5, more than once in fact, to be on the safe side. Did I become a Christian then, or was it when I was baptised aged 0.5? I used to have definitive answers for these questions, but as I’ve got older and read the bible a lot more, sinned a fair bit, and tried to lead a decent life I’ve modified my views a lot.
I grew up in a place where pronouncements were made quite often as to whether people were Christians or not.
It is conceivable people haven’t any understanding or knowledge of the Christian faith, or indeed any other, although I suspect this is unusual in 2024 U.K. with Google.
The faith isn’t new, it’s 2,000 years old and the approach to gaining converts must be very different surely today compared with 24AD?
Across evangelical life, conversion means different things, and I venture to suggest in HTB -dom, conversion is acquiescence to a lifestyle consisting of weekly soft rock concert performances and a mishmash of ideas the politburo determines from time to time, updated like developing software with the latest appearances and buzzwords.
I’m being impertinent, but I’m suggesting “growth” isn’t growth in the faith much at all. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I were wrong?
I do recall sitting next to some friends who I hadn’t seen for a while in church. They’d actually been in another congregation for a few years, but were returning. They were invited up front, interviewed publicly, and heralded “recent growth” to my surprise, almost like they were new converts. They were nothing of the sort of course.
A 30 Jan 2022 YouTube film of about 12 mins-‘Karl Faase interviews Joe Turner for Jesus the Game Changer Season 2’-makes interesting viewing. I think it was done by an Australian group called Olive Tree Media. It relates to the Belfast parish of Sydenham in the Anglican Diocese of Down and Dromore. This Anglican Diocese has had consecutive GAFCON Bishops based in Belfast. The Diocese has has strong connections to the Belfast branch of New Wine. The opening scene of the film shows a wall mural with hooded men in balaclavas holding weapons. Atop the mural (at the very start of the film) is ‘For God and Ulster’. I feel ashamed at elements of the film content as an Irish Anglican. Should our Bishops be seeking (or asking for) the deletion of this film? Are evangelical Bishops often obsessed with the spectacular over the mundane? Church rules, national law and biblical principles of natural justice should not be neglected. The Mike Pilavachi case is a gigantic wake up call. Is the dignity of everyday people (quietly doing regular jobs) sometimes sidelined by evangelical Bishops with an appetite for mass revival-growth-conversions. I feel uneasy watching this film, and wonder if the media should be asking Church ofIreland Bishops about the content.
As the vicar of the mentioned Holy Trinity, Prince Consort Road I can tell you we would be delighted if the people leaving HTB came to us. We endeavour to be a place of acceptance where doubts can be wrestled with, questions can be asked and people are cared for as they journey in their faith.
We have indeed become a place of refuge for people leaving other churches. However, I’m not sure who you spoke to but it definitely wasn’t me, only a very small number have come to us from HTB. I certainly don’t recognise “all the HTB casualties” as though there are hordes of them. Perhaps you should have checked that bit of information before publishing it?
It’s easy to pick fault with HTB. I get it, I don’t like their worship style or Alpha or some of their views and they can be very irritating – try ministering surrounded by their church hubs! But there is a danger that we’re pointing out the speck in our brother’s eye whilst ignoring the plank in our own.
I’m sorry that you faced sexual harassment whilst there. However, I can give you my own stories of the organist who would try and trap me in the vestry, the churchwarden who was a little too touchy-feely, the man who always tried to kiss me when sharing the peace and more that I don’t want to post to the world – all of these things happened in more traditional churches.
The truth of the matter is that we ALL need to do better. A WHOLE LOT better!
The parishioner made the comment about “HTB casualties” going to Holy Trinity, Prince Consort Road a few years before you moved there.
Every profession has its own disciplinary system to protect against misconduct and sharp practice. For example the finance industry has outed many cases of miss-selling, the public notified and the culprits heavily fined.
Christianity is perhaps being miss-“sold” via the charismatic evangelical movement, headed up in the U.K. by HTB. If it is misconduct or the takeovers sharp practice, how should this be addressed?
Growing up with Bach and Handel, my church musical background was very different from the one I found myself in, singing in bands with drums and electric guitars. Music moves people, and when it does this with good quality, HTB-dom leads the way. I certainly loved it, as I did Alpha, which I found compelling, as did our local Roman Catholic church, which published and ran a course. Nicky Gumbel is a gifted communicator in my opinion.
However I do suspect Christianity has been badly misrepresented through the march of HTB-dom. When we see things are that are wrong, should we not mention them? The scandal surrounding Mike Pilavachi was ENABLED by 40 years of people turning the other cheek, or looking the other way or perhaps being complicit and not wanting their own benefit from the whole system to be undermined.
On the contrary I believe it to be essential to report concerns. The clerical system seems to have no effective mechanism to identify and eliminate abuses, without the assistance of substantial mainstream press and social media exposure. That it’s come to this is regrettable, but nevertheless important.
Many such cases have been examined on these pages and similar sites, for example Bishop Peter Ball and John Smyth, across the theological spectrum.
Those contributing here, either by main article or comment, are very often victims and survivors of church abuses. We are well used to having our concerns ignored or dismissed. In my experience this only increases the strength of feeling to do something about it.
Thanks, Hatty for all your hard work on this. You bring back so many memories. One, of a friend who’d left our village parish due to problems with a hard nosed charismatic vicar, saying they went to another, Baptist church, and adding “All of ‘Blank’s’ rejects end up there…..” In the end, so did I……
As for Hatty’s problems with sexual abuse, again, you revive memories – and I’m a man. Now I don’t know about now, but back in the 70s and 80s you were expected to both physically and metaphorically embrace your fellow believers – there was something wrong with you, such as uncrucified pride – if you did not. This was also the time of ‘team hugs’ and similar games in secular office team building games of course.
(Someone said it was very noticable how the more attractive girls got the most hugs. H’mmmm…….)
By the late 1990s, secular society was pulling away from such friendly familiarity – but not the charismatic church. The idea of ‘personal space’ didn’t seem to catch on very quickly. As a long term single man I found the physical contact very difficult to cope with – it aroused too many unwanted emotional and physical reactions, but no one seemed to understand that side of it. And the same with other ‘male’ behaviour – presumably innocent compliments being misunderstood for example.
In a very different way, the wheel has gone full circle from cold, traditional evangelicalism where anything to do with physical attraction was ‘out’, to a somewhat one sided freedom ‘to’ (which didn’t include the freedom not to) and now back, to an equally cold, PC approach in which we have to be pretty well sexless again.
We never seem able to get the balance right, do we?
On a wider basis, this megachurch ‘success’ model seems unhealthy, whoever’s running it. Jesus said the kingdom is neither here nor there – not a place, a particular structure or organisation (and that’s straight out of Alpha’s ‘Searching Questions’ book.) The kingdom is within us – and I cannot believe that Jesus ever considered employing modern marketing methods, the ideology of Sears Roebuck and Ford. So please be fair to HTB – they are not the only Christian organisation to have made that mistake.
As a former member of HTB, “care” was sorely lacking even 20 years ago when I was there.
I dont know how many were pushed out with allegations and lies that were published in “Alpha News”, and even when proven false, all it got was a back page tiny apology, with the blame placed firmly on the one who didn’t fit, leaving folk pushed out, ignored and abandoned by those who said they cared. I know I wasn’t the only one over the 6 years I spent there, the irony being those responsible are now on the PCC or in ordained ministry now too, and wonder how many more are being hurt.
When certain staff members “resigned” much of it came out, and was quickly covered up. For a long time I avoided churches, and even when I returned and joined a small congregation, hundreds of miles away, that story came up when talking to the church leader, only to find out they too were originally in the HTB Machine and had their own stories.
I watched the Hillsong Exposed programme and wasn’t surprised seeing correlations with HTB, and recognise many of the unnamed leaders in Hatty’s experience, for men it was all about financial control, volunteering at the expense of other aspects of your life, and using your “lesser” status (ie a non public school, wealthy background against you), when I noticed it, I saw them ‘leak’ little things, things that I’d only told the pastorate and close friends about.
I’d argue that HTB is now seen as “too big to fail”, yet in my opinion, it needs to be fragmented, with each of the “churches” (Queensgate, Onslow Square, Earls Court etc), spun out and made independent of HTB and the Network closed down.
JB, are you able to DM me on Twitter/X?
Im not but if you look at your recent followers you should be able to find me
This doesn’t sound good – and only too familiar, for this sort of behaviour is not unique to HTB. I’ve seen so many variations of it over the years, from most types of church. Usually its more to do with the character of the leaders responsible – they are determined to be the ‘boss’ ensuring that its done their way and nobody else’s, but if God shares their opinions and backs them up, that’s a big help – particularly if they themselves are less than secure in their private emotional position.
Sadly, the reality is that we, God’s people, simply aren’t as transformed by conversion and the Spirit as we like to think we are – we’re fallible, flawed people and will be until we meet Christ in heaven.
Unfortunately a lot of evangelical literature (the kind I know best) presents a very idealised image of what ‘church’ and the Christian walk are really like – and (sorry, Adrian) Alpha material most certainly does so. The credibility gap between some of their films and reality are a yawning gulf, into which so many people fall. We don’t help ourselves with such material, and do a disservice to those who read it and take it at face value. God values honesty from his people; and, at times, that requires a great deal of courage to deliver.
Maybe this is the point to raise another, related issue. Please note, I am not accusing HTB of doing this – I have no experience of their services, so this is talking in a wider sphere.
A couple of days ago I was talking to a friend, who is seriously – possibly terminally ill. They were telling me of various experiences with charismatic ‘healing experts’ which all conform to a prticular pattern. The patient goes forward for ministry having heard very positive, confident claims and promises made about God’s willingness to heal a serious problem.
But, when nothing happens, and they aren’t cured (usually instantly) suddenly, its their fault. They don’t have enough, or the right kind of, faith – they have unresolved ‘issues’ or ‘secret sin’ in their lives – my friend gave various examples which revealed how inaccurate some of these ‘divine revelations’ can actually be. This compounds the sense of rejection or worthlessness which the victim may already be feeling – blaming the victim in a very direct way.
But the one thing which is never questioned – at least by the ministering party – is their own over expectations, or plain wrong theology. They’re actually promising the impossible, due to an unrealistic and literal reading of certain Bible verses. Joni Erikson experienced these problems many years ago; it seems nothing has changed, and the practicioners involved never seem to learn from their failures – they’ve cooked up a system where its never them who may be wrong – its always someone else.
Don’t get me wrong. I not only believe in the divine gift of healing, but at various times have been able to minister in it in a public role – and, yes, people have been helped. But that help has always been ‘low key’, a very gentle experience and nothing dramatic. But if we’re called to such a ministry, we have to be very careful how we go about it, and not build up people’s hopes with high expectations which lead to disappointment – and most certainly not then offer nebulus reasons, blaming them, as to why God didn’t deliver the promised goods .
Helen King’s just put a new piece on Thinking Anglicans, about Mr Palivatchi’s behaviour – behaviour which, in any normal work place nowadays would be a serious disciplinary offence, being excused in his publications as ‘quirks of humour’ (public ridicule and put downs in everyday English) and people asked to accept it. Come on, church – get real, this is the 21st century! Are you so totally out of touch with the modern world, or do you really expect us to keep looking the other way and condoning bad behaviour?
I’m interested in the issue of ‘casualities’ -people leaving to go to other churches (or not, as the case may be). Is there any research on this? I hear it said about a number of larger churches and I believe that it goes on to some extent -but is it a trickle, a flood, or something in-between?
Anecdotally, and by acquaintance, I’d say it looks like big-church-leavers may be finding that their spiritual development /growth is no longer accommodated or enabled by the church they leave. Or in other cases it’s down to disagreements or abuses, no doubt. But do we know what sorts of numbers might be involved?
I’m beginning to wonder whether some bishops are cognizant of the ‘back door’ to the bigger churches and may have factored it into their growth plans: that there will be refugees who will bolster more traditional or more ‘gentle’ congregations. But that only seems likely if the numbers are significant enough.
In their book “The Great Dechurching” by Jim Davis and Michael Graham (2023) apparently 40 million people have stopped going to church in the last 25 years, in the USA. In fact it was refreshing not to read a book containing any mention of the Church of England. The U.S. decline is an astonishing one. I didn’t find the book hugely helpful in elucidating the reasons statistically, more it seemed to have a missional basis.
Dr Katie Cross, a theologian at Aberdeen University is carrying out research into why people are leaving church in the U.K., with detailed interviews forming part of the collation of data.
A couple of days ago there were reports of a rise in numbers attending C of E churches, but when you delve deeper, they are still significantly below pre pandemic levels. Whereas other activities, such as rail travel have returned and in some aspects have increased over the level before COVID.
I have a book, not new and set in New Zealand, which studies church leavers. This article by the author gives a bit of a summary: https://www.reality.org.nz/articles/32/32-jamieson.php
As far as statistics are concerned, I do think that the CofE is massaging the figures a bit. Yes they are up on last year, but still down on pre-pandemic figures.
Also some things have changed: I suspect that regular weekday train commuting has declined as people now often work from home on one or two days each week. Weekend travel though seems very buoyant.
Thanks for the article. I should’ve said that I was familiar, somewhat, with the Jamieson research. However, as you mention, it’s based in NZ and while I think it’s likely that there is a lot of crossover, I guess what I’m hoping to see is more quantitive research to get a sense of whether leavers are many or few as well as what kinds of numbers might correlate to what kinds of reasons for exodus.
Utterly fascinating! I think many people leave as committed lay members (or as interns and junior clergy) as a result of abuse (bullying-harassment-sadism) and its cynical cover up. It suits elements in the Anglican Church leadership to conveniently paint-‘abuse’-as sexual and relating to children or ‘vulnerable adults’. This can be followed with an insinuation: “It’s largely historical and we have it covered now. Statutory tick boxes on VA and children seal the deal”. Two out of five trainees commissioned in my year immediately left the local diocese. Problems with savage and sadistic ill-treatment of people were covered up, even when reported to an Archbishop. We were rescued when one bold and top flight Church leader got wind of the abuse. They advised us to leave immediately and have nothing more to do with the Diocese. The senior Church leader was disgusted. They asked if there was wanton contempt for national law and Church rules. Paradoxically, for diocese dominated by evangelical hardliners in leadership, it felt as if there was blasphemous contempt for biblical principles of natural justice. False and unfair charges of sexual misconduct were fired at innocent people. Yet the Diocese failed to launch any formal inquiry. Three senior professionals, plus a businessman, witnessed a trail of trauma. But senior evangelical leaders preferred to avert their gaze or ears. Those reporting the savage ill-treatment of people even felt branded as lying ‘troublemakers’. The Empty, dying, dwindling Church does not crop up in a vacuum.
It’s encouraging to hear that someone is looking into leavers in the UK. I hope it may also give a clue as to the kinds of numbers.
The theologian Dr Cross described, in her considered way, some of her initial findings on this Proost podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4j0JeC5sqbpARQVBoTsSgx?si=5704e43625e5432f
Particularly from 15 minutes in, but I found all of it a valuable discussion. She talks about the lack of “community” many of her 500 respondents encountered, a sense of freedom in leaving, and she asks the existential question: ‘Are we trying to save a Church which has too many systemic issues?’