One of the most notorious Christian churches around, Hillsong has been the church of choice for many public figures, including Scott Morrison, Bono, and Justin and Hailey Bieber.
The church currently has more than 150,000 members around the world, but in recent years has found itself at the centre of many controversies.
Now, ex-members of the church are bringing their allegations to light in a new three-part docuseries, titled Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed.
A press release for the series promises to “unearth the truth behind headlines of recent scandals and shine a light on the fine line between culture, corporation and cult”.
The series will feature interviews with multiple former members of the church, who will “share harrowing allegations of the trauma, abuse, financial, and labour exploitation that created a culture of chaos within the church”.
It will also detail how the church’s meteoric rise to success, and how it was able to become such a global phenomenon in the first place.
One of the key participants in the documentary is Ranin Karim. Karim had a five-month affair with former Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz, which eventually led to his termination from the megachurch.
Lentz was fired from the church for “leadership issues and breaches of trust, plus a recent revelation of moral failures”.
Also interviewed in the series are:
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Hannah Frishberg — New York Post reporter who has covered Hillsong’s scandals and alleged abuse in the aftermath of Carl Lentz’s firing
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Jaclyn Hayes — Former volunteer at Wave Church in Virginia Beach, where Carl Lentz served as a pastor prior to joining Hillsong, who alleges he exhibited controlling behaviour towards her
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Janice Lagata — Former Hillsong student and volunteer who had close working relationships with Hillsong NYC’s church leadership, including Carl Lentz, and who frequently raised concerns about the church.
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Ben Kirby — Author with expertise on megachurches and creator of the viral Instagram account PreachersNSneakers which chronicles the expensive wardrobe worn by some pastors
When will Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed be available in Australia?
All three episodes of the docuseries will premiere at the end of this month, back-to-back, on Saturday, April 30th at 8.30pm AEST on ID.
Where can I watch Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed in Australia?
Australian viewers can watch Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed on ID, which is available on Foxtel, as well as Fetch.
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