(EDIT 29/04/2015: We have uploaded another Hillsong document which is a tithing envelope titled:
HOME
building God’s House
Tithes
It comes with an out of context scripture from Malachi 3:10 [NKJV]. It is in this context where Malachi curses anyone who withholds their tithe to “God’s House” or “storehouse”. You can see this Hillsong tithing envelope at the bottom of this article.)
Hillsong released a statement in response to this A Current Affair report:
Hillsong: The multi-million dollar “crazy cult”
Not only did Hillsong issue to Senator Nick Xenophon mob-like threats, apparently “the vast majority of Australians” see the ‘A Current Affair’ report as “nothing more than tabloid trash.” So in response to the minority in Hillsong who read and believe “tabloid trash,” Hillsong writes:
Statement by Hillsong Church on A Current Affair story April 21, 2015
There was no factual basis whatsoever to the story on A Current Affair about Hillsong Church, and the program made no attempt to contact us to get the facts – or even hear our perspective – before airing this piece of fiction. The movie “Let Hope Rise” is being produced by an outside production company who approached us, and Hillsong Church has not invested one cent into this movie. Furthermore, we operate like any other church financially and support people pastorally across the world. This story was yet again, nothing more than tabloid trash and we believe the vast majority of Australians view it as such. It is disappointing that Senator Nick Xenophon, (who presents himself as a champion of the people) has cooperated with such stories for at least the third time. It is poor behaviour and worth noting by church-going voters and people at large in South Australia, who rightly expect their elected representatives to make comments based on factual information rather than conjecture.
Source: Hillsong, Statement by Hillsong Church on A Current Affair story April 21, 2015, http://hillsong.com/media/statement-by-hillsong-church-on-a-current-affair-story-april-21-2015. (Accessed 23/04/2015.)
There is a lot to extract from this statement. Especially the plethora of fallacious arguments and lack of evidence to back up Hillsong’s claims. However, more people seem to be sharing their experiences or insights into the corruption of the Hillsong cult.
This an insightful comment from a former AOG pastors wife:
My mate Tanya Levin did a brilliant job on ACA this week. She’s speaking again about the revenue raising juggernaut that is Hillsong ahead of the release the mega-church’s new Hollywood movie.
In my former life I was for a time an AoG (ACC) pastor’s wife. Even 25 years ago, Brian Houston was recognised in the movement as the one to watch. I can tell you that pastors of churches all around Australia dreamed of being able to count on collections like the ones Brian garnered. Over time Brian’s formula for getting folks to empty their pockets – a complex and emotionally powerful mix of music and clever sales patter with lashings of Jesus – was replicated in hundreds of financially struggling churches around the country and, eventually, around the world. As Tanya so beautifully puts it in this clip, “From London to Cape Town to Copenhagen the message is the same – give, give, give, give, give.”
Although the ACA team was forbidden to film the plea for money, I can tell you that the section of the ‘service’ specifically designed to predispose you to giving generously, runs for about 15 minutes and is the culmination of a cleverly orchestrated, high-production value, highly emotionally manipulative stage show. Those of us in the AoG who despised Houston’s methods had a name for it: fleecing the folk. Nobody does it better than Brian. The report estimates in 2012 Hillsong ‘earned’ $72 million dollars in tax-free income, only a tiny fraction of which is spent on charity work. These guys are crooks, plain and simple, and the Australian public is paying for it. Glad to see Nick Xenophon is trying to increase public accountability of this secretive money printing organisation.
Source: Jane Douglas, FaceBook, https://www.facebook.com/jane.douglas.90/posts/805714359512544, Published 22/04/2015 at 13:03. (Accessed 23/04/2015.)
Her views are worth considering Hillsong states that they “operate like any other church financially and support people pastorally across the world.”
Really? Do you want to know why those people in the ACA Report give 20% at Hillsong?
Does your church put out giving envelopes to you that are like this? Would you feel comfortable putting your credit card number on the back of the envelope where everyone can see it?
* Tithing is an anti-Christian teaching that uses Malachi 3:8-11 to teach that if you do not tithe, God will curse you.
* This envelope was collected from Hillsong and given to us at the beginning of January 2015.
Categories: Hillsong
Around 1,300,000 people or about 5.5% of the Australian population watch A Current Affair each night. So you could conclude that the other 94.5% think it’s rubbish.
“Although the ACA team was forbidden to film the plea for money, I can tell you that the section of the ‘service’ specifically designed to predispose you to giving generously, runs for about 15 minutes and is the culmination of a cleverly orchestrated, high-production value, highly emotionally manipulative stage show.”
ABC in the USA said they were asked not to film the NYC tithing talk. But, as you know, the tithing talks from a lot of the Hills services are freely available on YouTube and they do not go for 15 mins.
Printing your own money is illegal. Hillsong is not printing money. (You think a lot of other lies are true, so just clarifying that).
That’s because the other 94.5% are watching “Home & Away”, it’s on at the same time! 😄
But it is worthwhile asking the question, why do these movements i.e. Hillsong & C3 not allow current affair programs film their offerings? If it’s available online, why the “censorship”? Is it because they really aren’t biblical in their message? Obvious answer, yes.
In case you’re wondering, our stats on this article alone are at 6500 just for today, Newtaste.
Newtaste, any reason why Brian Houston has decided to go after Nick Xenophon and not Bill Crews? In light of the fact Crews had a very harsh assessment of Hillsong in the ACA segment?
“There was no factual basis whatsoever to the story on A Current Affair about Hillsong Church, and the program made no attempt to contact us to get the facts – or even hear our perspective – before airing this piece of fiction. The movie “Let Hope Rise” is being produced by an outside production company who approached us, and Hillsong Church has not invested one cent into this movie. Furthermore, we operate like any other church financially and support people pastorally across the world. This story was yet again, nothing more than tabloid trash and we believe the vast majority of Australians view it as such. It is disappointing that Senator Nick Xenophon, (who presents himself as a champion of the people) has cooperated with such stories for at least the third time. It is poor behaviour and worth noting by church-going voters and people at large in South Australia, who rightly expect their elected representatives to make comments based on factual information rather than conjecture.”
What current affairs program has ever wanted to film a C3 tithing talk? Please provide evidence.
Back in Brookvale, at the old Christian City Church (as it was known) complex in the late 80’s, 60 Minutes tried to film the service and the offering. The deacons forced them to leave so the filming continued outside with the reporter questioning the members as they left. I was there. I’m sure it’s archived somewhere in the bowels of Channel 9.
“[…] the tithing talks from a lot of the Hills services are freely available.”
So the talks are “freely available”? How ironic.
“Around 1,300,000 people or about 5.5% of the Australian population watch A Current Affair each night. So you could conclude that the other 94.5% think it’s rubbish.”
A lot less people than that listen to Brian Houston each Sunday night, so we could conclude that he has considerably less credibility than “A Current Affair”.
Home & Away rates about the same as ACA, so no.
Thanks for your input, Newtaste, I agree. Hillsong offering messages are generally timed to around 2-3 minutes during regular services and a little longer at conferences, and are often used as a platform for up and coming speakers to bring a thought.
My own two cents, I am all for theological debate but Tanya Levin is simply an angry, lonely, and offended woman. What exactly happened to her I can’t really understand, and I read her book. She has been profiting off her negativity towards Hillsong for years and thinks she has the right to criticise it. Why don’t we ask her where all the money she got from the book and countless interviews went? I can for sure say she didn’t give it all to the poor. As a long time member of the ACC and related churches I really have no idea why Hillsong is such a problem. Probably just because they are big and have influence. I really wish that Christians would stop beating each other up over stupid things like money. God Himself says He owns everything anyway so nothing is really our own in the end. We should be helping people and spreading the love of Christ.
Ethan, tell us about Tanya’s family. Tell us about the godly service they invested into Hillsong for 20 years. Thrown off the bus perhaps? As for Tanya making money, as she is happy to state, there’s not much money to be made in biographies (unlike the multi million investment portfolio surely attached to the Houston family bunker)
“As a long time member of the ACC and related churches I really have no idea […]”
I can fully understand that. Protracted involvement with cults typically has a deleterious effect on one’s mental capabilities.
Hilarious reply from hillsong inc. Do they really believe they can influence SA elections and MP’s?
Pride filled egotistical threats…Federal and state MP’s take note…hillsong think they can swing elections with their tiny church. Sad.
Philippians 3:18-20
For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. I think this verse sums up hillsongs
Can you please clarify if Jesus tithed or not? Interested to know what you think. It is obvious that you know more than everyone else
“Interested to know what you think.”
That’s your problem right there: you should be interested to know what God says, rather than what people think.
It is obvious that you don’t know very much.
Who is David Ould? Someone who thinks that story on A Current Affair was rubbish. Will you still be praising David Ould now?
” David Ould ﻥ @davidould
There’s much to criticise @hillsong for but they’re spot on in their response to @ACurrentAffair9 here:
http://hillsong.com/media/statement-by-hillsong-church-on-a-current-affair-story-april-21-2015 ”
https://mobile.twitter.com/davidould/status/591198187882319872?p=v
Then we would agree to disagree with David Ould, but continue to encourage him to be as outspoken about Hillsong as he has been in the past.
http://davidould.net/?p=6779
TF, answer the question, did Jesus tithe? If u can’t answer it and reply that I should know, it tells me that you don’t know.
What?/Todd – let’s answer your question. Go out and buy yourself some good coffee with your hard-won, blessed by God, earnings and have a comforting read. But don’t forget to be cheerful and generous in your giving, knowing we give out of love, as we are under a better covenant, not Old Testament Law.
“Did Jesus tithe? The Bible clearly teaches that only Israelite landowners and Israelite herdsmen inside Israel were required to tithe their increase. This very narrow, but true, definition eliminates all non-landowners, all tradesmen, and all who were too unfortunate to afford raising stock animals for a living in Israel. Neither was this narrow definition of tithing ever changed among Jews for over a thousand years; it was still the definition during the time of Jesus.”
“Jesus Did Not Pay Tithes with His Disciples; Matthew 12:1-2; Mark 2:23-24; Luke 6:1-2 Matt. 12:1 At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the grain; and his disciples were hungry, and began to pluck the heads of grain, and to eat.”
Read more here: http://www.tithing-russkelly.com/
“If u can’t answer it and reply that I should know […]”
I neither said that I couldn’t answer nor replied that you should know.
Your markedly poor reading and comprehension skills are indicative of your limited intellectual capabilities, which, along with your aggressively wilful ignorance, are typical of hillsong apologists. In any case, the question that is germane is *not* “Did Jesus tithe?” but rather “Do *you*?”, because if the answer is “yes”, then you have fallen away from grace and been alienated from Christ. (If you had ever taken the trouble to read your Bible, you would know that).
As I have already said, it is obvious that you don’t know very much. You should be thankful that you’ve got the ever-so-erudite Brian “You Need More Money” Houston to take you by the hand and lead you onwards to that ditch that you are clearly seeking with all your heart.
Guessing He gave it all. Including His life. Probably didn’t have pockets in His tunic either.I am sorry you do not know Him, nameless logo dude named “What?” (how cute)
Church Watch, what is sad is that you are SO busy criticising the church that you may be failing to be the church to your community. You spend more time ‘hunting’ down and critiquing rather than being the church to people.
How does Jesus see your behaviour?
Does anyone here on this webpage pray for HILLSONg who ‘persecutes’ the world – so to speak.
No. I’ve not seen one prayer for this ‘wayward’ church here. Jesus says to pray for those who persecute you – a simple commend. Church Watch, you have been weighed in the balance and have been found wanting yourselves.
“Church Watch, what is sad is that you are SO busy criticising the church that you may be failing to be the church to your community.”
You’re so busy not developing brain cells that you assume we are not credentialed or have any recognised form of leadership in our local church community. You probably assume that we are not filled with the Spirit either.