THE IMMORALITY SURROUNDING HILLSONG MUSIC
BY DAVID CLOUD
Republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes
(Friday Church News Notes, March 4, 2016, www.wayoflife.org, fbns@wayoflife.org, 866-295-4143) - Former Hillsong pastor Pasquale “Pat” Mesiti has pleaded guilty to assaulting his second wife and is awaiting sentencing (Christian Headlines, Feb. 29, 2016). He was forced to step down in 2002 because of adultery and visiting prostitutes. In an interview with Sight Magazine in May 2006, he said he had a “sexual addiction.” That was the year he was back in “ministry” after divorce and remarriage and a “restoration” process. He is now known as “Mr. Motivation” and promotes a “millionaire mindset” that comes from the charismatic prosperity doctrine. Hillsong, a prominent voice in Contemporary Worship, began in Australia and has branched out in recent years to establish megachurches in many cities, including New York and London. The following is from a report by Hughie Seaborn titled “Warning: What Do You Know about Hillsong?” which was published in response to Hillsong’s World of Worship Conference at the Cairns Convention Center September 4-7, 2002. This report by a former Pentecostal exposes the immorality that is rampant in these circles: “Hillsong had its beginnings in 1986 and was the inspiration of Mark and Darlene Zschech and Geoff Bullock. Bullock was a leader in the ‘music ministry’ of Brian and Bobbie Houston’s Hills Christian Life Centre at Castle Hill, Sydney. Along with Pat Mesiti who eventually founded Youth Alive, the Zschech’s were formerly part of a band that had an outreach to high school kids. (Mesiti, who rose to the exalted position of National Director of Australian Christian Churches, was sacked after it was discovered he was involved in adultery.) The Zschech’s were introduced to Hills Christian Life Centre by Mesiti and were soon thrust into the ‘music ministry’ alongside Bullock. When Jeff Bullock ‘resigned’ from Hillsong after divorcing his wife, Darlene Zschech stepped into his position and was ‘worship pastor’ of Brian Houston’s Hillsong Church. Brian is the son of Frank Houston, an ex-General Superintendent of the AOG in New Zealand. Frank moved to Australia from NZ in 1977, in controversial circumstances of a sexual nature, and established Sydney Christian Life Centre. Despite the sexual offences committed in NZ, Houston rose to a position of eminence and great respect in the Pentecostal churches, as well as to the most senior position in the AOG in NSW. In 2000, Frank Houston was sacked after the NZ sexual offences became public, offences that were so serious he was not even given the option of quietly retiring [Sydney Morning Herald, March 27, 2002].”
