A Letter To My Hillsong Friends

To my Hillsong friends,

Your feelings are totally valid whether it be anger, sadness, numbness, confusion, disappointment, disillusionment… etc.  The best part of Hillsong has always been the people. You.

To those who continue to stay and rebuild, I pray God would lead and guide you. My prayer is that these troubling circumstances would bring about a restorative work- a work that flips the celebrity culture on its head, where “servant leadership” looks like leaders serving the people versus volunteers being servants to the leaders and where the collective vision would not override the best interests of the individual.  A culture where constructive criticism and feedback is embraced. A culture where the focus isn’t so much on honouring leadership, but of mutual respect and honouring Jesus.  Lastly, but most importantly that the priority will always be protecting the victim over the reputation of the perpetrator/institution.  A culture of transparency and accountability.  It’s a tall order, but anything less isn’t repentance or restoration, but a rebrand. Thankfully you are the salt of the earth.  The benchmark for success is not numbers or accolades, but the health and humility of its leaders and people.

To those who wish to leave for the sake of your well-being, may you do so freely.  Ultimately, our loyalty is to Jesus and not any institution or person.  There is life beyond Hillsong and while I will always be thankful for the opportunities and friendships I have made, I wouldn’t wish to go back in time nor back there.  There are incredible faith communities out there.  The packaging of my faith isn’t as sparkly, but it’s beautifully simple, pure and grounded.  I wouldn’t trade that for any platform.

I wish you all health and healing.  Remember the best part about Hillsong has always been you. Take care of yourself.

Love,

Kristin