Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed Early Review

What happens when an entire church’s business is built around one central figure (not named Jesus Christ)? And within that structure, an even more sinister fight for power among the anointed leadership takes place all while souls remain in the balance.

Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed unpacks, across three episodes, the meteoric rise, rampant scandals, and its attempt to rebuild its brand after a sharp fall from its founder and lead pastor who was groomed to be the church’s future. The docuseries boasts multiple interviews from church attendees, volunteers, staff members, and Hillsong college graduates. Through their testimonials, they paint a sinister picture of the shady dealings and practices that helped this church become one of the largest religious institutions in the world. Most of the stories are based on first-hand experiences, however, where the series slightly dips in quality can be found through various speculation provided by the interviews of events where they had only heard corroborating accounts.

The series begins with the story of Hillsong founder Brian Houston as he takes the church from his father, Frank Houston, into a place of growth and prominence in Australia that catches the general public and evangelical movement at a time when they were seeking more. As Houston leans into this change, Hillsong is created which tailors a religious experience filled with professionally written worship music, state-of-the-art technology worked into the services, and a desire to tap into an emotional experience that leaves congregants wanting to return. What results is a shift in evangelical culture that forces the church to commit to exponential growth beyond its means. As the episode examines the church’s need to expand, it also breaks down its business practices needed to keep pace which borders on predatory and inhumane in many cases.

As it continues, the focus shifts to famed celebrity pastor, Carl Lentz, as his international profile increases once Houston deems him the future of Hillsong. Through this designation, he gains access to numerous celebrities and perks that extend beyond his Sunday congregation as all signs point to his eventual takeover of the entire church. But Lentz’s hubris leads him to an extra-marital affair which paves the way for his downfall within the church and religious community and eventual use as a scapegoat for all of the church’s previous misdealings. Lentz’s demise is hammered home in the series through the confirmation of Ranin Karim, the woman who participated in the affair with Lentz. She offers some of the best credibility of the entire series and helps boost its relevance as something more than just a hit piece created via a streaming platform.

As the series reaches its end, the focus is on the present as Houston is charged with the concealment of evidence for his father’s pedophilia while being a pastor in the early days of the Hillsong church. Along with this narrative, further business methods are explored through the church’s established Bible colleges and the false promises most of the incoming students are fed before entering. While these stories are equally impactful as its scandals and former employees who finally feel empowered enough to speak up about their history with Hillsong, the series is never bothered to present a balanced approach as it relies on mostly negative reactions and insider stories while offering the smallest portion of hope for those affected moving forward.

In the end, Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed is full of interesting perspectives focused on the malicious practices of central figures inside one of the largest churches in existence. Through its examination, many stories are told and recounted involving individuals within its institution that used their power and influence to manipulate others in order to protect the brand that was created several decades before. It’s a story that never feels unfamiliar or out of reach to those that might have paid attention to these events in real-time or who have seen this similar path unfold from other corporations. And yet, its impact is felt on a grander scale through its religious affiliation and façade to be about something more pious than what actually takes place behind the scenes.

Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed is uncomfortable at times, but is successful in its mission to present a different perspective on an institution that seemed unstoppable.

still courtesy of Discovery+

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