When all of this came out, I was really mad, she says. Houston, who is not interviewed in the documentary, has since pleaded not guilty to concealing his fathers child sexual abuse when New South Wales police brought charges against him in August 2021. Moral failings are a personal issue, and should be handled with private counseling for the person and their family. Larry Stockstill is also on the board of Overseers at Church of the Highlands and Bethany Church is currently a member of ARC Churches, overseen by Church of the Highlands. Post reporter Hannah Frishberg is featured in the documentary. Surratt confirmed to The Roys Report that ARC churches often give a portion of their annual income to ARC. The church has been referred to as a cult by people who left the program. Chris Hodges is founder and leader of Church of the Highlands. In the book, DeGroat mentions a church planting organization that he says, Nowhere have I seen the narcissism-shame dynamic more pronounced than among church planters, some of whom have become megachurch pastors. Its literally the definition of a hypocrite., Lentz was fired from Hillsong in November 2020, with Houston citing his moral failures.. the Birmingham Housing Authority and Birmingham Board of Education taking action against him, the church and the health clinic the church started. Id just rather catch that on the front end.. Lee has authored several books: Stay In Your Lane, Pearls of the King, KB Gameplan, and The Family Meeting Guide. In July, COTH broke ties with Micahn Carter, a COTH pastor who had come to the church in 2019 for restoration. Stay connected with Highlands wherever you go! Some church planting assessments Ive seen practically invite narcissistic leadership. I have often wondered if he was talking about ARC. Restoration of the morally fallen is another entirely, and it must begin with godly sorrow as described in 2 Corinthians 7:10. An AL.com reportsaid Michael, his father and brother, David, spoke at separate campuses of the Freedom House Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, from Feb. 16 17 during an event billed Hodges Takeover.. I mean it. Some facts are. Lentz told Hayes and her then-boyfriend to stop seeing each other, and they did, to their mutual heartbreak. The church has also scrubbed all references to him from their website. Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed, a new three-part docuseries premiering March 24 on Discovery+, dives into the jaw-dropping history of the religious institution and its founder Brian Houston, who has been accused of everything from embezzling church funds to covering up child sex abuse. Whether or not youre a christian, It only takes an ounce of humility to realize that, especially in a time of crisis, the church is essential to many people. And though ARC seems to have a number of challenges and potential mistakes around leaders who fail morally, we still dont have all the facts. A broken and contrite heart is the pathway to the presence and the anointing of God. Before the coronavirus lockdown, more than 50,000 people attended weekly services at 22 branch campuses statewide, including in Anniston, Auburn, Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile Bay, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa, with one across the state line in Columbus, Ga. Hodges said he met in the past week with the four black campus pastors of Church of the Highlands branches Jamil Gilleylen of Woodlawn, Mychal Smith of Riverchase, Mayo Sowell of West Birmingham and Steven Winston of McCalla, along with their spouses. He said he asked them what they thought he should be saying. What he failed to tell everyone is his RoundTable cost $7500 for the Pastor or $10,000 if they bring their spouse. Whats disturbing about this article is that the facts arent known. On June 8, the Birmingham Housing Authority voted to ban the Church of the Highlands from providing volunteer services on Housing Authority property. Massive Nerd. Hodges thanked Maxwell for inviting his sons to speak and said no other pastor had ever given his sons an opportunity like that. In both cases, the offending pastors allegedly had a history of sexual misconduct. Church Of The Highlands. Opinion: What is Revivaland is it Happening at Asbury? In 2001 Chris Hodges founded Church of the Highlands, now known as one of the largest churches in the U.S. with over 60,000 members and 23 campuses. First Wednesday Messages. I just went from sharing something so personal and youre using it to shame me and condemn me.. This is the newest thing on my desk. Church of the Highlands Exposed Part 1 of 2 18,048 views Sep 10, 2018 87 Dislike Share Save Right Divider 2.56K subscribers CORRECTION: I called the pastor "Bill Hybels." That is incorrect. To donate, click here. First Wednesday . The rumor is that Carl and his wife were going to make their exit from Hillsong, and I think that Brian [Houston] knew his profile was too high and that people would follow him so I think it was just kind of getting rid of him and trying to tarnish his brand, Janice Lagata, a former Hillsong student and volunteer who worked with Hillsong NYC church leadership, speculates in the doc. I just knew, OK, they are not on my side, she says. While there is no minimum amount to become a part of the ARC Family, there are partnership requirements to participate in some of ARCs benefits., ARC receives nearly $12 million in annual cash donations, according to the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability. But former students at Hillsong College the megachurchs version of ministerial training claim in the doc that coverups were a part of the culture, where they claim students were used for free labor and required to sign NDAs. From my experience, I doubt seriously that restoring pastors is a profitable enterprise. It looked almost insurmountable to tear the whole thing down. On June 9, the Birmingham Board of Education voted to terminate its leases with the Church of the Highlands, which had been paying Birmingham City Schools $6,000 a week to rent the facilities. Highlands College is a biblical higher education institution that exists to supply the Church with leaders of competence, character, and spiritual maturity, holistically trained to lead lives of eternal impact by fulfilling the Great Commission. We come together with one purpose, to change the world together., Cancel Chris Hodges? It sure seems that way to me. ARC CFO Derek Neece told The Roys Report that about 24% of ARCs cash donationsabout $2.8 million annuallygoes toward ARC salaries. Do you think Chris Hodges is setting himself to take over when John Maxwell is no longer able to do conferences? And that number is..dont know. "It was a cult mentality, said Gume Laurel, 34, who took part in 220i in 2007 and 2008. So, this notion of restoring a pastor while keeping almost all the relevant details of his sin private does not seem biblical at all. "I understand how this has made you feel and I apologize. GrowLeader is also committed to generosity by supporting organizations like Highlands College. Do I have a long way to go? Church of the Highlands faces social media firestorm. Larry Stockstill, who took over from his father as pastor of Bethany World Prayer Center in Baton Rouge, told AL.com that Chris Hodges had asked me to take charge of the process of bringing discipline and long-term restoration to Michael.. A ministry that would help such people sounds like a good thing, although a good aspect of such a ministry might be to help a fallen prominent leader to transition to a different career that being in a prominent leadership role is not a right or the only way a forgiven and restored believer can serve God. Black male interns were allegedly segregated on one floor of the dormitory-style living quarters, Laurel claimed, and male interns believed to be gay were reportedly singled out for torment, including being forced to tread water in a pool for hours. So why are a few likes on social media becoming such a defining moment for this, Freelance Journalist. Hi. Chris remains the senior pastor and Chancellor of Highlands College, a ministry training school that has trained and launched hundreds of students into full-time ministry careers all over the world. Also, any comments with profanity, name-calling, and/or a nasty tone will be deleted. They have 5 children and are Boss and Lovey to 7 beautiful grandchildren. Whether that holds or not, the timelines here suggest that the pastors are being declared restored long before one could actually get a good handle on how they are repentant of their sins, and long before one could see if the steps theyve taken are adequate to prevent remission. I want to grow. Give a gift of $30 or more to The Roys Report this month, and you will receive Escaping the Maze of Spiritual Abuse by Dr. Lisa Oakley and Justin Humphreys. I know God is disciplining me, breaking me. Ensure justice for those who are being crushed.. What does a guy have to do to be unqualified for ministry these days? Later, Karim learned that Lentz was married, and she asked if something was wrong with his relationship. A non-denominational church ministry with 21 campuses and reportedly more than 50,000 attendees on a normal week, this church is one that few know about but that plays an integral part in defining public religious life for Alabamans. The social media controversy over Hodges resulted in the Birmingham Housing Authority and Birmingham Board of Education taking action against him, the church and the health clinic the church started. For every person that has been marginalized, rejected or belittled, abused or even afraid because of how God made you, Tammy and I, the Church of the Highlands family, stand with you.. This free resource allows you to experience messages on-demand, read the One Year Bible, watch services live online, access information about church events, locations and much more . He said he proposed to his wife, Tammy, in Germany in 1986 when the wall still stood. Sengstock claims that when he reported this to church leadership, they tried to pay him off with hush money. *All services are in Central Time Zone unless otherwise specified. Overall a waste of time and money. We cant get there if were not willing to change. We are protected by Trustees. Return to homepage. Named in a similar lawsuit filed in Mississippi is Dino Rizzo. But restoring a fallen pastor after a year at a new congregation that doesnt even know him is nuts. Pastor Chris Hodges. In my church (Romish Popery), Clericalism is recognized as a Heresy. Church of the Highlands is a life-giving church meeting in multiple locations throughout Alabama and West Georgia. Former Pastor Accused of Rape Resigns from Churchome After TRR Investigation; Church Official Makes False Claims, Embattled Next Level Church Closes as More Demand Investigation & Audit, Judah Smiths Celebrity Megachurch Hires Man Accused of Rape Over Alleged Victims Objections, Eden Village Ministry Aims to End Homelessness Through Tiny Home Communities, Gateway Seminary to Fund Short-Term Mission Trips for All Students, Vineyard Pastor Resigns, Wont Cooperate With Probe Into Sons Alleged Misconduct, Why Businessman Peter Chung Matters for the Future of The Kings College. We need to be the church. But as I read farther, I could see that there are serious concerns not over the concept of helping to restore a fallen brother or sister, but of cover-ups of abuse, sordid financial gain from the ministry, and some sense that high-profile ministers are in a special class above lesser believers and have special right to their high positions.