(OPINION) Armed with reams of financial records and genuine Hillsong Church board documents he received from a whistleblower, Andrew Wilkie, an independent member of the Australian Parliament, accused Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston and other leaders, including the newly appointed Global Senior Pastor Phil Dooley, of money laundering, tax evasion and shopping sprees that would “embarrass a Kardashian.”
Records from the cash cow Evangelical megachurch network also showed popular American televangelists like Joyce Meyer and T.D. Jakes being paid tens of thousands of dollars in honorariums for engagements with the church. Meanwhile, others like Chris Hodges, founder and leader of Church of the Highlands, received “curious payments.”
“Last year a whistleblower provided me with financial records and board papers that show that Hillsong is breaking numerous laws in Australia and around the world relating to fraud, money laundering and tax evasion,” Wilkie alleged during his presentation in Parliament Thursday.
He then pointed to a document showing that in 2021, as the world grappled with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, four members of the Houston family jetted off with friends to Cancun, Mexico, for a luxury retreat lasting three days and billed the church $150,000 for it.
“These other documents show former leader Brian Houston treating private jets like Ubers — again, all with church money. For example, in one three-month period, Brian Houston’s trips cost $55,000, $52,000, $30,000, $22,000 and $20,000,” Wilkie said.
Wilkie alleged that Dooley, who was just anointed as Hillsong’s new global senior pastor last month with high praise from the church, allegedly splurged right along with the church’s embattled founder.
“The new head of Hillsong, Phil Dooley, has told church followers he only flies economy, but these documents show him clocking up $58,000 in business-class flights for him and his daughter to Guatemala, $42,000 in business-class flights to Mexico and $32,000 in business-class flights from Cape Town to Sydney via the US,” Wilkie said.
“Hillsong followers believe that the money they put in the poor box goes to the poor, but these documents show how that money is actually used to do the kind of shopping that would embarrass a Kardashian.”
Among the lavish spending detailed by Wilkie are a $6,500 Cartier watch for Brian Houston’s wife, Bobbie, $2,500 in Louis Vuitton luggage, a $2,500 watch for Phil Dooley, two watches worth $15,000 for Joel and Julia A’Bell, shopping sprees for designer clothes at Saks Fifth Avenue and $16,000 for custom skateboards.
Those close to the church’s inner circle also benefited from cash gifts, Wilkie contends.
“For instance, $15,000 for Darren Kitto’s 50th birthday, $36,000 for Gary Clarke’s 30th anniversary and $4,300 for his 60th birthday, plus up to $30,000 to board members, some of whom allegedly helped cover up the sexual abuse carried out by Frank Houston, Brian Houston’s father,” Wilkie said.
Wilkie also pointed to “curious payments” made to Chris Hodges, founder and leader of Church of the Highlands, one of the largest churches in America, and Paul de Jong, founding pastor of Life, a multicampus church spread across New Zealand and Australia. Both Christian leaders were part of a team that investigated a 2019 sexual misconduct claim against Houston, which eventually triggered his ouster from the church a year ago. (FULL REPORT)
