10th grade Kat went to a play at a church that changed her life. Fearing the fires of hell that were threatened that night, she focussed on avoiding its clutches at the AoG church in Mildura, Victoria just on the banks of the river. Kat sacrificed everything she could and threw the rest into the fire, but it wasn't enough for God or for the church, and eventually, for Kat. Join us as we go to a small country town where once everything had been burned, Kat had to start again. Come join this refre...
Nov 13, 2022•55 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Narcissism. Narcissistic Personality Disorder. What is it? How can you spot it... and what can you do about it? In this fascinating discussion with James, our resident Mental Health Clinician with 30+ years experience in the field working in psychiatric fields and facilities, we discuss what the medical model is regarding NPD and narcissistic behaviour. This is episode 2 of #casenotes which is #leavinghillsong 's #mentalhealth department. There are #somany discussions to be had, so this is the s...
Nov 06, 2022•50 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Grace and I pick up where Part 1 left off and move into the realm of salacious discussion and juicy commentary on the likes of Brian H. Carl Lentz and what we think on all that. Grace is on fire so don't miss her ideas and thoughts as she brings back the freshest opinions from the inside out... Come chat with us about married and unmarried life... in leadership and the front rows... in Part 2 of this special chat. Let's talk! Producer : Kimberly Robinson :) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...
Oct 23, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 38
Grace is back ! Our semi reg cohost joins me for a late night chat about deconstruction, adjusting to life in the outside world... marriage.. family.. and what the hell has she been told? Only out of Hillsong culture for 2 years, Grace shares her insights fresh from the hothouse and out in the sun! We had a lot of fun with this and hope you will too. Come chat!\ Producer: Kimberly Robinson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 13, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 37
Lindsay Duncan is a faithful listener of the Leaving Hillsong pod and he has recently published his second book, Becoming Ben - From God to Gay. He sat down with me to talk about writing this time, how he creates his fiction, and why oh why he put himself through it! Lindsay is a psychologist with over 30 years' experience and he also shares his lived experience in the pentecostal movement including coming face to face with Frank Houston in the late 60's at a youth camp. This is a warm and wise ...
Oct 03, 2022•50 min•Season 2Ep. 36
Dave started up as a youth pastor, but as he tell us, "everything great they said would happen DID happen... after I left.." But it wasn't an easy path and Dave had to find his way out of a psychiatric maze of medication and diagnoses... and on the path to his own happiness along with his wife. In Part 2 we discuss Dave's regrets about the role he played in driving the Vision of Hillsong and the orders he followed and gave... It's such an urgent and important conversation as so many people have ...
Oct 02, 2022•39 min•Season 2Ep. 35
How much of the damage done at Hillsong is the fault of the every day person? Of the leaders? Of the people up top? We start opening the dynamics of this power and how abusive systems perpetuate by talking with Dave who spent 13 years following his 9th grade conversion experience dedicated to making the world a better place for God with his youth group. Looking back though, he worries about the influence he had as he rose up in the leadership ranks and we talk about how that happened and what to...
Sep 25, 2022•29 min•Season 2Ep. 34
Tom Tilley has been known for over 15 years around Australian music circles and media, working as a journalist on Triple J's Hack program, the Australian ABC and on commercial networks. And while his friends and colleagues knew he'd grown up in a religious home and church, they didn't really understand. So Tom released a book this year called Speaking in Tongues , and he joins me and Fiona who was also a CRC kid (see A Pentecostal Agenda) to talk about writing that book and what this coming out ...
Sep 18, 2022•55 min•Season 2Ep. 33
How do you solve a problem like Mesiti? Who are these men who make the decisions over our worlds as religious devotees? What do you do when a roving evangelist has a prophecy over your life? You do what Luc did and fulfil your family's dreams, and, God's.. or so he thought. Join Luc and me while we discuss the different influences of Hillsong and the CLC movement and the huge effects it had on his life, then and now.... Luc has had a long and winding road and he's not apologetic for the stance h...
Sep 11, 2022•38 min•Season 2Ep. 32
What would you do if you were given an ultimatum to choose between your family and your faith? Luc gives Pentecostalism a one-star review and he's got a bunch of reasons why. That scenario is just one of them... Luc joins us to discuss growing up AoG and CLC and Hillsong.. and what he saw, felt, and heard along the way... There are so many stories in this one that it's a 2 parter and a few content warnings that may be distressing... or just your childhood if you grew up fundie Christian. So join...
Sep 04, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 31
Where does the money at Hillsong go? The oldest question in the book, Natalie Moses, a former employee, currently stood down with pay, has filed a complaint in the Federal Court that she saw a lot of where it went and it was corrupt, unethical, illegal and fraudulent. On this episode, we speak with solicitor, former AoG/ACC executive officer, and PhD candidate in this field Alex Spencer about what this complaint means for Ms. Moses and for Hillsong's future. You won't want to miss this one! Part...
Aug 29, 2022•51 min•Season 2Ep. 29
Barry Bowen from the Trinity Foundation in Texas (trinity.fi.org) joins me today as a TV evangelist investigator and researcher, reporter and journalist to discuss Natalie Moses's case from a US point of view. Ms Moses's allegations include shuffling money on off to the US and Barry talks us through some of the the ramifications of what this means. Then we have a little chat about What Would Carl Lentz Do next? It's super great. Enjoy and just leave Hillsong as soon as you can if you haven't alr...
Aug 28, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 30
So Brian H formerly of Hillsong won and Ernie award held at Parliament House and Meg who nominated him and collected his misogyny prize continues the story of the night in question and what it's like when women use the power to say NO to things that men like Brian say. It's chat time! Producer: Kimberly Robinson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 22, 2022•20 min•Season 2Ep. 28
Last Thursday a friend in Melbourne contacted me to tell me she had succeeded in nominating Brian Houston of Hillsong for an Ernie award for misogyny and that he'd won! I immediately asked if she would share her experiences and she did! This episode is an update on the court matters that Hillsong is surrounded by and drowning in, including the matter of Pastor John McMartin, chief concealer of Frank Houston, and charged with indecent assault against a young woman. And then, Meg tells her story. ...
Aug 21, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 27
What does anyone do when they hear about or experience child sexual assault or any crime coming out of a church? How do we stop the cover ups and ignorance? Join Nick Jordan and me as we discuss the work he does chasing down offenders to bring about justice in the form of compensation and acknowledgement. It's a tough but urgent chat, and it's mandatory for all LH listeners. As well as anyone else who needs to know. Which is all of us. Come chat. This is the stuff that we need to know to change ...
Aug 14, 2022•46 min•Season 2Ep. 26
Grace and I continue our conversation about Hillsong's implosion and loss of revenue and members. We discuss conferences and events and the addictive and fun nature of being involved and feeling special... And then I force Grace's hand about her current or not attendance at Hillsong and where does she come from? So stick around til the end and enjoy our dissection of a young person's experience at Hillsong... and how she left. COME CHAT!! Producer: Kimberly Robinson Hosted on Acast. See acast.co...
Jul 31, 2022•27 min•Season 2Ep. 25
GRACE IS BACK! and she's telling it like it is. We sat down to kick off recording Grace's own history with Hillsong and thought we'd go over some updates. She'd had a few chats with some insiders and has taken the liberty of sharing news with us all. We discuss the recent Hillsong conference, or what's left of it, and Hillsong College or what's left of it, and it's going to take until the end of episode 2 before I get Grace to tell us exactly nearly her Hillsong background. So pull up a chair, o...
Jul 24, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 24
Counselling: should Christians seek counsel with unbelievers? Can Christian counsellors be professional? Why not just keep it in house? In church? Today we meet Petra a long time mental health social worker to find out how these two worlds meet and why it’s so important that they do Come chat with us ! Producer: Kimberly Robinson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jul 17, 2022•49 min•Season 2Ep. 23
WELCOME TO CASE NOTES - LEAVING HILLSONG'S NEW SEGMENT ON MENTAL HEALTH. TODAY we meet James, a mental health practitioner from Victoria, Australia who joins me to discuss the myriad he of mental health possibilities that are expressed in the posts and personalities and behaviours of former Hillsong leaders, Brian and Bobbie Houston. While THIS IS NOT MEDICAL ADVICE OR A PSYCHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS, it's definitely TIME TO LOOK AT THIS from a practical and a medical POV. So, pull up a chair and list...
Jul 03, 2022•47 min•Season 2Ep. 22
Sarah continues her deconstruction story and wow there's a lot here... We discuss issues that women face in leaving churches, especially if they're gay women. Describing herself as both a 'wee sensitive soul' and a 'diehard atheist' we managed to get through issues including - rape in marriage - custody battles - lesbian parenting -neurodiversity - purity culture -prophecies and facades - consent - going NO CONTACT and can ExVangelicals trust therapy? It was a doozy so don't miss it! Hosted on A...
Jun 28, 2022•39 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Sarah continues her deconstruction story and wow there's a lot here... We discuss issues that women face in leaving churches, especially if they're gay women. Describing herself as both a 'wee sensitive soul' and a 'diehard atheist' we managed to get through issues including - rape in marriage - custody battles - lesbian parenting -neurodiversity - purity culture -prophecies and facades - consent - going NO CONTACT and can ExVangelicals trust therapy? It was a doozy so don't miss it! (explicit l...
Jun 26, 2022•39 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Growing up in the Christian Outreach Centre movement, Sarah was immersed in church life. She grew up in a Christian home and married a Christian man. Everything was perfect. Except Sarah is gay and she knew something had to change. Sarah is from Glasgow, and it's another look from another culture at what happens when an insignificant gay kid is also 'a raging homosexual'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 22, 2022•32 min•Season 2Ep. 19
When People in Glass Houses was first released in July 2007, Australian ABC show Enough Rope and its host Andrew Denton wanted exclusive rights to interview me. That interview was intense for me having never done any media and starting on TV was a lot. Derryn Hinch is an Australian icon for an 80's kid like me. He was a late night current affairs host who famously served a jail sentence for releasing a suppressed name of a pedophile before the courts. I really wanted to get this opportunity and ...
Jun 21, 2022•9 min
Growing up in the Christian Outreach Centre movement, Sarah was immersed in church life. She grew up in a Christian home and married a Christian man. Everything was perfect. Except Sarah is gay and she knew something had to change. Sarah is from Glasgow, and it's another look from another culture at what happens when an insignificant gay kid is also 'a raging homosexual'. R - rated language warning Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 19, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 18
When Ben Gresham had had enough of Hillsong's inaction on LGBT issues and Gay Conversion Therapy, he Tweeted the pastor, Brian Houston and was invited to breakfast. Ben joins us in this chat to discuss that discussion and what it's like to come face to face with the leader himself. We also talk coming out of the closet and out of Hillsong and living an authentic life... no matter who you are! You don't want to miss part 2! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 13, 2022•39 min•Season 2Ep. 17
Ben Gresham-Petchell is an out and proud gay Christian. However, that wasn’t always the case. After coming out to his Hillsong youth group leader, Ben entered his first ‘ex-gay’ program at 16 years old believing that it was impossible to be gay and Christian. What followed was years of harm resulting in depression and even a suicide attempt. Ben joins Matthew and me to discuss his Big Gay Rainbow of Light in the Darkness that was Hillsong and how he took its leader, Brian Houston to task and to ...
Jun 12, 2022•47 min•Season 2Ep. 16
In Part 2 , we hear Matthew Drapper's story of gay conversion therapy and the damage and dangers it presented. Drappa takes us through his path OUT of the closet and also the wannabe Hillsong church he was so heavily invested in. It's a magical conversation and an incredible story of hardship and hope and authenticity. Please pull up a chair and join us! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jun 11, 2022•44 min•Season 2Ep. 15
In our first #PRIDE interview, Matt Drapper details a childhood growing up in a 'Duggaresque' family where homeschooling and homebirthing were the order of the day and the parents. Being gay was a secret Matthew kept for a very, very long time, until he finally couldn't keep the truth inside for much longer.. Please join us for part 1 of A Kind of Empathy.. it's an emotional roller coaster and you're gonna love it.. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jun 05, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 14
When Hillsong's Interim Pastor Phil gave the Great Announcement of 19 March 2022 in front of 800 of the company's closest friends on Zoom, not everyone responded sympathetically to the delivery of the news that To Be or Not to Be a Houston supporter was to be the question. Brian and Bobbie's daughter Laura, as well as their son, Pastor Ben, leapt to their defences with an emotive email to the board that Ben soon supported. Somehow that email made its way to the Saturday Paper's Elle Hardy and to...
May 29, 2022•36 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Journalist, producer and multi Emmy award winner Rich McHugh joins us in the Leaving Hillsong conversation to discuss the similarities he sees between Hollywood and Hillsong. Rich was the Supervising Producer at NBC's Investigative News Investigative Unit and interviewed scores of Harvey Weinstein accusers while working with Ronan Farrow. The Pulitzer Prize winning work this story achieved in the New Yorker spun off into the #metoo movement which changed the world as we know it. After dusting hi...
May 15, 2022•35 min•Season 2Ep. 12
