Hillsong Church decided to "pause" its Dallas operations, citing the resignation of its pastor and the effect of pandemic.
Hillsong co-founders Brian and Bobbie Houston announced their decision of temporarily closing down its branch in Dallas. In an email to church members, they explained the reasons of the said closure, as well as the investigation over former pastor Reed Bogard and his wife, Jess, who were revealed to have used donations to fund their lavish lifestyles, The Daily Mail wrote.
The email reportedly stated of Reed's suspension from "his pastoral duties" while the church is reviewing complaints from its members, accusing him of failure "to uphold the standards of Hillsong leadership".
"Early in our process, the Bogards decided to resign from Hillsong Church. We accepted their resignations and acknowledged the time that the Bogards spent establishing our Dallas location," they stated in the email.
In a brief statement, captured by Religion News Service, Reed declared his resignation from the church on Jan. 3.
"The last 10 years of being in church planting mode has really taken a bit of a toll on Jess and I and our family. We just really feel like it's time to transition off of our staff and take some time. Remain healthy, get healthy, and really see what this next season holds for us," he said.
Further to The Mail's report, the Houstons continued by expressing disappointment over the Bogards.
"It was very disappointing to learn that, while some of you experienced the Bogards as dedicated pastors, many others have experienced leadership that failed to meet the commitments and standards of Hillsong Church," they further said.
The couple apologized to the people who were disappointed with the Bogards' leadership failure, praying for "peace and healing." They also articulated their understanding on members who choose to attend local churches in Dallas instead of watching Hillsong broadcasts online.
Moreover, the Houstons mentioned that the coronavirus pandemic has also contributed to their decision to close the branch.
"As we were establishing Hillsong Church in Dallas, the pandemic swept across the globe and quickly changed the shape of our growing church in the city. Many factors, all amplified by the pandemic, have resulted in the difficult decision to pause all operations at Hillsong Dallas for now," they said.
Hillsong Church has been facing numerous scandals involving its staff and former pastors.
In its latest string of controversies, Pastor Ed Crenshaw accused Hillsong of having a "self-protection" policy, following the assault on his daughter, Anna, by one of its married worship leaders.
Pastor Crenshaw criticized Houston for reinstating Jason Mays as a church employee, after the report of the assault came to light. Houston defended Mays, claiming that "he deserved another chance." He also said that Mays is not "a sexual predator" but just someone who did "something stupid."
But Anna sided with his father, contending that Mays' reinstatement "shows people that you can get away with anything as long as you have the right connections within the higher level staff."
Hillsong Church was founded in 1983 in Sydney, Australia. Today, it has churches in 28 countries worldwide with an average global attendance of 150,000 weekly.
