Hillsong accused of financial fraud in parliament by MP Andrew Wilkie and investigated by ACNC
Hillsong is being investigated by the charities watchdog, which has the power to strip it of its tax-free status after it was accused of financial fraud in federal parliament.
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Christian megachurch Hillsong is being investigated by the charities watchdog, which has the power to strip it of its tax-free status.
The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) made an “extremely rare” disclosure on Friday that it was looking into Hillsong’s finances.
It comes following the tabling of more than 10,000 Hillsong financial documents in Federal Parliament on Thursday and disturbing claims raised in a new podcast, Faith On Trial.
ACNC Commissioner Sue Woodward AM said on Friday she wanted to set the record straight.
“Although it was stated in Parliament that the ACNC has not acted, I can confirm that we are investigating concerns raised about Hillsong Church charities. Hillsong has stated publicly that it is fully cooperating with regulatory authorities,” Ms Woodward said.
She said investigations can “be complex and take time to complete.”
‘THAT’S CALLED FRAUD’: HILLSONG’S EXTRA $80M
Hillsong used “private jets like Ubers”, had shopping sprees that would “embarrass a Kardashian” and hid $80 million a year from the Australian tax office, Federal Parliament was told today.
The megachurch, which was founded in Sydney but now spans more than 30 countries, has been accused of industrial scale fraud.
The allegations directed at the church were made under parliamentary privilege by Andrew Wilkie, an Independent Federal MP.
Mr Wilkie tabled thousands of documents detailing Hillsong’s financial records on Thursday and sought leave to table the documents in the Federation Chamber.
Leave was granted, with Peter Khalil, Labor’s member for Wills, agreeing to Mr Wilkie’s request.
Mr Wilkie says he has spent six months poring over the documents, verifying and processing them.
He said he had details of how the former Hillsong leader Brian Houston and his family and friends spent $150,000 of church money on a three-day trip to Cancun, Mexico, while Australia was in lockdown in 2021.
In one three-month period, Mr Houston spent at least $179,000 on private jets, Mr Wilkie told parliament, accusing the former church leader of “treating private jets like Ubers, again with church money”.
And his replacement, Phil Dooley, splashed out on more than $58,000 in business flights “for him and his daughter to Guatemala” from church funds, parliament was told.
Mr Wilkie said the documents revealed lavish spending by Brian Houston’s wife Bobbie, who received a $6500 Cartier watch, and there were “shopping sprees for designer clothes at Saks Fifth Avenue” in New York.
And $16,000 of Hillsong money was spent on custom skateboards, Mr Wilkie told parliament, while “cash gifts” of up to $30,000 were made to Hillsong board members.
“Some of whom allegedly helped cover up sexual abuse carried out by Frank Houston, Brian Houston’s father,” Mr Wilkie told Parliament.
LISTEN TO THE FAITH ON TRIAL PODCAST
Brian Houston has been fighting a charge of concealing the abuse of a seven-year-old boy in Coogee, Sydney, in 1970, which was committed by Frank Houston.
Mr Houston has pleaded not guilty, with the case to return to Sydney’s Downing Centre local court in June for final submissions.
Hillsong, which started in 1983, has become a global Pentecostal powerhouse.
However the church has been battling a series of scandals on top of Brian Houston’s court case.
The church’s celebrity pastor in New York, Carl Lentz, admitted to having affairs.
Mr Wilkie told parliament that Mr Lentz was paid $220,000 a year, “most of it tax free” before his fall from grace in 2020.
Hillsong also handed over $5 million to prop up its London branch, including helping purchase the Hippodrome nightclub in North London.
Hillsong also used $15.7 million of tax deductible donations to help pay for Melbourne’s Festival Hall, Mr Wilkie told parliament.
The money was transferred under an interest only loan, when it was actually a business loan, he said in speech to the House of Representatives.
“And all of this deputy speaker in the context of the documents also revealing Hillsong earns $80 million more in Australian annual income then it reports publicly,” he said.
Hillsong’s 2021 annual report states the church earned $76 million.
Mr Wilkie told parliament that the Australian Taxation Office, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission have also been sent the documents he was presenting.
”And I’m shocked that when offered to the ATO, ASIC and ACNC last year, under the whistleblower legislation, not one of those agencies acted.”
Hillsong said in a statement: “Hillsong Church has been open and transparent with our congregation about past governance failures, and over the past twelve months we have engaged independent, professional assistance to overhaul our governance and accountability procedures.
“Hillsong is a different church now than we were twelve months ago, and we are under new pastoral and board leadership. We are working hard to set a course for the future that ensures our structures are accountable, transparent, and honouring to God. Anything less has the potential to hinder our primary focus, which is to be a community of believers focused on the life-changing power of Jesus, driven to bring hope to the world around us.”
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