Hillsong students share stories of the ‘most traumatic’ years of their life

Former Hillsong students are flooding social media with claims of abuse and mistreatment, with many shocked at the personal questions they were asked.

Former Hillsong students are speaking out about their bad experiences at the religious organisation, sharing shocking stories of their time studying or working at the Sydney college campus.

A large number people of have come forward with their wild stories on social media, many of them revealing the intimate details they are asked to share on their college application forms and what happens if they tell the truth.

Hillsong College is the training program within Hillsong Church, with campuses in Sydney and Phoenix in the US.

Students are asked if they have had premarital sex, masturbated, watched porn, been drunk, used “slanderous or profane language” or “any other behaviour that is considered detrimental to Christian character and witness” in the 12 months before starting at the college.

A Hillsong College spokesman said premarital sex, pornography and adultery were considered “sexual sins” and the questions were related to their Student Code of Conduct, which was derived from the Australian Christian Churches Ministerial Code of Conduct.

“Our rationale for asking this question is that applicants are seeking to gain entrance into a course that trains them for Christian leadership and ministry,” the spokesman said.

“Such vocations have high moral and professional standards. These questions are part of our efforts to gauge their suitability and preparedness to undertake such a program of training.”

Some students say they have lied to avoid the ramifications and live in fear they will be found out, or risk deportation if they’re an international student, while those who tell the truth say they are then given a “red light” to mark their status.

That status refers to an internal traffic light system the church uses to determine whether someone is safe to work with children.

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People are sharing their stories from Hillsong College on social media.

The Do Better Church Instagram account has saved the stories to its highlight reels.

“It’s not just those questions,” one former student claimed on the Do Better Church Instagram account which has been sharing student and staff stories.

“They also ask you if you have suffered any kind of sexual/physical/domestic abuse. I suffered abuse at the hands of family members for 18 years. But I was told quietly before the interview by a student who knew what was going on to say no to all questions.

“Turns out – at least at my time in the college – that anyone who discloses any kind of child abuse or trauma is also black-listed from any children’s or youth ministry as they are ‘most likely to become offenders’.”

The spokesman said answering yes to a question initiated a confidential conversation between the applicant and “our qualified admissions staff in an effort to better understand the applicant and make the appropriate admissions decision in light of the above factors”.

“Further, applicants are seeking to become members of our student community. We take our duty of care to our students very seriously. Consequently, we seek to gauge whether an applicant is likely to be a safe member of our student body,” they said.

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Many speak of the ‘toxic’ environment at Hillsong.

People say they have been left traumatised after their time there.

But even after having completed that process, students are then grilled again when they arrive on campus.

Students said they had to detail exactly what type of porn they watched and how much they masturbated and were made to “feel terrible and super ashamed”.

One said they were subsequently made to call masturbating playing “tennis”.

“That told me that what I did was so disgusting that she couldn’t even say it which added to the shamefulness and anxiety I was experiencing already,” they said.

Another student said after admitting to watching porn and masturbating, they were left with a “sickening, shameful feeling” walking around campus.

The interviews are related to the church’s working with children check but students say the system they use is humiliating.

Students who volunteer at Hillsong’s infamous conference events are given a ‘thumbs up’ on their security pass if they are cleared to work with children.

One claimed during one event they were yelled at to leave immediately when delivering supplies where children were because staff saw they didn’t have a thumbs up.

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Students say they are asked intimate questions as soon as they arrive at college.

They claim they are made to feel ashamed because of their past.

Some say they lie to avoid the consequences.

The Hillsong spokesman said the interview was conducted by the Safe Church department of Hillsong Church, not by the college, and was part of the organisation’s legal obligations to “ensure child safety and its zero-tolerance stance towards those who present a danger to children”.

He said the questions were developed by Safe Church as “appropriate indicators in gauging a person’s potential level of risk to children and young people”, were asked by Hillsong Church pastors and the answers remained confidential.

Students are then invited to see a psychologist in the student development team to “participate in a process of development”.

“The purpose of this is to help the student develop appropriate levels of growth and self-mastery in these areas to both enable them to be approved to work with young people and to attain to the moral and lifestyle standards appropriate for those in Christian leadership and ministry,” the spokesman said.

Students say the organisation has taken things to the extreme after its past controversies and on the back of recommendations from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

Hillsong founder Brian Houston’s father, Frank Houston, was a high-profile pastor who used his position of power to sexually abuse young boys.

The Commission found Brian Houston dealt personally with child sex allegations about his father in 1999 and 2000 and he has been accused of covering them up.

Frank Houston was allowed to “publicly resign, without damage to his reputation or the reputation of Hillsong Church”, the royal commission found.

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Another account from campus from a student.

The ‘red light’ system students refer to in their stories is a graphic ‘traffic light’ that indicates whether someone is approved or not yet approved to work with children.

While it is not supposed to be public knowledge, students who find out about their status feel they are ‘marked’ and judged during their time at the college.

The Hillsong spokesman said a student moved from their red light status by underdoing the process with the student development to meet the Safe Church criteria.

One of the owners of the social media account – which has amassed more than 19,000 followers – is also a former Hillsong student.

They say there are far too many stories being presented to them to be dismissed.

“Hillsong is a dangerous place and the abuse there needs to be immediately addressed,” they wrote in their own post.

Many stories speak of the organisation’s ‘red light’ system.

Students say they can’t share their true selves.

One student said her four years at the college were the “most traumatic” years of her young adult life.

She said she was “shocked and horrified” that a confidential conversation with a staff member about her parents’ divorce had been shared.

The student said her experience was “utterly humiliating” and gave her panic attacks. She said she had since realised how “toxic” the environment was.

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Many stories talk about mental health impacts.

Students claim their mental health was mishandled.

Other cases talk about being targeted around mental illness, with one claiming they were sent to have the “spirit of depression bound up and sent back to hell”.

“The whole thing makes me sick to my stomach,” they said.

“It’s disgusting … they need to do better. Period!”.

Many have spent years in therapy.

Hillsong is plagued by controversy around the world.

Now former members are speaking out.

The spokesman said perspective was important, and since Hillsong College commenced, almost 20,000 people had successfully graduated and now served successfully in ministry positions across the world.

“The vast majority of past students report wonderful experiences, however like any college, there are some students whose experience did not meet their expectations, for a variety of reasons,” the Hillsong College spokesman said.

“When notified of any issues, Hillsong College takes these seriously and reaches out to the students to offer assistance and support.”

He said with stories being shared on social media anonymous, it was impossible to understand context or validate accuracy.

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