Faith on Trial podcast: Hillsong accused of promoting rape culture, teaching women to submit to sex

Laura Hamilton has revealed more about why the Hillsong Church and its teachings about sex are a problem for women. Listen to the podcast.

Exclusive: Five women have separately alleged that young, female students at a Hillsong college were taught to physically “submit” to their husbands, with one woman accusing the Christian megachurch of promoting a “rape culture”.

The claims are made in a new eight-part podcast investigation Faith on Trial, which spoke to dozens of the Australian-based church’s former members over the past six months.

It has also uncovered a series of separate claims about sex and money, including questions over the tax arrangements for Hillsong’s $23 million purchase of Melbourne’s Festival Hall.

Describing the claims as “abhorrent”, Independent Federal MP Andrew Wilkie has written to New South Wales Police Commissioner Karen Webb asking for an investigation.

“If these allegations are true, we must not wait a day,” Mr Wilkie said.

“This must be dealt with immediately, because the sort of conduct being alleged is beyond the pale.”

Other former Hillsong students said they were interrogated about their sex lives and accused of “moral failings” during group sessions with church officials.

LISTEN TO EPISODE ONE OF THE PODCAST

The podcast has also obtained internal documents drawn up by the church’s lawyers detailing its response to claims of sexual assault within its congregation in the US.

These describe one Hillsong member accused of sexually assaulting a “non-Hillsong woman” at a party as having been sat down for “one meeting with a pastor and was given a Bible”.

It is also claimed the American arm of Hillsong received a report of an allegation that a woman in a “connect group” – a weekly prayer group – was sexually assaulted. Hillsong has declined to respond to requests for comment.

Yolandi Bosch is a Hillsong survivor. Picture: Julian Andrews

“There were ‘one or two follow-ups’ with the girl, but nothing after that,” according to the report, written by external lawyers engaged by Hillsong.

Laura Hamilton said women were valued for their ability to get married and have children in Hillsong.

“There’s a sort of unspoken culture that women are the helpers, that you’ve got to get married, that that marriage is the be all and end all,” she said.

Ms Hamilton said teaching women to physically submit to their husbands was “totally problematic”.

“I don’t know where its foundation in scripture is. It’s really troubling,” she said.

Laura Hamilton has revealed more about her experience as a member of the Hillsong Church. Picture: David Geraghty

Former Hillsong members have also revealed details of the church’s teaching on sex at its college, which charges students up to $18,000 a year for tuition, often paid using Federal Government-backed loans.

It is claimed young women at the college in Australia are questioned about their sex lives, with those who admit having sex, watching pornography or drinking prevented from working with children because they are seen as being “unsafe”.

Hillsong has previously admitted that students are asked about “sexual sins” when they start at the college.

Andrew Wilkie has expressed his concerns about the claims. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

The details of their answers were kept in files that can be accessed by dozens of teaching staff.

Many of those who studied at the college and were interviewed during the podcast asked not to be named.

One who did agree to be identified, Yolandi Bosch, said a college official “would discuss the way that he’s happy [to] get his wife to submit to him.”

“He said even if she doesn’t feel like having sex with him, he would force her on a Sunday,” Ms Bosch said.

“I would say that’s a kind of a rape culture ... And I think it was very toxic ...”.

The Hillsong Church was founded by Brian Houston and his wife Bobbie in 1983 and today boasts centres in 30 countries. Mr Houston is currently facing trial after pleading not guilty to one count of concealing a serious indictable offence. The 68-year-old is accused of concealing his father’s sexual abuse of a young boy more than 50 years ago.

It is understood New South Wales police from the Castle Hill police station responded to Mr Wilkie’s letter, which was sent to Chief Commissioner Webb on February 8.

Police are treating the matter seriously but have informed Mr Wilkie that they cannot progress their investigation until a formal complaint was lodged by an alleged victim.

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Originally published as Faith on Trial podcast: Hillsong accused of promoting rape culture, teaching women to submit to sex