Whistleblowers lift lid on Hillsong College in new Faith on Trial podcast

Several women have lifted the lid on what goes on at Hillsong’s College, which one described as “disgusting”. Listen to the podcast.

When students sign up, Hillsong College tells them their goal is “to grow healthy leaders in all areas of life and ministry”.

Many expect the first thing they will be asked is their knowledge of the Bible.

Instead, former students claim they are taken into an auditorium to discuss their sex lives in front of their classmates.

They are then taken into small side rooms, where a pastor interrogates them about “moral failings”.

Have they had sex, gotten drunk or watched pornography in the past 12 months?

These questions are asked even if some of the young women in the classes have been victims of sexual assault.

They are pressured to reveal those details, with students warned if they feel “uncomfortable” about the questions, “it’s just the Holy Spirit encouraging them to tell the truth”.

“There’s something embarrassing about sitting around with this huge group of your peers. And then an adult wants to talk about sex in this really disgusting way,” former student Laura Hamilton, 32, told the Faith on Trial podcast, which is out today.

LISTEN TO EPISODE ONE OF THE PODCAST

“I can’t really think of a good reason as to why that level of control over a human being is cool or normal.”

Women, in particular, were made to feel like “filthy sinners”, she said.

Hillsong College has graduated more than 14,000 students, many of whom are international students who move to Sydney for their courses in ministry and theology.

There’s a question about “moral failings” asked on an application form, which must be filled out by a student’s pastor, but those who attended the college say they were shocked they were again asked in person.

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

One student, who asked not to be named, was 25 when she attended Hillsong College.

She followed the “Holy Spirit’s” prompting and told the truth that she had “slept with someone” in the preceding 12 months.

“I explained what I did and who it was with and they recommended that I shouldn’t work with children,” she said.

“I was so angry. I honestly felt like a paedophile, I can’t tell you how gross I felt.

“I wasn’t allowed to work with children and I wasn’t allowed to be in the same room as them.”

Bri Austen, who was a member of the Hillsong Church, has also spoken out. Picture: Supplied

The woman said Hillsong warned her she was at risk of being kicked out of her course – which would have put her Australian visa at risk of cancellation.

“The pastor said it’s actually a privilege that you’re still allowed to be here and that I haven’t sent you home,” she said.

A female student who posted a picture kissing a girl on Snapchat, which was forwarded to Hillsong leaders, was suspended from the course because it broke the church’s rules on same sex relationships.

“You were recently placed on suspension … this was triggered by reports we had received of breaches of our Student Code of Conduct,” an email from Hillsong to the student said.

Those students who do admit to moral failings are publicly shamed.

At Hillsong annual conferences, which runs this year from July 3-5, students are asked to volunteer.

Those who passed the purity test are given a thumbs up on their lanyards to work with children.

Anyone who has admitted to having sex, getting drunk or watching pornography are given lanyards without that icon – if they are seen in a room with children, they are removed.

When students get into the classes at Hillsong, there’s more lectures about sex and an assignment about having a “submissive” marriage.

“(One senior church member) would discuss the way that he would get his wife to submit to him. And he said even if she doesn’t feel like having sex with him, he would force her on a Sunday, for instance, to have sex with him,” 34-year-old Yolandi Bosch said.

Yolandi Bosch is also a Hillsong survivor. Picture: Julian Andrews

“And usually Sundays would be their days where she wouldn’t feel up to it.”

The invasion of privacy extended to women when they were at weekend church services.

Bri Austen, a divorced mother of six who lives in Los Angeles, said she was quizzed about her relationship with a new boyfriend.

“A leader asked me if I was kissing my boyfriend – who wasn’t in the church,” the 45-year-old told the podcast.

“The leader said that because I had been married before I would be more tempted. I tried to avoid the pastor after that.”

Other students claimed they were asked about whether they masturbated, which Hillsong denies.

The church says on its website that it asked students about “premarital sex, pornography and adultery” because they were considered “sexual sins”.

“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 website states.

“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.”

The church added: “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.”

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Originally published as Whistleblowers lift lid on Hillsong College in new Faith on Trial podcast