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Betoota Heights-based mother of three, Bethy Mettle (35), says today’s life lesson is one that she really would have preferred learning in different circumstances.
“I know we shouldn’t idolate mankind” she says.
“But, when you go to these Hillsong conferences, it really feels like the man on stage is God”
“I should have known that he would let me down. The tax-free life of luxury and bleached teeth was probably the first red flags… But he has been a great spiritual mentor.
Bethy, like tens of thousands of other Pentecostal Australians, is today making peace with the fact that their secretive Church has been torn open by legacy-ruining allegations.
Hillsong Founder Brian Houston’s 45-year stint as the senior pastor of the global Megachurch has come to a surprising end with the announcement that he has resigned amid allegations that he behaved inappropriately towards two woman.
The Australian Pentecostal powerhouse, which boasts up 150,000 global members across their 80 different air-conditioned aeroplane hangars with world-class audio systems, has since released a statement regarding an internal investigation into several complaints against their Messiah.
However, given the timelines of both the complaints and subsequent in-house inquiry, it looks like this ‘internal investigation’ may be more of pre-prepared rebrand, in case they ever needed to quickly change leaders.
And this alleged mutiny couldn’t have been better timed, as Houston prepares to face trial over charges he hid his father Frank Houston’s child abuse from both authorities and the church for several decades.
The news has broken the hearts of both church staff and volunteers, who must now make peace with the fact their long-time leader had left them.
Bethy is one them. She says it will be hard to break it to the kids.
“What am I going to say?”
“Do I just tell them that their single mother has found a new man to give 10% of her annual income to via mobile PayPass collection plates every Sunday morning”
“Or do we find a new Church altogether?”
“I mean I spose we could take a few months off before we make that decision…”
“I do have a lot of bills to pay… and the kids need new soccer boots. I could probably afford all that without Hillsong in my life for a little while”
