(RNS) – The leading pastors of the Hillsong Dallas church have resigned, adding to two months of transition and turmoil in the global mega-church.
On Sunday (January 3), Reed Bogard announced his resignation and that of his wife in a pre-recorded message that aired during the church’s worship service.
“The past 10 years in church planting has really taken a heavy toll on Jess, me and our family,” said Bogard. “We really feel that it’s time to transition our team and take some time. Stay healthy, stay healthy and really see what this next season has in store for us. “
The announcement, which was preceded by worship music, was relatively short, with no further explanation for his resignation.
Bogard’s departure follows the November resignation of Hillsong New York City’s chief pastor Carl Lentz and Lentz’s admission to an extramarital affair. Lentz’s resignation triggered a storm of tabloid coverage about Lentz’s relationship with a jewelry designer, who spoke about his relationship on “Good Morning America”.
RELATED: Celebrity Pastor Carl Lentz, expelled from Hillsong NYC, confesses he was “unfaithful” to his wife
Since Lentz’s admission, some of the most famous of his faithful, most notably Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, have severed ties with Lentz and Hillsong. Bieber recently announced on Instagram that he is now attending Churchome, led by Pastor Judah Smith.
Bogard, 38, and his wife, Jess Bogard, 35, were part of the “field teams” that started Hillsong Church in New York in 2010 alongside Lentz.
Like Lentz, Bogard met his wife at Hillsong International Leadership College, Australia. After taking up various positions on the staff at Hillsong headquarters while in Australia, the couple returned to the U.S. to plant churches. In addition to helping with the launch in New York, Bogard and his wife also helped start a Los Angeles branch of the mega-church, according to their profile on the church’s website in Dallas.
After Bogard’s announcement, Hillsong co-founder Brian Houston addressed the Dallas congregation, saying of Bogard’s departure: “I’m not sure if this is a shock.”
Hillsong co-founder Brian Houston. Video screen capture
Houston continued to praise the Bogards ‘work, saying the couple “gave their heart and soul to Hillsong Dallas’ pioneering spirit.”
“Reed and I have been talking for a while now and we both agreed that it would be a perfect time for them to come for a new season in their lives, which means a new season for Hillsong Dallas as well,” said Houston, adding the leaders of church would spend their time finding the right replacement for the couple.
Bogard, for his part, also expressed gratitude for Houston and his wife and co-founder of the church, Bobbie, during his resignation, calling them “the greatest cheerleaders” and saying that “he never met two people who believe so much in people. “
Houston did not mention the situation at the Manhattan outpost, where Hillsong is conducting an independent investigation to review the “inner workings” of the church after the end of Lentz and after the leadership of Hillsong NYC “to hear from several people about their experiences and concerns”.
In an audio call in late November with global church leadership and major donors, Houston accused Lentz of narcissistic, manipulative and untrustworthy behavior. Houston went on to describe the global network of mega-churches as “a house with many rooms,” but said that Lentz always seemed to be doing his own thing with the Hillsong East Coast.
RELATED: Carl Lentz and the ‘Hot Shepherd’ Problem
Since Lentz’s resignation, the mega-church has been under scrutiny for its celebrity culture. In addition to Gomez, Bieber and his wife, Hailey Baldwin Bieber, Kevin Durant, Chris Pratt and the Jenner sisters attended Hillsong NYC. Former volunteers spoke about a hierarchy that takes advantage of volunteer work and treats pastors as “royalty”.
The Houstons founded the original Hillsong Church in 1983 in the suburbs of Sydney, Australia. It now has locations in 28 countries and, in the pre-pandemic phase, had an average of 150,000 participants per week, according to its website.
All of the various global churches report to Houston and a board of male elders.
Global Hillsong did not immediately respond to a request for comment.