Early this year, Reed and Jess Bogard abruptly resigned from their positions as lead pastors at Hillsong Church’s Dallas location. At the time, the Bogard’s said the move was being made for them to “get healthy, and really see what this next season holds for us.” Hillsong Church co-founder Brian Houston praised them at the time. But now, new announcements suggest a far more complicated situation, and all operations at Hillsong Dallas are being put on “pause.”
“Many factors, all amplified by the pandemic have resulted in the difficult decision,” Houston wrote in the email to the members of Hillsong Dallas in an email first obtained by Religion News Service.
“It was very disappointing to learn that, while some of you experienced the Bogards as dedicated pastors, many others have experienced leadership that failed to meet the commitments and standards of Hillsong Church,” Houston continued. The email cited a recently concluded “examination” but did not elaborate with any further details.
It’s only the latest in a flurry of scandals that have plagued the church, which rose from humble beginnings in Sydney, Australia to become a trendsetting behemoth. Last year, Hillsong NYC pastor and co-founder Carl Lentz was removed from his post following a series of revelations about an extramarital affair that led to a much broader series of investigations into Hillsong’s leadership culture. The Bogards had attended Hillsong NYC and Reed Bogard was at one point the head of finance, according to RNS. Financial mismanagement was one of many subjects that fell under extra scrutiny follows Lentz’s ouster.
Houston said there were no definite plans in place for the future of Hillsong’s Dallas campus. “We still have a huge heart and vision for the great state of Texas,” he said. “When the time is right and we have identified and trained suitable lead pastors, we will consider relaunching.”
