Documentaries are tricky things to watch and evaluate. They are meant to be informational pieces of art, but at the same time, they are made to entertain. The creators always have their own message and purpose to convey, and the audience’s beliefs are formed around what is and isn’t said.
When I heard there was a Hillsong documentary with the promising tagline “A Megachurch Exposed,” I admit I had certain expectations going in. When I learned this wasn’t made by followers of Christ, I lowered my expectations because it would be coming from a worldview I wouldn’t agree with.
Still, I figured Hillsong had enough bad theology that even unbelievers would be able to sense something wrong with dangerous teachings like Word of Faith, Prosperity Theology, and their unbiblical views on what happens during worship.
The documentary certainly had some merits, as well as some problems. I’d like to discuss both, as well as offer some advice for those who may watch it.
My praise
This documentary is given in three episodes, each about one hour long. Episode 1 was, I would say, a must-watch for Christians. Before the documentary starts digging into the lives of individuals, episode 1 spends most of its time showing how Hillsong operates like a business and highlights some of its practices that have little to do with what a church is meant to be.
Episodes 2 and 3 also make a strong case for the danger of celebrity culture. Carl Lentz was an incredibly popular preacher who was caught in adultery, and seeing the buildup of his sexual sin shows how someone’s popularity and personality encourage people to ignore other warning signs. We see that Hillsong sought to protect its name, not the truth of the gospel.
There are also hints of how Hillsong started. We see quotes from Brian Houston and his father who made it their goal to make a church focused on numbers and influence, and as a result we can connect the dots to see how that led to many compromises, both in terms of God’s word and general morality.
Overall, the documentary does a very important thing – it encourages Christians to question a church (and music creator) that many people accept into their homes without a second thought. It highlights some things that shouldn’t be found in a church that seeks to honor Christ, and from there I imagine many Christians will dig deeper and see the theological issues that aren’t as clear in the documentary.
My praise section is lighter than my criticism, but that’s not because the documentary has more bad than good. In general, I’d recommend that Christians watch it. However, my criticisms stem from its value to God’s people, and especially to those who already favor using Hillsong’s music or teaching materials.
My criticism
“A Megachurch Exposed” is ominous and promises to show the dangers of Hillsong. Instead, what was “exposed” wasn’t dangerous theology, but some terrible things a few people did. Outside of episode 1, not much was said about “Hillsong” as a church, but instead it primarily focused on the personal problems of a handful of individuals within the church.
I’ll admit that as a Christian, I was disappointed with the documentary. I think Hillsong is dangerous and that even their “good” music should be avoided by Christians. But what viewers walk away with isn’t “Hillsong has a theology problem,” but instead “Hillsong has a leadership problem.” We’re invited to criticize the lives of individuals in two locations, not the beliefs taught at Hillsong churches around the world.
Compounding this, it can feel a bit like a gossip documentary. There are a lot of negative statements and accusations made about the four men that the documentary focuses on. Unfortunately, very few facts are presented by many of the people interviewed, and instead, it relies on people interpreting their own experiences as fact. Perhaps that’s standard for documentaries like this, but for Christians, we want to be careful not to get swept up in anger from one person’s perspective without knowing how much is true or just interpreted.
Overall, there’s no doubt that people will walk away with a negative view of Hillsong. However, people won’t be outraged at how God’s word is abused and mishandled, nor how emotion and experience are a higher priority than truth. Instead, people will be shocked and dismayed about how people in powerful positions were corrupt, hypocritical, and dangerous to people around them. Although this documentary centers around a Christian institution, the directors and interviewees could have exposed the CEOs of Amazon or Mcdonald’s without much difference.
Advice
Despite my criticism, I still think this is a valuable documentary for Christians to watch, but discernment and caution are necessary to make sure we’re searching for truth in the midst of emotion, and that we aren’t getting swept up in outrage that is being manufactured by the documentary creators.
To that end, I’d like to offer some things to be mindful of while watching this (or any) documentary.
- Notice the first minutes of the documentary. How do the directors view church, and how might that impact what they show?
- Documentaries have a goal, and that determines what they do and don’t show. What does the documentary want us to believe, and how do they use interviews, music, and information to accomplish that goal?
- Listen to information, not interpretation. People often present their impression of events as fact, convincing us that their interpretation is what actually happened. A guiding question could be “Would I be satisfied with this amount of evidence if someone was exposing the sin of my church or pastor?”
- Notice a mixed bag of evidence – some things like sexual abuse are clearly documented. How does the weight of that evidence compare to things like someone’s negative college experience, feelings of past volunteers, or how people interpret the words and actions of Hillsong leaders? How does the documentary distinguish between hard evidence and feelings/experiences/interpretations?
- Personal experience isn’t bad when used in its proper place Listen to the experiences and try to figure out what practices led to these feelings. Many volunteers felt burned out and used – what might Hillsong have been doing to create this impression in people?
- Listen to the positive experiences or impressions people had when they first discovered Hillsong. What drew them to the church? What kept them around? What might that tell us about what is most important to Hillsong?
- Many people accused Hillsong of being like a business. What facts are we shown that support that? How much of that is just a filter someone views it through? With this, pay special attention to one gentleman in a suit and sitting on a stool – notice that he’s emphatic about his beliefs while also admitting he can’t confirm that his accusations are true.
- At the conclusion of the documentary, we see that most (perhaps all) of the problematic people have been removed from power. Based solely on what the documentary focused on, should people now feel safe to worship at Hillsong? Do you agree?
- The title of the documentary is “Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed.” What would you expect them to expose? What did they really expose?
Final thoughts
As I said, this is a documentary people should see. I’m thankful that at least some aspect of Hillsong has been shown to the world. I know many individuals have questioned using Hillsong music personally or in their church. It’s definitely a good step forward.
However, I also want to highlight that there’s a deeper problem at Hillsong than just the terrible actions of a few powerful people. Hillsong has clearly stated that they want to be a global church, and their emotional music has exposed Christians around the world to their teachings. But it’s what the church stands for and teaches that’s so dangerous.
Hillsong was a perfect place for men like Carl Lentz and Brian Houston. While their actions dishonored Christ and the church, let’s not overlook the teachings, goals, and atmosphere that Hillsong itself has fostered that led to these men being so elevated by others.
(If you’d like to watch the Hillsong documentary yourself, it’s available on Discovery Channel’s streaming service called Discovery+. It’s a paid subscription, but you can get a 7-day free trial. Just don’t forget to cancel your trial before it ends!)
