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Hillsong leaders and frequent guest speakers have been revealed to have some extravagant homes in many of the world’s most coveted locations. See the list and what they’re worth.
Newscorp investigative reporter Stephen Drill appeared on Sunrise to talk about the latest Hillsong Church scandal. A leaked email told staff the ‘unwritten rules’ of avoiding tax, including how to claim housing expenses as deductions.
And many of their properties include luxury multimillion-dollar mansions in some of the world’s most coveted locations.
They often include plush pools, large entertainment areas with features such as pizza ovens, walk-in wardrobes and landscaped gardens.
Among the properties recently listed for sale was the palatial Sydney home of Hillsong founder Brian Houston and wife Bobbie, which sold late last year for about $4.1m, sales records showed.
The sale followed Houston’s resignation from the global church amid an internal investigation that questioned his behaviour towards two women, among other scandals.
The former Sydney home of Hillsong founder Brian Houston.
Houston left his position as leader of the church last year. Picture: Getty Images
Their son Joel, leader of the worship band Hillsong United and now based in the US, sold a Bondi Beach apartment during the pandemic for $1.23m, pocketing a profit of about $600,000.
Also in the US, Carl Lentz, spiritual advisor to celebrities such as Justin Bieber and Kendall Jenner, was reported to have owned a luxury hideaway in affluent Montclair in New Jersey.
The since disgraced pastor later moved into a rental mansion in Los Angeles supported with nearly $100,000 in alleged rent contributions from actor Tyler Perry, according to media reports. He has since moved to a smaller Florida home.
Church elder and businessman Nabi Saleh, known for purchasing Gloria Jeans, lists his Australian home as a five-bedroom property in Castle Hill. It is estimated to be worth about $2.4m.
The Bondi Beach block where Joel Houston once owned a unit.
Joel Houston of Hillsong United while on stage in San Diego, California. Picture: Getty Images
Current leader Phil Dooley, who helmed Hillsong’s South African operations for the better part of a decade, has left little trace of a personal residential property portfolio on any publicly accessible property records within Australia.
A title deeds search in many of the locations other leaders were known to reside within also showed few of their names appearing on property titles.
It comes as Hillsong leaders have been in the spotlight of late amid News Corp’s Faith on Trial podcast and investigations into the group’s charities and claims by MP Andrew Wilkie last month of huge cash splurges by the church hierarchy.
LISTEN TO THE FAITH ON TRIAL: HILLSONG PODCAST BELOW
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Wilkie’s accusations were made against the church under parliamentary privilege.
Hillsong church responded in March by announcing it will commission an independent financial review.
Justin Bieber and Carl Lentz pictured at a celebrity basketball game in 2017. Picture: Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images
Lentz moved from a luxury New Jersey home into a temporary LA home in 2020. Picture: Zillow
Wilkie said internal church documents showed senior members were paid considerable honorariums to speak at Hillsong events.
US pastor and author Joyce Meyer was alleged to have enjoyed honorariums of $160,000, $133,000, $100,000 and $32,000.
US Pastor TD Jakes received $71,000 and $120,000, with a staggering $77,000 worth of airfares to and from Australia included.
Meyer, who is president of Joyce Meyer Ministries, has a two-storey, five-bedroom mansion outside St Louis, Missouri with about 740sqm of floorspace, a pool and four fireplaces.
The estate was built in 2006 and a 2022 real estate report had it valued at about US$1.5m.
Bishop Jakes, the senior pastor of Porter House and a frequent Hillsong speaker, purchased his 1,300 sqm mansion in Fort Worth, Texas for $5.5m in 2004.
The former Dallas home of pastor TD Jakes. Picture: Realtor.com.
His former home was an extravagant waterfront mansion near Dallas with five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a game room, sauna and gym. It sits on 1.95 acres with a pool, koi pond and four-car garage. The property sold in 2020 after being listed for about US$5.5m.
Hillsong founder Brian Houston recently returned to the spotlight amid revelations he will be forced to attend Alcoholic Anonymous meetings in the USA.
News Corp revealed last month that Mr Houston was busted by Californian police last year for driving with a blood alcohol reading of 0.23 per cent – three times the state’s limit of 0.08 per cent.
The former Glenhaven of Brian Houston included a large wardrobe.
The incident occurred about a month before the pastor resigned from the global church.
Mr Houston listed his Glenhaven home in Sydney’s Hills District later that year, telling media he and his wife were selling the 3647sqm estate to reduce debts and simplify their lives.
The property was listed with a guide of $4.5m but sold for $4.15m, sales records showed.
The West Pennant Hills house of Hillsong general manager George Aghajanian.
The listing described the property as offering a “spectacular entertainer’s lifestyle” with a “chef’s kitchen, private in-ground pool, hot tub plus a superb selection of expansive alfresco entertaining areas while enjoying the tranquil sweeping bush backdrop”.
Egyptian-born businessman George Aghajanian, the Hillsong general manager and once Mr Houston’s right hand man lives in nearby West Pennant Hills.
His home sits on 800sqm and has five bedrooms, three bathrooms and a double garage. It is understood to be worth about $2.5m.
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